August 9, 2026
Scaled down yet the Under Pressure festival still prevails
Despite fewer available walls that can be used as canvases and less budget than in previous years, the thirty-first edition of Montreal’s Under Pressure festival took place this weekend, leaving the downtown core with a fresh new coat of paint.
As condominiums continue to replace the older buildings throughout the city, replacing character with ugly modern housing alternatives that most of us can’t afford, there are fewer and fewer spots than are willing to lend themselves to the creation of legal murals. Beautiful works of art that add character and style to a city that is already a hot bed of arts.
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This year, funding issues meant that Sainte-Catherines street couldn’t be closed to allow the traditional elements that have been apart of the Under Pressure festival for more than three decades now, forcing the market area into the adjoining Foufounes Électriques and causing the live music, skateboarding and break dancing portion of the weekend onto the backburner. Still, as the saying goes, the show must go and on it went.
While everything that was normally outside was now inside, this meant that the usual seating arrangements had been removed. However, as much of the weekend was decent, weather wise, many took advantage of the terrace out back, where the beer was cold and the sound of the adjourning DJ’s were hot. The sweet sickly smell of paint wafted about creating the perfect ambiance.
Once more, as is the case every year, graffiti artists from all over rattled their cans and, broke out their rollers and paint brushes and covered the city in some outstanding pieces of art, that the civilians of this fine city will be privy too until they are most again primed over next summer, ready for the entire process to begin anew again.
Casual onlookers mixed in with the artists and people from the art scene alike, some in awe of the creations as they unfolded before everyone’s very eyes, while others where there to support friends and perhaps offer some advice.
While the breakdancing and skateboarding stuff was much missed, Under Pressure did a formidable job ensuring that the festival carried on despite the lack of funding grants from the city. I suppose building bike paths that nobody uses is more important.
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Hopefully, the festival returns to its full version for next summers edition. Until then, walking the streets and alleyways around the Foufounes Électriques would make for an interesting and fun tour, discovery formidable works of art.
The creation of those works of art takes place over the weekend, but the art remains visible and free to everyone for a full calendar year. How brilliant is that!
