ShazamFest 2025: Music, wrestling, circus, burlesque in the great outdoors, July 10 to 13

For 20 years, ShazamFest has been the ultimate event for Quebec festival goers to let their freak flags fly loudly and proudly.

As the Eastern Townships-based fest — self-described as Canada’s only neo-vaudeville festival — hits a major milestone this year, some big plans are in store to ring in the two decades since the festival kicked off in 2006. Offering a variety of performance art, music, burlesque, wrestling, dancing, art installations, food tastings, huge puppets, children’s activities and circus acts over the course of four days from July 10 to 13, ShazamFest’s two-decade anniversary will be sure to turn the bizarre into the spectacular.

Going down every year on a farm in Barnston West (roughly a two-hour drive from Montreal), the festival would become a word-of-mouth success during the 2000s. Going from 70 attendees in its inaugural edition to now attracting thousands (many in colourful and outlandish costumes), it’s truly a festival for the freaks, misfits AND the entire family — and one with free camping, to boot.

“The secret to 20 editions of ShazamFest is that it’s more than just a festival, it’s a space where people from all walks of life can truly find and express themselves,” says Ziv Przytyk, founder and director of ShazamFest who grew up on that farm and continues to live there. 

Self-expression and creativity are two of the festival’s biggest calling cards, as are inclusivity and grassroots DIY ethics — and ShazamFest rounds up the talent to match year after year. The 2025 edition will feature entire days with a different costume theme: Thursday’s is Inner Animal (where attendees can cosplay as land, sea or sky animals), Friday’s is Sci-Fi Rock ’n’ Roll (described by the festival as “aliens, robots, and intergalactic rock gods”), Saturday’s is Land of Wonders (for “dreamers, misfits and fantastical beings”) and Sunday’s being Everything Multi-Colour (which sees attendees wearing multicoloured outfits).

Beyond that, ShazamFesters can expect a fiery, eye-popping mix of the surreal and the extraordinary during the day and late at night. Freakshow circus events, clowns swallowing swords, fire walking, flame-spinning poi shows, trapeze dancers, ritualistic ceremonies, and an entire fashion show during Saturday. Also on hand for this year’s edition during the Sunday will be Les Gourmands du Shazam, with pop-up kiosks and farmer’s market bus tours for the more epicurean of those attending.

Musically, there’ll be international and domestic offerings as vibrant and as freaky as the festival itself, with instrumental funk played by a band dressed in frog costumes (the Friendly Frogs Freak Show), rockabilly (Bloodshot Bill), Thai trance (Salin), progressive hip hop from Kahnawake (Oddballers), and standup comedy-meets-New Orleans blues (the D’Jef Trio). 

“We’ve managed to flourish because of a community-led celebration of performance arts above everything else,” says Przytyk. “And art really is the best way to combat oppression, which is more important than ever these days. So as we look back over the last two decades, we can’t help but also look forward to another 20 years of fostering community, creativity, and unique artistic expression!”

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For more on ShazamFest 2025, please visit their website.

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For more on Montreal arts, please visit the Arts & Life section.