Osheaga 2024 Day 1 recap: Noah Kahan brings out the jokes, artists including Melanie Martinez call for a 'free Palestine'

The first day of the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival was full of fun performances and magical moments at Parc Jean-Drapeau. While Montreal is under a heat warning with a humidex as high as 41 degrees Celsius, festivalgoers had high energy and bright smiles throughout the day.

Whether you're stuck at home feeling like you're missing out on the 17th edition of the festival, or you're onsite trying to make as many memories as you can, we have you covered for some of the best moments of this year's event. From Aug. 2 to 4, read more about some of the moments you might've missed from Canada's biggest music festival. Below, read more about what you should know about Day One of Osheaga 2024.

Noah Kahan shows Montreal love through jokes

Noah Kahan fans packed the festival's main Bell River Stage this Friday, with nearly everyone throwing their hands in the air and swaying their hips to the Vermont-native's hit tunes. The 27-year-old singer-songwriter — who's one of music's most recent stars who has seen a meteoric rise to success — entered his Osheaga set with a bang.

On top of a lively crowd that didn't hold on the applause, the Friday night headliner brought out his lighthearted personality and filled his 90-minute set with jokes. That included moments between songs, where he seamlessly recalled stories from past Osheaga events when he attended as part of the audience.

For one, he remembered sleeping in the parking lot during the 2016 festival and hoping he'd one day have the chance to go to the festival as a performer. He also joked about entering Osheaga numerous times with whiskey taped to his leg to sneak in alcohol past security, as well as how he aimed to "leave you guys depressed and anxious" by the end of his show.

Melanie Martinez, Mannequin Pussy among artists chanting 'free Palestine'

Some artists took their on-stage time to chant "free Palestine," amid the Israel-Hamas war that's seen tens of thousands of people die since last October. Lead vocalist of American punk band Mannequin Pussy Marisa Dabice shouted "free Palestine" in the middle of their afternoon set on the Coors Light Mountain Stage.

Later that evening, Melanie Martinez also took two moments within her 90-minute set on the same stage to call for a ceasefire. In the early part of her show, there was a graphic of a doll holding a sign reading "free Palestine." At the end of her set, the 29-year-old artist also beckoned her audience to scream those words along with her.

Arlo Parks takes on Montreal with a rockstar-level show

English singer-songwriter Arlo Parks brought a rockstar-level energy to her Osheaga 2024 performance on Friday. The 23-year-old artist was full of ear-to-ear smiles, as she pranced and spinned around the Belairdirect Valley Stage for her 45-minute show.

"Let's get fun, let's get sweaty," she urged the crowd, adding it was the first time her and her band have played a festival in Canada. Parks is currently on tour in support of her sophomore album, "My Soft Machine," with upcoming dates set for cities in the U.K., as well as parts of the U.S. like Denver, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee.

Fans of the singer, many of whom were closer stage, weren't afraid to show off their dance moves, matching Parks's chill and soft sounds that are riddled with elements of pop and R&B. Her setlist included a few tracks from her latest album, as she kicked off the show with "Weightless" and showed off her vocal skills on "Blades."

The rest of her show was full of songs from her first album, 2021's "Collapsed In Sunbeams." She played "Caroline" and "Black Dog," as well as "Eugene," which she noted was inspired by her all-time favourite band, Radiohead. Throughout her show, she also did her best to connect with the audience, sweetly apologizing for a surprise water cannon attack (which the festival does to cool off festivalgoers), while also lightly encouraging more shy attendees to dance along to her song "Too Good."

Within the last 10 minutes of her set, more than half of the audience left the stage, a common occurrence during festivals when big-name performers are so tightly scheduled at different areas. Still, Parks kept her energy-levels high, finishing off her show with a bright smile and a promise she'd see her Montreal fans sometime soon.

The Japanese House calls a medic mid-song

Osheaga 2024's first day started off with a slow, mellow tone, especially with a set from English musician The Japanese House — whose real name is Amber Mary Bain — that felt like you were dreaming on light, fluffy clouds.

The 29-year-old artist's set was set against a blue sky backdrop, with white puffy clouds floating across the screen, ringing in a slow Friday afternoon with a 45-minute show. Taking on the Belairdirect Valley Stage, she sang popular tracks like "Morning Pages," "Something Has to Change" and "Boyhood."

During the performance, a hot sun and high temperatures had dozens of audience members trying to cool themselves off using Osheaga-branded hand fans. In fact, Bain cut off her song "Follow My Girl" mid-performance, as she called on medics to check on a fan in the middle of the crowd: "Let's just check this person's OK before we carry on," she urged, before letting everyone know the person was alright and she continued the rest of her set.

Lines are long, but vendors are many

Walking into this year's festival, like previous years, is almost similar to walking inside an adult playground. Scattered around the park, there are numerous photobooths, testing stalls and other stands from major businesses like Sephora, Bacardi, Bell, Excel, Vizzy, Cerave and Coca Cola, amongst others.

Moreover, Osheaga 2024 attendees are beckoned by multiple entertainment options — all on top of the scheduled shows from big-name stars like Noah Kahan, Melanie Martinez and Mariah The Scientist. The annual ferris wheel, a mini arcade room and carnival-style games are spread throughout the event.

Attendees are also welcomed by dozens of food stalls in every corner of the event space, with vendors offering classic food options like hotdogs and tacos, to more fun treats including poutine and churros. Bars and drink sellers are also plenty, where festivalgoers pretty much can't turn around without seeing an offer to buy alcohol drinks.

Water refill stands courtesy of Brita can also be found in several parts of the event, offering people easy access to hydration. However, some of those stands are packed with enormous lines of thirsty attendees, many of whom are refilling handfuls of water bottles once they reach the end of the long-awaited trip.