Hanako at the Rialto Theatre, via Samantha Levine

Samantha Levine

Arts and Culture Correspondent

On Thursday, September 23rd, we entered the Rialto Theatre, silver hoops twinkling with anticipation. Ciders were poured, theatre lights dimmed. A murmur passed through the crowd, followed by the hush of a collective held breath: Pop Montreal 2026 had begun.

Marking History

This year, POP Montreal celebrates its 25th anniversary. Founded by Daniel Seligman in 2002, the festival serves as a tribute to Montreal’s indie-rock music scene, seeking to revive, exhibit, and embolden indie bands and their devoted listeners.

In the days preceding the celebration, posters could be seen tacked to shop windows up and down Parc Avenue. From Cheskie’s to Double’s, bands could be spotted lounging along the bustling avenue at all hours of the day, Belmonts steaming out over their Olimpico coffee cups.

An Unflinching Legacy

The celebration began 25 years ago with a bang, showcasing 80 artists, both local and international, in 40 distinct venues scattered across the city’s Mile End neighborhood.

Throughout the years, the festival has showcased word-reknown artists Franz Ferdinand (2004), Patti Smith (2007), and Angel Olsen (2016). It has displayed screenings of local films, held rooftop performances, church raves, and a homecoming party at The Salvation Army Citadel in 2004, where Arcade Fire promoted their debut record Funeral as a thank-you to Montreal.

Now celebrating a quarter of a century, the influential festival has established itself as an invaluable part of the city’s vibrant music history.

A Dichotomy of Old and New

The festival presents a series of shows at venues throughout the neighbourhood, including bars La Sala Rossa, La Sotterenea, Casa del Popolo, La Toscadura, and P’tit Ours, as well as in Mario Park and the Rialto Theatre. In utilizing diverse spaces, Pop Montreal allows for local venues to become a hub of the community’s passion and spirit. It is a unique phenomenon of an event, with participants beginning their evenings enraptured in the imposing neo-baroque style of the Rialto Hall — marvelling up at the expansive domed ceiling that displays the architecture of another time — and ending their nights stumbling in and out of various dive bars strewn down Saint-Laurent Boulevard, wide-eyed and awestruck.

The Rialto Theatre: An Outremont Staple

With its façade inspired by the Paris Opera House, the Rialto Theatre has been a staple of the Outremont Neighbourhood for over a century. Designed by Montreal architect Joseph-Raoul Gariépy in 1924, the theatre initially served as a space for students to catch quick films on their days off, but saw its close in 1983 with the rise of at-home movie watching.

Since then, the remarkable building has found itself the site of various scenes, with former long-time owner Elias Kalogeras having even attempted to configure the building’s main hall into a steakhouse. Although it was deemed a historical monument by the City of Montreal in 1988, the theatre faced nearly 3 decades of neglect, causing it to fall into disarray. In 2010, the theatre was bought by current owners Ezio Carosielli and Luisa Sassano, who vowed to restore its unique architecture and atmosphere. They succeeded immensely. The theatre has since been the site of numerous concerts, weddings, and other cultural events, having even hosted a Gatsby-themed party for the community to display its admiration for the music and attire of the Roaring 20s.

The Impact of a Space

It is just past 9 p.m. when Hanako takes center stage at the Rialto Theatre. Ciders are down to their halfway mark; this is the moment we’ve been waiting for.

It is the second year that Montreal-based indie rock singer Hanako has performed with POP Montreal. The year before, the artist had performed at La Sotterenea, a bar just off of Saint-Joseph Boulevard. In smaller bar venues such as that one, the performer finds themself a mere few feet away from the audience. The space is charged, intimate as can be.

“The performer addresses their audience directly, basslines pouring straight from string to pulse. In this way, we become complicit.”

In this way, listeners find themselves becoming a part of the rhythm.

In comparison, the Rialto Theatre provides Hanako’s lyrical, melodic voice with the chance to expand and float out, past the hall’s imposing architecture, towards its captive audience, unwinding and unfolding around her crowd. In this theatre, beams of violet and fuchsia light reach out to grasp listeners, pleading that they give themselves over completely to the striking performance unraveling before them.

To Many More

This year, POP Montreal saw the performances of local bands Palomine, Underpass, Superstar Crush, and numerous others making their debut in the vast scene. Having been given the chance to witness these passionate young artists display their sound, lyrics, and heart, it is our hope that the city will continue to embolden its dedicated artists, both old and new.

Here’s to many, and countless more, years of POP.