Le Phoque OFF Festival
9 Days of Shows, Showcases, Parties, Wrestling, Workshops, Panel Discussions, Networking Cocktails, and More at Quebec City's Craziest Alt-Music Festival!
February 9 to 17
THE LINEUP
Presented by SiriusXM, Quebec City's Craziest Alt Music Festival, Le Phoque OFF, is set to kick off the festivities for it's 10th anniversary edition from February 9 to 17, 2024. Featuring an eclectic lineup of nearly 100 artists, the event presents a series of stellar shows, an innovative showcase programme, off-the-hook after-parties, thought-provoking panel discussions, indispensable networking cocktails for professionals and so much more! Known throughout the industry as the platform for breaking new acts and discovering the best musical talent that Quebec has to offer, the lion’s share of artists hail from ‘la belle province’, alongside a carefully-curated selection of the hottest up-and-coming artists from Canada and abroad, including France, Belgium, Chile, and Mexico.
Le Phoque OFF’s 10th anniversary lineup is headlined by shows from TEKE::TEKE, the Montreal psych-rock 7-piece with a classic Japanese soundtrack twist, and one of Quebec's hottest punk-rock acts, GET THE SHOT, alongside the Mexican metal band Los Viejos (whose show has just been upgraded to the 800-capacity Impérial Bell!). The fest is also proud to co-present, alongside Festival Mois Multi & MUTEK, the Hubert Lenoir & Lou-Adriane Cassidy-led collaboration DooDooDoo and introduces an extravagant first-time event that will raise sweat levels at Centre Horizon: a wrestling gala presented by SiriusXM and NSPW, with CHOU as the heavy-hitting house band.
February 9th will mark the first night of Le Phoque OFF's 10th edition programming with the disco-funk duo Kinkead and their "Une nuit au ballon rouge" night. On Saturday, February 10th, Étienne Dufresne, winner of the Félix-Leclerc Award and the Lucien Revelation of the Year at the GAMIQ Awards, 2022, will take the stage at Pantoum to present their new folk-pop album, produced by Alexandre Martel, set to be released in January 2024. Folk-pop artist Jeanne Côté, winner of the 2023 Francouvertes, will open for him. The psych-rock band Solipsisme will also be on hand to present their latest album, offering a sensory and dreamlike journey to the already enchanted audience! Finally, the multi-experimental artists Ce qui nous traverse and Ulysse Ruel Orchestra will blissfully close out the 10th anniversary of Le Phoque OFF on Saturday, February 17th.
Since the essence of Le Phoque OFF is rooted in hard rock music, the Metal Series naturally forms an integral part of the event's DNA. That's why the concept offers low-priced shows reminiscent of the good old days! Join us at the Scanner to mosh with bands like Conflit Majeur, No Waves, Kapitur, Easy Pain, Radiology, Crachat, Jetsam, and Souphl.
Of course, Le Phoque OFF proudly retains its reputation as a night owl and continues to host the famous After-parties at La Cuisine. Several DJs, still secret, will make you boogie-woogie until the potential early morning hours!
In addition to these performances, Le Phoque OFF upholds its mandate of offering emerging musical acts the chance to showcase their best material to the public and industry professionals alike through an exciting after-dark series of showcases from February 11 to the 14, once again bringing tomorrow’s headliners from across the sonic spectrum to the stages of Quebec City.
Amongst this year’s exceptional showcase lineup, prog-art rockers Population II winners of the Revelation of the Year award at GAMIQ 2023, La Julia Smith, a psychedelic power trio straight from Chile. Representing the Belgian underground, Brussels based electro-jazz producer, Kuna Maze, and groovy-toned gang Gros Coeur, Laurence-Anne offers up an intangible, synth-laden landscape. Punk-rock troublemakers DVTR, share the stage with Érika Zarya, LOVA, and oui merci for an evening signed by Montreal’s smoking booking crew Fire Feu Fuego. Les Bluecharms, a female four-piece from New Brunswick, and Ontario’s LeFLORANCO, will rendezvous during a thematic morning dedicated to the Canadian francophone scene. Charlotte Brousseau, winner of the audience award at Cabaret Festif 2023, will take the stage for a folk evening with Anne Painchaud, Georges Ouel, and Sam Krüger. For R&B and soul enthusiasts, Clara Dahlie and Janette King, two Quebec artists, will present their captivating universes. Sainte-Nicole’s electro-pop flavours from France; SLUICE’s Acadian powerpop vibes; Montreal-based femme rock trio Princesses; rap duo Violet Ground from the Naskapi Nation; and many more!
