Heavy Montréal (stylized as Heavy MONTRÉAL, formerly known as Heavy MTL) is a two-day, summer heavy metal and hard rock music festival held annually at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It also includes various other events at different venues across the city. The "MTL" in the former name, Heavy MTL, served as both an abbreviation for "Montreal" and "Metal". In 2014, the festival was officially renamed as "Heavy Montréal". In 2023, the festival revived the "Heavy MTL" moniker once again through its logo.

History

Since the festival's first edition in 2008, Heavy Montréal, known until 2014 as "Heavy MTL", has seen some of the world's most successful heavy metal acts, such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, Kiss, Dethklok, Rob Zombie, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, Slayer, Alice Cooper, Motörhead, Godsmack, In Flames, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Deftones, System of a Down, Five Finger Death Punch, Children of Bodom and Babymetal.

In 2011, a sister event, Heavy T.O., was created for Downsview Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Both events were held during the same weekends, with most bands playing one day in Montreal and the other in Toronto. Despite the Toronto event's popularity, however, promoters ceased operations there after the festival's 2012 incarnation.

For the 2014 festival, Heavy MTL was officially rebranded as "Heavy Montréal". This was done as an "evolution" of the festival, with efforts made to include a wide array of styles in its programming.

The festival took a one-year hiatus in 2017, citing the renovations taking place that year in Parc Jean-Drapeau and the increase in other cultural events due to Montreal celebrating its 375th anniversary[fr]. In November 2019, event promotions company Evenko announced that Heavy Montreal would not occur in 2020, in part due to "the number of non-festival metal/rock concerts that will be announced over the next few months", said Evenko chief operating officer Jacques Aubé.

Past editions

2019

The lineup included:

Saturday, 27 July 2019
Stage HeavyStage de l'ApocalypseStage de la ForetStage du Jardin
Fever 333 Kataklysm Beartooth Killswitch Engage Godsmack GhostGalactic Empire Anonymus Quiet Riot Hatebreed Steel Panther EvanescenceHarm's Way Devin Townsend All That Remains Cancer Bats Municipal Waste WatainBrand of Sacrifice Lorna Shore Nekrogoblikon Rivers of Nihil The Faceless Carnifex Cattle Decapitation Dying Fetus
Sunday, 28 July 2019
Stage HeavyStage de l'ApocalypseStage de la ForetStage du Jardin
Knocked Loose Despised Icon Skillet In This Moment Slash Slayer1Mountain Dust Beast in Black Atreyu Gamma Ray Clutch AnthraxDopethrone Skálmöld Fu Manchu Gloryhammer Terror Counterparts Stick to Your GunsJunkowl Dirty Honey The Great Sabatini Metalachi 3Teeth Demolition Hammer

2018

Heavy Montreal returned in 2018 after a one-year hiatus.

The lineup included:

Saturday, 28 July 2018
Stage HeavyStage de l'ApocalypseStage de la ForetStage du Jardin
Pallbearer Sword Tech N9ne I Prevail Marilyn Manson Rob ZombieBorn of Osiris Lee Aaron Baroness Alestorm Underoath EmperorVeil of Maya The Black Dahlia Murder Witchcraft Napalm Death Red Fang Between the Buried and MeJungle Rot Entheos Soreption Allegaeon The Agony Scene Erra Jinjer
Sunday, 29 July 2018
Stage HeavyStage de l'ApocalypseStage de la ForetStage du Jardin
Helix Demon Hunter Voivod Asking Alexandria Hollywood Undead Limp Bizkit1Intervals Emmure Ultra Vomit Sleep Trivium GojiraBlind Witness Power Trip Warbringer Gloryhammer Eyehategod PerturbatorNonhuman Era Get the Shot Bad Omens Havok Khemmis Necrotic Mutation
  1. Replaced Avenged Sevenfold

2016

The 2016 edition of Heavy Montréal took place on 6–7 August 2016. For 2016 the festival was held on a new site in Parc Jean-Drapeau, la Plaine des Jeux.

