POP Symposium 2026 - Full Lineup
"Every year that passes, I grow more optimistic and anxious about the state of independent music. Are we on the precipice of a Canadian music renaissance or an AI-slop-pocolypse? Will the industry adapt to meet our moment or will a group of 20-year-olds reinvent and replace everything? How many streams would it take to buy our favourite music venue and protect it in perpetuity?
The answer is idk, probably a bit of all of the above. Come find out at this year’s POP Symposium as we attempt to quell the fears that keep musicians up at night (and replace them with new ones)."
- Eve Parker Finley, POP Symposium Director
POP READS
Co-presented by ARCMTL
SEPT 23, 18h00 – 20h00
Rialto Hall (5723 Av du Parc)
EN / FR
POP Reads is back for its 9th edition, on September 23, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., on the 2nd floor of the Rialto Theatre. A bilingual poetry evening organized by the Montreal independent publication festival Expozine, right in the heart of the POP Montreal festival.
Once again, we’re bringing together the literary worlds of two Montreal-based literary organizations—one in French and the other in English—on stage. This year, the spotlight is on emerging literary magazines, featuring eight poets from the new revue Paupière (@revuepaupiere) and Commo mag (@commo.magazine)!
Both Sides of the Tracks – a Mile End/Ex Walking Tour
Co-presented by ARCMTL
SEPT 23, 13h00 – 15h00
Meeting in front of Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
As POP looks back on its 25 years, the ARCMTL archive centre has organized a historical walking tour exploring places important to recent music history along "both sides of the tracks" of Mile End / Mile Ex. From Hotel2Tango and The Plant to Lab Synthèse, Electric Tractor and Alexandraplatz, these venues were where various underground music scenes lived and thrived since the turn of the century, pre-gentrification.
Advance registration is required for this free event. Visit popmontreal.com for more details.
Negotiating Performance Contracts
SEPT 24, 12h00 – 13h00
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN / FR
Co-presented by PAN M 360
Independent musicians regularly perform in venues without clear, written agreements, relying instead on informal exchanges that can lead to misunderstandings around payment, cancellation, technical requirements, or responsibilities. This bilingual, hands-on workshop introduces musicians to the fundamentals of contract literacy through the concrete example of a venue performance agreement.
Sync Case Studies
SEPT 24, 13h00 – 14h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
Every artist wants their song on screen, but what is the actual process for landing those coveted placements in TV and film? Join Fair Enough Publishing to explore how some iconic musical moments came to be on the big screen.
Accessibility, Disability, and Cripping Live Music
Co-presented by Crip Rave and CJLO
SEPT 24, 14h30 – 15h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
Whether it’s the DJ Booth, the dancefloor, the hall, or the stage, artists are challenging the music industry to prioritize and expand ideas of accessibility. Facilitated by the founders of Toronto-based Crip Rave, this panel invites artists, music fans, and industry pros to discuss accessibility, access riders, mental health, ‘cripping the DJ booth’, and more.
Kehkimin: Indigenous Language Reclamation and Music
Co-presented by The Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM)
SEPT 24, 15h00 – 16h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
Wolastoqey / EN
In 2022, Lisa Perley-Dutcher, longtime health professional and mother of two-time Polaris Prize Winner Jeremy Dutcher, opened the Kehkimin Wolastoqey Language Immersion School, the first and only Wolastoqey immersion school, in Fredericton. A few years prior, in 2018, Jeremy Dutcher released his award-winning debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, which featured post-classical rearrangements of the music of the Wolastoqiyik Nation. Together, Lisa and Jeremy will discuss their complementary approaches to Indigenous language revitalization through education and music.
Parents Rock: Caregivers in the Music Industry
Co-presented by RANGE
SEPT 25, 13h00 – 14h00
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
Many artists feel they have to choose between caregiving and their music careers. Join a panel of artists and community advocates exploring the intersections of caregiving, motherhood, eldercare, and the music industry.
