Marillion Weekend – Montreal 2025 – Day 1

What kind of band inspires fans to line up at 5 AM in a Montreal snowstorm—just to get a better view?

Marillion, that’s who.

Many (most?) music fans have never heard of them, despite their 45+ year history and 20 studio albums.  Often labeled “neo-prog,” Marillion took the artful ambition of early ’70’s Genesis and reimagined it for a new generation.  They’ve built and retained an audience through the years that some might call a “cult,” but that does not sit well for a band that continues to release new and challenging albums.

If you’re still lost and of a certain age, try Kayleigh.  You may have heard it before.  That’s the “hit” – a perfectly fine, radio-friendly track, but in my view far from their most compelling work. 

I assume most reading this already have more than a passing interest in Marillion and really either want to see the pictures or are curious about attending the 3 day event known as a Marillion Weekend.  The band has been doing these since 2002.  This year, the band has 8 such scattered in Europe and North America.  While the band still tours, these weekends bring a very livable means of connecting with their hardcore fans without the wear of life on the road.

This show in Montreal is the second of 2025, where the first night includes a (humorous) Q&A with the band followed by two supporting acts.  Marillion headlines the next two nights, usually the first covering one of their albums fully and the second with other songs from their career.

This was my first Marillion weekend – something that likely made me a rare newcomer among the crowd. So, what’s it like?  Or, what should a newbie know?

1. Don’t burn yourself out.  You do not need to line up at 5-7 AM, as some did in the wintry mix in Montreal, to get to the front.  Those that did certainly gained center location on the railing. Those arriving 12 hours later might still find space on the rail or in the 2-3 deep, assuming there is general admission at every venue. After the first night of showing your ticket and claiming a wristband for the remainder of the weekend, getting in the following nights is a breeze.
   
   
2. Merch.  There’s plenty of it, and fans don’t hold back. Bring cash – cards aren’t accepted. And be prepared to stand in line “for some time,” particularly on opening night.
   
   
3. Gear. Wear your Marillion or (insert prog band name) shirt from whenever.  It’s expected, and unlike other shows where a flicker of recognition is a rarity, fans here probably want to talk about it – and may have even been there.  Indeed, idle chat with anyone could easily lend itself to hours, as that’s what people do who share a common interest and a deep history of favorites when it comes to artists, albums, songs, concerts, album covers and a memory of “that time when…” It’s good stuff.  It’s worth arriving early for just that. And, whether at your hotel, an area restaurant, on the sidewalk… it’s fairly easy to identify those attending and strike up a chat.  Again, gear.
   
   
4. Who to bring. Anyone. It isn’t just old guys.  There were a good scattering of the younger generation to hopefully carry the prog banner forward, and plenty of spouses who were themselves fans.  You don’t have to guess at that when you see that everyone sings along.
   
   
5. Local vibe. Check the band fan sites on Facebook, Reddit or elsewhere for advance intel.  You might learn of, as in Montreal, a Fish-era cover band playing Saturday afternoon, a pub meetup for those arriving Thursday night, or a fantastic record store (Freeson Rock) who respect the appetites of prog fans with a keenly curated selection of albums for this particular fandom.