Ever wondered who’s behind the festivals that have you dancing until your feet give out? Evelyne Côté is the Director of Programming, Concerts, and Events at evenko, the company behind OSHEAGA, îLESONIQ, FUEGO FUEGO, and LASSO Montreal (among others). Let’s just say, if you’ve ever been to a music festival on Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau Island, evenko is probably responsible.

Last weekend we were at OSHEAGA, witnessing new talent, singing along to our favourite artists, and dancing the night away. Behind the scenes (and before we even bought our tickets), Evelyne was putting together the perfect lineup of DJs for the Island Stage—the place where festivalgoers jump, bop, and shuffle to iconic EDM hits.

Curious about what goes into planning a weekend like this? Us too! And with îLESONIQ heating up this weekend, we knew we had to get the scoop. We caught up with Evelyne to talk about her journey, the art of booking for a festival, the rituals that keep her grounded when festival season hits, and being one of the 23% of women head bookers working in the industry.

OSHEAGA just wrapped this past weekend. What was the most rewarding part of the weekend for you as a DJ/EDM booker?

 To get people to dance!

What’s your strategy when putting together the perfect lineup?

Have a clear vision for each stage. Try to tell a story with the sound progression of each artist. And counterprogram well.

You’re the head booker for both OSHEAGA’s Island stage and îLESONIQ. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got your start in the music industry, and what first drew you to booking specifically?

I started in music journalism, which I loved to do, but the media was less and less involved with deeper content… it was becoming all fast clicks and tweets, which wasn’t very interesting to me. When the publication I was working for closed in 2008, I knew I wanted to be involved in building projects, more so than observing or reviewing them. I started with evenko in 2010.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by îLESONIQ (@ilesoniq)


îLESONIQ started as a single stage at OSHEAGA and is now a full-blown, internationally recognized EDM festival. What’s been the most satisfying part of watching it grow over the past decade?

The depth of the lineup we are now able to book. The amount of engagement the fans show the artists they come to see. The way that people vibe together onsite.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing perform this upcoming weekend at îLESONIQ? 

Too many to count! But I’d say Maddix, Genesi, Tape B b2b Levity, Joris Voorn, Eli Brown, D.O.D, Max Styler, Deep Dish, Alleycvt, Chase & Status and of course Mau P, Sara Landry and John Summit!

Any advice for young women or gender diverse folks who want to get into booking/festival production?

Go for it. Your energy and mindset are needed here.

As a leader across two festivals, what does it look like for you to stay grounded and sustainable in your work, especially during the summer festival whirlwind?

Osteopathy, time with family, exercise, and sleep (when that is available).

This weekend, Evelyne will be at îLESONIQ watching thousands of fans dance, connect, and discover new favourites. Chances are, the artists you’ll be talking about next year are the ones she’s championing right now.

 îLESONIQ is running August 9-10 at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal. More info.