Only four hours northeast of Montreal, Baie St-Paul is the birthplace of Cirque Du Soleil, and the event Thériault was partying at was part of a 25th anniversary celebration for the circus production company. The event was already a major success for the city, but after that night Thériault craved more. He was ambitious and saw the potential Baie St-Paul had to offer. During the party, he began riffing aloud about the idea of hosting another music event, one that would be even bigger—an annual music festival with Quebecois and international acts. It was a pioneering project for a town of 7,500 people at the time.

After waking up from his drunken stupor, he began working on the logistics to plan such an event, dropping his university studies altogether months later. A year later in 2010, Le Festif was born. The first iteration was small, with Les Cowboys Fringants headlining, but year after year, the festival grew, and now the city of Baie St-Paul is host to over 50,000 people this year from July 18 to 21. 

“It’s bigger now, but it still comes from a very DIY aesthetic,” Thériault says. “Back when I was a teenager, there were like 30 punk bands in Baie St-Paul that played everywhere in the city, so I kind of learned how to set it up from that spirit.”

The city has also followed suit, with Baie St-Paul residents renting out their backyards for camping spaces due to hotels being fully reserved. Guests will also experience unofficial shows popping up throughout the week. 

“It’s impossible to walk through the town and not see some good live music,” Thériault says. “It’s just a huge party and the town is completely different. It took a bit for the community to really want the festival because I guess they thought it would destroy the beauty or something, but by 2014, everyone was on board, and now it’s a community event.”

Thériault has also seen tourism in Baie St-Paul skyrocket since the festival started. Art galleries, restaurants, curio shops and more all can’t wait for Le Festif. “People will come to Le Festif having no idea this place exists, fall in love with it, and then bring their families back years later,” he says.

Thériault has been the artistic director of Le Festif since day one, meaning the lineup—this year’s featuring artists like P’tit Belliveau, Half Moon Run, Corridor, TEKE::TEKE, Kaya Hoax, Model/Actriz, and more—always falls on him. And he wouldn’t change it for anything. Along with his team, he constantly travels the world to other festivals in places like Iceland, Los Angeles, and The Netherlands, scouting for potential Le Festif talent. “I listen to music all day, every day, and I’m always thinking of the lineup for Le Festif. As I’m talking to you, I’m working on the lineup for 2025 already.”

Part of Thériault’s job is to gauge the audience’s shifting tastes in music, but also take a few chances with some “weirder” festival picks. For example, this year’s Le Festif will host Philadelphia’s Soul Glo, a highly acclaimed act that will become the first hardcore band to ever play the festival. 

Unusual venue choices have also become somewhat of a trademark for Le Festif. Thériault says visitors will see shows in local businesses, backyards, and fields. Thériault has also made sure that visitors can show up without even buying a festival pass—Le Festif actually hosts many free shows during the weekend.

“The idea is to show up, rest for a bit, download the app to not miss and hear about the pop-up shows, and then hit the ground running.”

Le Festif runs July 18 to 21 in Baie-Saint-Paul, QC | Tickets & Info