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Nicolas Cournoyer doesn’t need to get his hopes up, however it could be too late for that. After two pandemic-caused false begins, he’s praying Montrealers will lastly get to rejoice Igloofest’s fifteenth anniversary from Jan. 19 to Feb. 11. And issues are trying good.

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It’s been three years for the reason that out of doors winter dance occasion welcomed throngs of revellers to Jacques-Cartier Pier within the Outdated Port, to get right down to the best DJs from close to and much, underneath the celebs. Three years since folks have snow-suited up, thrown warning to the arctic winds and shimmied the night time away.

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Igloofest’s fifteenth celebration was initially slated to happen in 2021, however with the town in full-on lockdown mode, it was a transparent no-go. So occasion co-founder Cournoyer and his crew sucked it up and did what many different occasions have been gamely doing on the time: they went on-line.

By the tip of 2021, issues have been trying good to lastly have the massive bash. Igloofest’s programming crew went above and past, touchdown a stellar listing of expertise for the event, together with Fatboy Slim, Diplo and Richie Hawtin.

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“Igloofest can’t occur midway, due to the entire infrastructure, the levels and lighting and results,” Cournoyer stated. “You may’t do an occasion like that with 500 folks; it’s go large or go house.”

With festivals together with POP Montreal and Osheaga capable of occur — in a decreased format — within the fall of 2021, he hoped that restrictions would proceed to lighten.

“We have been certain that the relaunch for (full-on) occasions would begin in January with Igloofest. It felt like folks have been able to get on the market and have enjoyable.”

By December, nearly 60,000 tickets had been bought for Igloofest’s 12 nights.

“We had distinctive presale numbers,” Cournoyer stated. “Then Omicron began in Europe. Typically when a variant begins in Europe, it comes right here after, but it surely occurred so quick.”

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Cournoyer and his crew held out hope till simply earlier than Christmas, when it was time to start constructing the Igloofest web site.

“We have been supposed to start manufacturing on Dec. 21,” he recalled. “However seeing that Omicron had began to peak, we determined to carry off a bit, as a result of as soon as we begin constructing, we lose some huge cash (if we cease).”

On Dec. 22, Premier François Legault introduced tighter restrictions on indoor gatherings, starting after Christmas. Then on Dec. 30, the opposite shoe dropped: Legault reinstated a provincewide curfew starting New 12 months’s Eve.

For Cournoyer and his employees, it got here as a demise knell. Fortunately, manufacturing had not begun, and so losses have been minimized.

“If it had been later, we’d have misplaced our deposits (we paid to artists),” he stated. “Nonetheless, there have been every kind of charges incurred. Thank goodness for particular funding from authorities organizations.”

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Now, as he counts down the times to a 3rd try at Igloofest’s fifteenth anniversary, Cournoyer can’t assist however be cautious.

“Now we have a little bit of post-traumatic shock syndrome from final yr,” he stated.

But after a summer time during which the Montreal Worldwide Jazz Pageant, Osheaga, ÎleSoniq and different music festivals occurred at full capability, it’s onerous to not really feel like Igloofest’s time has come. Even so, Cournoyer wonders if the occasion will decide up the place it left off.

“I’m anxious to see, does the magic nonetheless work?” he questioned. “Will the power be double that of different years? I hope to see folks lose their heads and dancing like there’s no tomorrow.”

The DJ panorama has modified since final yr, making it difficult to match the stellar roster of expertise Igloofest had secured 12 months earlier.

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“It was onerous to e book folks this yr,” Cournoyer stated. “There’s numerous competitors, bidding wars, inflation all over the place. The whole lot prices an arm and a leg. Our occasion is for the lots. Due to our enterprise mannequin, we are able to’t promote tickets for $150. That impacts the quantity we are able to pay folks. If an artist can play someplace else for twice the cash, we are able to’t compete with that.”

However Cournoyer isn’t complaining. A number of nights at Igloofest are already bought out, together with opening night time, Thursday, with Australian DJ-producer Flume, and your complete last weekend, that includes celebrity Dutch DJ Tiësto on Feb. 10.

Tiësto’s mainstream enchantment isn’t a typical reserving for the often edgier Igloofest, however “he makes folks completely happy,” Cournoyer stated.

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If attendees don’t like what they hear on the primary Sapporo Stage, there’s at all times another on the secondary Vidéotron Stage.

Worldwide acts might get all the eye, however 60 per cent of Igloofest’s roster is Montreal expertise, together with EDM trio Black Tiger Intercourse Machine (Feb. 4) and electro veteran Tiga (Feb. 9).

The push for gender parity is an ongoing precedence, Cournoyer defined, noting that 43 per cent of artists this yr are ladies. Among the many highlights are Swiss-South African deep home purveyor Nora En Pure (Jan. 27), Montreal occasion starter Tallandskiinny (Feb. 2) and Chinese language-Canadian chillout artist Yu Su (Feb. 3).

Igloofest boasts a variety of sounds to encourage clubland followers of numerous stripes.

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“We at all times attempt to have a stability of old-schoolers, newcomers, issues which might be extra area of interest, deep or stylish,” Cournoyer stated. “We’re not simply caught in a single fashion of digital music.

“That’s why we’re even doing hip-hop now,” he added, pointing to Belgian rapper Hamza, who headlines on Feb. 2. “We’re taking hip-hop exterior in winter, getting folks out of their consolation zone.”

A high-profile late addition to the lineup is Philadelphia tech-house pioneer Josh Wink, on Jan. 20.

New this yr is a sequence of “Après-ski” after-parties at indoor venues in and round Outdated Montreal, together with an all-nighter till 6 a.m. on the SAT on Feb. 11; and free, family-friendly day events, each Saturday from 1 to six p.m. on the Igloofest web site.

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Finally, it’s about letting the great instances roll, even — or maybe particularly — within the lifeless of winter.

“We need to supply folks an infusion of serotonin,” Cournoyer stated. “We wish them to have enjoyable. It hasn’t at all times been simple through the pandemic, but when we might help, we are going to.”

AT A GLANCE

Igloofest takes place Jan. 19 to Feb. 11 at Jacques Cartier Pier within the Outdated Port. For tickets and extra info, go to igloofest.ca.

tdunlevy@postmedia.com

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