The lineup included:

Saturday, 6 August 2016
Molson Canadian stageHeavy stageBlabbermouth.NET stage
Pop Evil Escape the Fate Fear Factory Trivium Sabaton Mastodon Five Finger Death PunchUSA Out of Vietnam The Dillinger Escape Plan Carcass Sebastian Bach Black Label Society NightwishInquisition Skeletonwitch Repulsion Attila Suicide Silence Cult of Luna
Sunday, 7 August 2016
Molson Canadian stageHeavy stageBlabbermouth.NET stage
I Prevail Despised Icon Saint Asonia Blind Guardian Alter Bridge Breaking Benjamin DisturbedWe Came as Romans Animals as Leaders Kataklysm Zakk Wylde Killswitch Engage VolbeatMantar Beartooth Memphis May Fire B.A.R.F. Suffocation Napalm Death Candlemass

2015

The 2015 edition of Heavy Montréal took place over three days from 7 to 9 August 2015.

The lineup included:

Friday, 7 August 2015
Molson Canadian stageHeavy stageApocalypse stageForest stage
The Flatliners Anonymus Extreme Meshuggah KornGorguts Venom Arch Enemy Lagwagon AlexisonfireBrothers of the Sonic Cloth Revocation The Acacia Strain Veil of Maya Lofofora NeurosistoyGuitar Beyond Creation Cattle Decapitation Nothing More .moneen. Augury
Saturday, 8 August 2015
Molson Canadian stageHeavy stageApocalypse stageForest stage
Slaves on Dope Rocket from the Crypt Abbath Testament NOFX Faith No MoreDeafheaven Lita Ford Gojira Billy Talent Iggy PopThe Brains Glassjaw Swingin' Utters B.A.R.F. Devin Townsend Project Dying FetusMass Murder Messiah Ion Dissonance Masked Intruder Dig It Up The Agonist Battlecross
Sunday, 9 August 2015
Molson Canadian stageHeavy stageApocalypse stageForest stage
Fozzy Coal Chamber Dokken Asking Alexandria Bullet for My Valentine SlipknotMotionless in White Warrant Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg Within Temptation Lamb of GodOmnium Gatherum Insomnium Jasta Pig Destroyer Sanctuary Ihsahn Nuclear AssaultExes for Eyes Sandveiss Dead Tired Small Brown Bike Upon a Burning Body Wilson

2014

The lineup included:

Saturday, 9 August 2014
Molson Canadian stageHeavy stageApocalypse stageForest stage
Monster Truck Overkill Apocalyptica Dropkick Murphys Anthrax MetallicaBabymetal Pennywise Three Days Grace Voivod The OffspringEagle Tears Mass Hysteria Municipal Waste Whitechapel Protest the Hero The Vandals MadballKublai Khan Biblical Unlocking the Truth Whores. Nekrogoblikon Beyond Creation
Sunday, 10 August 2014
Molson Canadian stageHeavy stageApocalypse stageForest stage
GrimSkunk Exodus Symphony X Hatebreed Twisted Sister SlayerBat Sabbath Death Angel1 Epica Body Count Bad Religion Lamb of GodLa Corriveau Nashville Pussy Cynic We Came as Romans Alestorm Unearth Fucked UpBeheading of a King Sworn In Gideon Stick to Your Guns The Motorleague Nepentes Truckfighters
  1. Replaced Dirty Rotten Imbeciles

2013

For the 2013 edition, Heavy MTL also featured a live pro wrestling event showcasing men and women of the Montreal independent wrestling scene.

