M.I.A at Palomosa Fest in Montreal

September 12, 2025 - Montreal, QC

Photographed and Written by Tchayé Briat (@gba_okan)

M.I.A lit up the stage last weekend with a powerful performance at the Fizz Stage during the Palomosa Festival, closing out day 1. She opened her set dressed in a vibrant neon outfit, joined by her backup dancers. She started with a mash-up of her songs, "Galang" and "Bucky Done Gun," instantly transporting the crowd with her genre-binding style.

The artist, best known for her hit songs “Paper Plane” and “Bad Girls”, made a much-anticipated return to the stage on September 5th, feeding off the enthusiasm of the crowd. M.I.A delivered a high-energy set and got the crowd singing along with her.

For its second edition, the Palomosa Festival did not hold back, offering a mixture of international and local artists. It is quickly becoming a must-go event for the back-to-school season. Under the Montreal sky, M.I.A shared the stage with three dancers accompanying her on an energetic choreographed moves as some visuals flickered in the background. The crowd cheered and sang along and for a moment, it felt like 2025 again. Palomosa’s diverse crowd, ranging from Gen Zers discovering her for the first time to thirty-somethings reliving their college soundtracks, danced shoulder to shoulder, united by the music.

At one point during the set, M.I.A paused to take the time to address the crowd by sharing some political and personal thoughts. Her speech was wide-ranging: global surveillance, censorship, media manipulation, and her own battles with the music industry. This moment split the audience; some in the crowd agreed with her, others felt uncomfortable and eager for her to return to performing. M.I.A. has never been afraid to speak her mind, but in a festival setting where many came to dance, the moment felt unsettling. It was brave, raw, but perhaps ill-timed.

In a poignant moment, one lucky fan got the chance to hand her Keffiyeh (a traditional Arabic scarf, now often associated with the Free Palestine movement). M.I.A wore it while performing and invited the crowd to chant Free Palestine along with her.

Sensing the shift in mood, M.I.A. didn’t linger in the discourse. Instead, she dropped the unmistakable opening beat of Bad Girls. The crowd erupted and the field felt like a party again.

As the rain started pouring, she closed her set with Borders, leaving the crowd energized and satisfied.