Friday, Aug. 4

Otakuthon’s mascot Yurika by Pinkviviz.

Montreal’s anime convention Otakuthon begins today and runs all weekend at Palais des Congrès, with tonnes of exhibitors, game rooms, dollfest, cosplay, panels and workshops and lots more. Today’s opening day program ends with a big Royal Para dance party with DJs Pink Popo and Pocaille. 1001 Jean-Paul-Riopelle, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., dance party from 10 p.m., $40/day or $60 for weekend pass, continues through Sunday

The Osheaga festival offers a big tent for music lovers, presenting pop, rock, hip hop and electronic acts from around the world to the masses descending on Parc Jean-Drapeau (or, more specifically, the adjacent Île Notre-Dame site they’re using this year while Île Ste-Hélène is under construction). This year’s headliners are Lorde, the Weeknd and Muse, with second-tier acts including Solange, Danny Brown and Run the Jewels. See our list of 13 under-the-radar/must-see bands here. 1 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, 1–11 p.m. daily, $320 weekend/$585 gold pass/$1,150 platinum pass, single-day passes $120/$325 gold pass

Anyone looking for more low-key outdoor entertainment than Osheaga this weekend should check out the free programming at Mile End’s Marché des Possibles. Food, drink, art and other vendors aside, this week’s bill includes the POP Montreal bike-in screening of Hail Hail Rock ‘n’ Roll on Saturday and a live set by local band Year of Glad on Sunday. 5635 St-Dominique, 7 p.m. Friday/11 a.m. Saturday & Sunday, free

Join Montreal’s geekiest comics for the Nerdy Show’s second annual Star Trek Comedy Show (which sold out during last year’s Comiccon), featuring sets from headliner Chris Sandiford plus Steve Patrick Adams and Toronto’s Shirley Whalen and Hisham Kelati, with hosts Melina Trimarchi and Troy Stark. 3655 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $15

St-Henri’s newest waterfront bar and terrasse Riverside officially opens tonight with a launch party hosted by U.K. house record label Lobster Theremin featuring music from associated acts Route 8, nthng and label founder Asquith plus local opener Numea Daze. 5020 St-Ambroise, 10 p.m., price unlisted

Among today’s Osheaga afterparties (the other official event being a more raucous show at Turbo Haus) are Harrison, Ryan Playground and GrandBuda presiding over the dancefloor at le Belmont. 4483 St-Laurent, 10 p.m., $10/more at the door

For more music events, see our Event Listings. Art Listings can be found here.

For more concert recommendations, see this week’s edition of Hammer of the Mods.