For two decades, M for Montreal has operated as both a launchpad and a mirror—reflecting the city’s evolving sound while propelling its artists beyond the Plateau and onto international stages. What began as a boutique industry showcase has become one of the city’s most reliable cultural barometers, helping translate Montreal’s underground into export-ready reality. It’s less a festival in the traditional sense than a meeting point where local bands, label reps, and global delegates collide in a kind of creative feedback loop. At the center of it all is Mikey Rishwain, the festival’s artistic director, who describes M’s mission as equal parts matchmaking and amplification: connecting the dots between stages, cities, and the evolving identity of Montreal as a music destination.

For Rishwain, the magic of M for Montreal is in the energy that it generates. “When people come to M, they’re in discovery mode, which immediately makes it easy for us to show our culture,” he says. That spirit extends beyond the stages, too: “See the city, meet the people, feed them poutine. This really is the best city to make things happen, on a party level, on a friendly level, on a business level, on a culture level.” It’s this combination of openness and celebration that has made the festival indispensable to Montreal’s creative ecosystem. By giving local artists a platform and drawing international guests, the festival proves that it can be both a launchpad and a living network for the culture it represents.

Rishwain’s connection to M for Montreal stretches nearly as far back as the festival itself. “It started in Oct. 2006, and I started a couple months later. Once the two founders realized that they had something going, they needed a kid like me… someone a little rough around the edges to participate,” he says, with a laugh. At the time, he was living in California, but Montréal’s music scene had him hooked. “I left everything there, subletted my apartment, and I’ve been here ever since,” he recalls. Over the years, that early FOMO has turned into a front-row seat on the city’s musical evolution. For Rishwain, it’s about feeling the pulse of a scene he’s grown with, watching local artists turn ideas into careers, and knowing exactly when to put the right people in the same room. His longevity gives him a perspective few others have: he’s seen Montreal’s spirit expand, shift, and reinvent itself—and he’s been there, hands-on, helping it happen every step of the way.

Over the years, M for Montreal has become a proving ground for ideas, collaboration, and cultural innovation. Each edition, artists test new sounds, industry professionals scout talent, and international visitors encounter the city in ways that can’t be replicated on a Spotify playlist or a press release. The festival thrives on serendipity: the chance meetings, the conversations in hallways and cafés, the shared meals and late-night jam sessions that turn into partnerships and tours. It’s these subtle, behind-the-scenes exchanges that give Montreal its distinctive edge. As Rishwain puts it, “Montreal has some sort of secret flavour. People want a taste and we’re here to deliver that on an all you can eat buffet.”