POP Montréal is a unique and artistically vibrant North American festival. It's also huge. The five-day celebration of music, art, film and culture begins on Wednesday, September 25, and features 200-plus shows at more than 20 different venues in Montréal's hip Mile End neighborhood. Which means that just about every one of the amazing events planned for this year's iteration is concentrated within a 10-minute walk. Think Winooski's Waking Windows festival on steroids. Launched in 2002 by founders Daniel Seligman, Noelle Sorbara and Peter Rowan, POP was initially seen as a reaction and alternative to big industry events such as South by Southwest in Austin and Canadian Music Week in Toronto, which Seligman experienced as the tour manager for the Montréal band Stars. "The vibe at those kinds of shows was so heavy on the industry side, nothing really felt organic or natural," Seligman said in an interview with Seven Days last year. "I think a big part of why we started POP was to get away from that and to showcase the incredible underground scene in Montréal." Two decades later, that mission remains. This year's lineup features a bold mix of international talent, well-known stars, up-and-coming artists, and, as always, some of the best fresh Canadian talent. From gospel folk singer Iris DeMent to Parisian new-wave icon Edith Nylon to Canadian singer-songwriter Feist, the talent on display is truly staggering. Then there are side events such as Film POP, Art POP, Kids POP, Puces POP and POP Symposium — the last of which includes talks on such topics as "Do I Need a Lawyer? Free Legal Clinic for Musicians" and "Maximize Your Earnings: The Importance of Accurate Metadata." Especially for a first-time attendee, it's hard to know where to begin. Never fear! Your friendly neighborhood music editor is here to ease the uninitiated into the incredible world of POP Montréal. So dig out your passport and read on for a day-by-day primer on the fun to be had in the musical metropolis to our north. Wednesday, September 25 Opening Party with Arabian Prince, 5 p.m. Free. Traditionally more chill than the rest of the festival, day one offers plenty of homegrown shows and oodles of workshops. But the opening party is not to be missed. Presented by the new streaming app HELIOS, the free show features a performance from rapper and producer Arabian Prince, aka Professor X,…