Arcade Fire to replace Foo Fighters as Osheaga headliner

MONTREAL – Arcade Fire will replace Foo Fighters as a headliner at Osheaga this summer.

The music festival says the Montreal-based band are a fitting addition to their 15th anniversary lineup, noting the “hometown heroes” put on a memorable Osheaga set in 2010.

Foo Fighters cancelled all of their concert dates last month, including their July 29 show at Osheaga, following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Hawkins died during a South American tour with the rock band. He was 50.

Arcade Fire will now headline the first day of the outdoor festival, which runs until July 31 at Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau.

Other headliners include rapper A$AP Rocky on the second night and singer Dua Lipa on the final night.

“When the Foo Fighters unfortunately had to cancel, it was extremely important to us that we book a band that means something special to our local music fans as well as an artist that would appeal to a huge fan base internationally,” Osheaga founder Nick Farkas said Thursday in a release.

“Our thoughts remain with our friends in the extended Foo Fighters family in this tremendously difficult time.”

Also on Thursday, Arcade Fire added a last-minute gig at Coachella to its schedule.

Organizers of the California music and arts festival said the group will perform April 15 between fellow Canadian performer Carly Rae Jepsen and British-Irish rockers Idles.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2022.