Jack Harlow didn’t let a downpour dampen his triumphant return to Montreal on Saturday night.
The rap star, who headlined Day 2 of the Metro Metro festival at Olympic Park, endured steady rain to entertain a crowd of about 10,000. Harlow said it felt great to be back in the city.
"The last time I was in Montreal was for the Osheaga festival, in front of 400 people," he recalled.
Since he performed at Montreal’s Osheaga festival in 2018, Harlow has released three studio albums and had hits like “First Class” and his Lil Nas X collaboration “Industry Baby.”
Seeing Harlow walk on stage to the sound of his Jackman track “They Don’t Love It” was a welcome sight for festival goers. On Friday, headliner Lil Wayne was 45 minutes late and performed only four tracks before his mic was cut off and the lights came on.
In a statement posted on social media, Metro Metro organizers said: “We apologize for Lil Wayne’s abbreviated performance. He arrived at the festival 10:45 and curfew is at 11.”
Saturday’s set by Fivio Foreign was scrapped, reportedly because he was barred from entering Canada. The rapper, who also had to cancel a set last September at Rolling Loud in Toronto, shared Instagram Stories on Saturday night showing him in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Metro Metro fans also took to social media on Friday to complain about a three-hour delay to open the gates. According to one post, there were “people passing out and getting hurt by staff throwing water bottles out to the crowds.”
CTV News reported that there was an emergency hearing at Quebec’s liquor control board on Friday to decide whether or not to revoke Metro Metro’s alcohol permit after Montreal police received threats against organizers and the festival itself. The festival was allowed to keep its liquor license.