Sook-Yin Lee on Music, Film, and Mooning the Audience
Co-presented by CKUT
SEPT 25, 14h30 – 15h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
Film pioneer, MuchMusic VJ, musician, and overall multidisciplinary icon Sook Yin Lee has lived many lives. Join us as we look back on a colourful career spanning queer controversy, art, and mooning the MuchMusic audience.
Everyone Hates AI: Strategies for Artist Resistance
Co-presented by le Warlus
SEPT 25, 15h30 – 16h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
Depending on who you ask, AI is either a climate disaster, an existential threat, the end of the music industry as we know it, "really cool I guess", not that big a deal, or our unavoidable future. Join this panel of artists, industry pros, and thinkers who all hate AI for unique reasons.
For All: The Importance of All Ages Spaces
Co-presented by Apathy is Boring and CKUT
SEPT 26, 12h00 – 13h00
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
All Ages shows, where youth under 18 are welcome, are an important and often underappreciated pillar of the music industry ecosystem. These spaces are incubators for emerging musicians, alternative communities, and political activation. Join this panel of organizers of All Ages events, past and present, to discuss the importance of these spaces.
Recording Sessions, Tour Vans, and Royalties: Getting Paid as a Hired Musician
Co-presented by ACTRA-RACS
SEPT 26, 13h00 – 14h00
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
Whether it's working as a session musician for recordings or playing in the band for touring artists, there are many ways to get paid as a musician beyond being a lead artist. From royalties to negotiating fees, join this panel of experts as we discuss how to make a living as a hired musician.
POP 25th Anniversary Retrospective
SEPT 26, 14h30 – 15h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN
25 years ago, a trio of inspired twenty-somethings had the "brilliant" idea to start a festival. Two and a half decades and thousands of shows later, join the founders of POP Montreal for a look back on 25 years of beautiful indie music chaos.
With Support From…
Co-presented by Conseil des Arts de Montréal
SEPT 26, 15h30 – 16h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
EN / FR
Emerging artists in Montreal, especially Official Language Minority Community music artists, are often unaware of the funding opportunities available through municipal funding programs. This grant workshop features the Conseil des Arts de Montreal to provide information about funding opportunities and funder priorities, helping musicians access and maximize the financing available to them. This session will be offered in a bilingual format.
Nardwuar's Video Vault
SEPT 25, Théâtre Rialto, 21h00
Join Nardwuar the Human Serviette as he shares rare interview clips, hosts a Q&A, and plays favourite moments from his legendary interviews with artists spanning Arcade Fire to Lil Uzi Vert!
Montreal Make Some Noise!
Co-presented by ADISQ
SEPT 27, 13h00 – 14h00
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
FR
At a time when the discoverability and reach of Francophone music are major challenges, “Montréal fait du bruit!”, an initiative by ADISQ, aims to bring together some 60 stakeholders from the music ecosystem—artists, professionals, organizations, promoters, media outlets, businesses, partners, public authorities, and members of civil society—to create a space for reflection and action.
This panel brings together some of the campaign’s key partners to explore innovative ways to help Francophone music reach new heights.
Underground Dance Parties as Resistance
SEPT 27, 14h30 – 15h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
FR / EN
Underground dance cultures have always acted as sites of collective resistance and political activation. Join this panel of some of Montreal's most legendary and iconic nightlife organizers for a discussion on the intersections between underground party culture and activism.
Towards a Cultural Land Trust: Models for Collective Ownership
Co-presented by Scènes de Musique Alternatives du Québec (SMAQ)
Sept 27, 15h30 – 16h30
Clubhouse Rialto (5711 Av du Parc)
FR / EN
Following similar models from around the world, the SMAQ (Regroupement des salles de diffusion indépendantes du Québec) is leading an initiative to create a cultural land trust, which would ensure the stable future of independent music venues for decades to come. This panel explores alternative models for collective ownership, and how artists and music lovers can rethink the future of our beloved spaces.