Saturday, 10 August 2013
Molson Canadian stageJägermeister stageGalaxy stageRing Heavy Mania
Obey the Brave Hellyeah Gwar Steel Panther At the Gates Danzig with Doyle Avenged SevenfoldDevice Halestorm Sick of It All Black Label Society A Day to Remember MegadethDeath Lullaby Within the Ruins Blackguard Baroness Oceano Newsted All Shall Perish Motionless in White WintersunWall of Death – Battle Royal Buxx vs. Franky 3.0 vs. TDT Green Phantom vs. SeXXXy Eddy
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Molson Canadian stageJägermeister stageGalaxy stageRing Heavy Mania
Huntress Finntroll Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals Machine Head Mastodon Rob ZombieAugury The Acacia Strain Amon Amarth August Burns Red Children of Bodom GodsmackOf Temples Slaves on Dope Indian Handcrafts Structures Unexpect Pallbearer Havok CryptopsyWall of Death – Battle Royal 6 Way Scramble Kickin n' Stompin+Green Phantom vs. TDT+ Buxx Belmar Player Uno vs. Franky the Mobster

2012

Saturday, 11 August 2012
Heavy MTL stageJägermeister stageApocalypse stage
Diemonds Veil of Maya Between the Buried and Me Cannibal Corpse Deftones System of a DownJob for a Cowboy Periphery Kataklysm Killswitch Engage Five Finger Death PunchBookakee Dark Century Rose Funeral Exhumed Fleshgod Apocalypse Goatwhore Origin The Faceless Battlecross
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Heavy MTL stageJägermeister stageApocalypse stage
Dance Laury Dance Protest the Hero Gojira The Dillinger Escape Plan1 In Flames2 SlipknotBlind Witness Overkill Trivium Suicidal Tendencies Marilyn MansonHollow The Agonist Iwrestledabearonce B.A.R.F. Emmure Cancer Bats Sword Voivod
  1. Replaced Dethklok
  2. Replaced Lamb of God
  3. Replaced High on Fire

2011

Saturday, 23 July 2011
Heavy MTL stageJägermeister stageBudweiser stage
Slaves on Dope Red Fang Suicide Silence Machine Head In Flames Godsmack DisturbedDead and Divine All Shall Perish Death Angel Unearth Trivium Billy TalentMass Murder Messiah Straight Line Stitch Blackguard Kingdom of Sorrow GrimSkunk Necronomicon Dissension Cryptopsy
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Heavy MTL stageJägermeister stageBudweiser stage
Lazarus A.D. Girlschool As I Lay Dying Morbid Angel Opeth KissEndast Times of Grace Annihilator Children of Bodom Anthrax MotörheadLes Guenilles Anonymus Slaves on Dope1 Diamond Head DevilDriver The Catalyst Gorguts
  1. Replaced The Sword

2010

Saturday, 24 July 2010
Heavy MTL stageJägermeister stage
Skeletonwitch High on Fire Kataklysm Anvil Rob Halford Slayer Megadeth36 Crazyfists Baptized in Blood Melissa Auf der Maur Fear Factory Testament Mastodon Alice Cooper
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Rockstar Mayhem Festival stageJägermeister stageSilver Star stage
Hail the Villain Despised Icon Airbourne Winds of Plague Five Finger Death Punch Lamb of God Rob Zombie KornBeneath the Massacre Shadows Fall Chimaira Hatebreed Alexisonfire Avenged SevenfoldDeadly Apples Les Ékorchés Norma Jean Diamond Head 3 Inches of Blood In This Moment Atreyu

2009

Due to the high number of metal live shows performed in Montreal during the year (Metallica, AC/DC, Kiss, Dream Theater, Marilyn Manson, Motörhead and many more) it was announced that the festival would not take place in 2009 and return in 2010.

2008

Saturday, 21 June 2008
Black stageRed stage
Lauren Harris 3 Inches of Blood Hatebreed Mastodon Iron MaidenUnexpect Overkill Symphony X HammerFall Type O Negative Mastodon Dethklok
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Black stageRed stage
Death Boat Priestess Drowning Pool Voivod Three Days Grace Mötley CrüeYour Favorite Enemies Warrant Shadows Fall Anthrax Disturbed

See also

External links