Ariane Roy and Kassav’ lead 10 free Francos De Montreal shows
Radio-Canada highlighted 10 free concerts at francos de montreal, giving Montreal audiences a short list of shows worth tracking before the festival runs through June 20. The free lineup lands as the event opens the city’s festival season with about one hundred performances, and the strongest draws are clustered across June 12, 13, 14 and 17.
Kassav’ and Ariane Roy
Kassav’ opens the run on Friday, June 12 at 21 h on the Scène Rogers. The Guadeloupean and Martinican group, founded in 1979 and long regarded as a pioneer of zouk, is back in Montreal for the first time since 2015, which gives this opening slot more weight than a routine kickoff.
Ariane Roy follows on Saturday, June 13 at 21 h on the Scène Rogers, and she framed the show on Facebook as the “plus gros show de toute [sa] vie.” Roy is bringing the final dates of her Dogue tour, tied to her second album, so this appearance doubles as a tour ending and a high-stakes festival booking.
Groovy Aardvark and Le Dôme
Groovy Aardvark marks 40 years with a concert on Saturday, June 13 at 20 h on the Scène Loto-Québec. Formed in Longueuil in 1986 and led by Vincent Peake, the band released six albums before splitting in 2005 and has played only sporadically since; its last Francos appearance came in 2016 for the 20th anniversary of Vacuum.
Le Dôme gets a 30th-anniversary celebration on Sunday, June 14 at 21 h on the Scène Rogers, with all 14 songs revisited by a new generation of artists. Presented by ICI Musique and streamed live there as well, the concert brings Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Les Louanges, Thierry Larose, Safia Nolin, Klô Pelgag, Rau_Ze, We Are Wolves and Zach Zoya into one bill built around Jean Leloup’s album rather than a single headliner.
Gab Bouchard and VioleTT Pi
Gab Bouchard returns on Wednesday, June 17 at 21 h on the Scène Rogers after releasing his third album, ENCORE ENCORE, in January. VioleTT Pi follows at 21 h 30 on the Scène Spotify with Mythologie de la dérape, his fourth album, putting two newer records in the same evening and giving festivalgoers a choice between a larger Rogers-stage slot and a later Spotify-stage set.
For anyone building a free-show route through the Francos, the value is in the timing as much as the names: June 12, 13, 14 and 17 all carry options, and the festival itself runs until June 20. The smartest move is to treat these free concerts like limited inventory, because the schedule already points to a crowded opening stretch rather than a spread-out window.
