[8] In 2008, the event expanded to a full day of music with two stages and was the first edition to attract attendees from outside the area, garnering press for its lineup which featured every single major Quebec band in the punk, rock and metal scenes, including GrimSkunk, Anonymus, Mononc' Serge, Deadly Apples and The Sainte Catherines.

[22][23] The 2013 edition expanded to five stages and a larger line-up featuring Rise Against, The Offspring, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper, Deftones, Social Distortion, Rancid and Lamb of God.

[27] Attracting a record crowd, the lineup featured Blink-182, Mötley Crüe for the first show of their Final Tour, Weezer, Alice in Chains, Megadeth, Billy Talent, Primus, Five Finger Death Punch, Cypress Hill, NOFX and A Day to Remember.

[28] Despite not officially performing at the festival that year, Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong played two secret acoustic sets on the streets of Montebello.

[41] It featured Blink-182, Rise Against, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Jane's Addiction, Ice Cube, Bring Me the Horizon, A Day to Remember, Puscifer, Twisted Sister for their last Canadian performance, Lamb of God, Sum 41 and NOFX.

[42][43] Quebec stand-up comic Mike Ward became spokesperson of the festival and hosted a Rockfest special on his podcast featuring Martel as guest.

[44] In 2017, the event was renamed to Montebello Rockfest and featured Rammstein, Queens of the Stone Age, Iggy Pop, Alexisonfire, The Offspring (performing Ixnay on the Hombre in full), Megadeth, Wu-Tang Clan, Bullet for My Valentine, AFI, 311, Bad Religion and Good Charlotte.

[47] Organizers created a media frenzy in Quebec by inviting pop singer Jeremy Gabriel, a disabled boy with Treacher Collins syndrome who sang for the Pope and Celine Dion, to perform a metal set at Rockfest.

[50][52][53][54] The 13th edition in 2018 featured Prophets of Rage, Five Finger Death Punch, Weezer, Godsmack, Tenacious D, A Day to Remember, Lamb of God, Stone Temple Pilots, Jimmy Eat World, Sum 41 (performing Does This Look Infected?

[55] In February 2018, Alex Martel was invited as a guest on talk-show Tout le monde en parle, Quebec's most watched TV show.

[57] On June 21, 2018, the organizers (Outaouais Rock) filed for protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act citing an accumulated debt of over $5 million due to a massive drop in ticket sales.

[59] In early 2019, it was revealed that former Rockfest majority partner Alexandre Taillefer's taxi company Teo went bankrupt as well and that many of his other projects were having financial difficulties.

[65][66] Put together in barely two months, the first edition of the newly branded and smaller Montebello Rock festival took place in June 2019 and featured MxPx, Venom, Vulgaires Machins, 88 Fingers Louie, The Sainte Catherines and more.

[68][69][70] In the late 2019, the festival's team put together a sold-out benefit show for a local youth homeless centre at Montreal's Club Soda with Quebec artists such as Mononc' Serge, Rymz, Obey the Brave and Deadly Apples.

[77] In late April, organizers gave away camping gear to homeless shelters and lent various production equipment to local authorities to help during the coronavirus crisis.

[82] The festival's future seem to be on the ice due to the ongoing health restrictions in Quebec in 2021 as well as the uncertainty surrounding the return of live music in the context of the different COVID variants.

[26] Prior to the 2013 edition, organizers received an anonymous threat accusing them of Satanism because they invited Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper to perform at Rockfest.

[92][93] At the 2014 edition, a feud erupted between NOFX and Five Finger Death Punch after the former band's frontman Fat Mike spent most of his set making fun of the latter.

[101] In 2017, the festival created a media frenzy in Quebec by inviting pop singer Jeremy Gabriel, a disabled man with Treacher Collins syndrome who sang for the Pope and Celine Dion, to perform a metal set at Rockfest.

[106][107] Porn company AD4X sparked further controversy by offering $10,000 to Gabriel to shoot a pornographic film at the festival with adult actress Vandal Vyxen.

[115] On June 21, 2018, the organizers (Outaouais Rock) filed for protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act citing an accumulated debt of over $5 million due to a massive drop in ticket sales.

[59] In early 2019, it was revealed that former Rockfest majority partner Alexandre Taillefer's taxi company Teo went bankrupt as well and that many of his other projects were having financial difficulties.

[117] In July 2021, Musika Montebello jazz festival promoter Yvan Tanguay insulted Rockfest fans by claiming that his event will attract a more cultured crowd.