Tickets are now available as Single-Day Passes or with a Discovery Pass, the cost-effective choice to discover several diverse talents. For the latest news on programming, box office, and more, join the Facebook event, and sign up to Le Phoque OFF's social channels and newsletter!
THE PRO COMPONENT
February 11th-14th
Le Phoque OFF's mission is to introduce the artists of tomorrow to the various stakeholders in today's performing arts market. That's why, in addition to activities dedicated to professionals, over 60 emerging/alternative artists will be showcased throughout downtown Quebec City during this tenth anniversary edition. These showcase performances are a standout element of Le Phoque OFF – a series of bite sized 20-minute performances for artists to perform their strongest material in a short, sharp set that enable industry visitors, tastemakers and the public to check out even more performances across the 4 days of the festival's PRO component from February 11 to 14, 2024.
In addition to the showcases, activities, including panels, roundtable discussions, cocktails, and more, are on the agenda. The Messe Basse series, presented by Thepointofsale.com, will highlight three current topics. The first panel will provide an overview of the media landscape in Quebec. The second, in collaboration with MétaMusique, will focus on metadata, emphasizing music discoverability and monetization. Finally, a workshop will be offered to explore solutions for creating a block booking system and facilitating collaboration between alternative presenters and talent agents.
Among the other PRO activities presented at Le Phoque OFF, there will be a panel on the reality of women in the hip-hop industry in collaboration with L’Ampli de Québec, an activity on sexual diversity and gender plurality in collaboration with Garance Chartier, and a workshop on human resources challenges in cultural enterprises. A new addition this year is a collaboration with the film industry and music publishing with the goal of creating connections between the two fields.
NETWORKING COCKTAILS + INTL DELEGATES
On the networking front, the classic 5 à 7 cocktails will make a return, including the welcome cocktail for international professionals. The famous closing PRO party, known for showcasing the cream of emerging musical talent, will mark the end of the PRO festivities.
The team at Le Phoque OFF will welcome around 10 international delegates, mainly from France and Belgium. Several networking activities will be organized to establish connections between them and music industry professionals from Quebec and the Canadian Francophone community. For the PRO pass outside of Canada, please visit thepointofsale.com.
THE ULTIMATE CLOSING PARTY
Join us for the grand finale of the PRO component, an unforgettable experience awaits! We'll be gathering at Les Ateliers du Réacteur, where the Phoque PROs will come together for their closing moments.
The evening promises a delightful menu of cocktails and appetizers that will tantalize your taste buds. But the real highlight of the night will be the four exclusive showcases featuring outstanding performances by Chris Belliveau, Les Deuxluxes, Malaimé Soleil, and Hawa B!
PRO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
In addition to the festival's PRO component, Centrale Alternative supports the Phoque OFF PRO initiative, a year-round professionalization program to support independent and alternative music artists and professionals. Registration for Phoque OFF PRO provides subscribers with access to a range of services, including specialized training, access to exclusive content, a virtual discussion space, discounts with our partners, and full access to the Le Phoque OFF festival.
About Le Phoque OFF
Presented in the middle of February, Le Phoque OFF warms up the Capitale-Nationale with its crazy festival of alternative music. After 8 editions, including one in the metaverse, the festival is positioned as a real hub for the independent scene in Quebec.
Dedicated in supporting emerging artists, Le Phoque OFF gives way to the best of Quebec ‘s musical talent by offering avant-garde showcases and spectacular shows.
In addition to connecting the music industry professionals and promoting artists nationally and internationally, the festival also has a PRO section consisting of discussion panels, workshops, conferences, networking opportunities and welcoming international professionals. Since 2021, this PRO component has been extended year-round with the Phoque OFF PRO, a support platform dedicated entirely to artists and craftsmen of the cultural scene.
About Centrale Alternative
Le Phoque OFF and Phoque OFF PRO are initiatives of Centrale Alternative, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote, equip, and connect independent and alternative music artists and artisans in the Quebec and Canadian Francophone music scene.