Inside OVO Fest 2017 with Drake, PartyNextDoor, and More

Drake’s annual OVO Fest https://ovofest2017.com/ always falls on Canada’s civic holiday, and for many, it’s a holiday within itself. The festival’s energy is inimitable, making it an annual tradition for many. For his 8th annual OVO Fest, Drake brought it back to the original outdoor venue, The Budweiser Stage, and had a bill that was chalked full with fellow Toronto artists.

The Show Kicks Off

Roy Woods kicked off the show in head-to-toe Gucci, including silver sparkly sneakers, with a requisite OVO “Revenge” chain around his neck, performing hits like “Get You Good” and “Drama.” Next up was DVSN, and singer Daniel Daley blessed us all with his vocals. The ball was really rolling, and you could feel it in the crowd. When Majid Jordan hit the stage, the duo were more than well received by the crowd – everyone was out of their seats.

Drake Takes the Stage

We were two hours in, and by the buzzing energy, you could just tell Drake was up next. Now, Views was arguably Drake’s best album cover to date – you know, the one that showed him perched on top of the CN Tower, Toronto’s famous landmark? For his headlining set, Drake began on top of his throne: a massive model replica of the CN Tower. When he hit the stage, Drake peppered performances of his hits with special guests, including appearances by The Weeknd, Rae Sremmurd, Migos, Travis Scott, Cardi B, Playboi Carti, Nelly, French Montana, and a peace offering in the form of a “Controlla” performance from his onetime rival Tory Lanez.

OVO Artists Shine

Not to be overlooked, though, were the performances from OVO artists leading up to Drake’s set. Roy Wood$ brought charisma and spritely energy, dvsn reaffirmed its status as one of the best R&B acts on the planet, and Majid Jordan played songs demonstrating a proggier direction (the only piece missing was PARTYNEXTDOOR, who had an all-too-brief guest spot during Drake’s set).