Springtime stimulates the senses

A stroll up the storied Saint-Laurent Boulevard at any time is colourful, but the creativity soars during the MURAL Urban Art Festival, from June 6 to 16, when you can watch artists paint new works on buildings’ walls and catch live music on outdoor stages. Walk the landscaped Promenade Fleuve-Montagne, stretching from the St. Lawrence River to Mount Royal Park, and see all kinds of public art along the way. Take short detours to see Montréal's towering murals of Leonard Cohen on Crescent Street and on Saint-Laurent Boulevard at Napoleon Street just around the corner from famous MTL food institution Schwartz’s deli.

Otherworldly acrobats abound, incredibly costumed characters emerge and the music soars in Cirque du Soleil’s KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities, the wondrous tale of a “seeker” who believes that inside his enormous cabinet of curiosities lies a secret, invisible universe, and after a series of events, his curiosities come to life one by one. KURIOS runs from May 23 to July 14 under the big top in the Old Port of Montréal. Meanwhile, watch for pop-up performances, sidewalk games, projection art and more at Place des Festivals in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles downtown. In the adjacent Place des Arts performance complex, immerse yourself in world-class symphony concerts, contemporary dance and ballet, opera, theatre and more all season long.

Downtown green space Jardins Gamelin opens in May, serving food and drink in an urban oasis animated by live music, dance, comedy, drag performances, yoga and dance classes, and other entertaining events. The city’s pedestrian-only streets begin to open in springtime as well: walk down Sainte-Catherine Street in the LGBTQ Village, Mont-Royal Avenue on the Plateau-Mont-Royal and more streets where spring and summer is all about patio dining and sidewalk shopping.

Festivals and events energize

Montréal's packed spring cultural calendar features something for everyone. Boundary-pushing dance and theatre by artists from around the world impress at the Festival TransAmériques, May 22 to June 5. Also in May, Festival Accès Asie features performances exploring the cultural richness of Canadians of Asian origin. The Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival features readings, workshops, discussions, children’s programming and more by local, Canadian and international authors, April 25-28.

Massive festival-like event Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada revs its engines on the racetrack and downtown at free outdoor stages, driver appearances, parties and more, June 7-9. The Eureka! Festival lets families and kids of all ages get creative with science in Parc Jean-Drapeau, May 24-26. From May 27 to June 16, the Montréal Fringe Festival highlights emerging and established artists from Montréal and around the world at dozens and dozens of theatre, dance, comedy, magic and circus performances. And one of the world's biggest Francophone music festivals, Francos de Montréal, celebrates French song with over 250 shows on several stages in Place des Festivals in mid-June.

Food and drink delights, day or night

In early spring, Montréalers and people across the province celebrate a longstanding Québecois tradition, the sugar shack, also known as a cabane à sucre, where multi-dish meals and tire d’érable (maple syrup twirled into candy on fresh snow) herald the arrival of maple syrup season. Visit some of the best sugar shacks and restaurants with cabane à sucre menus in and around Montreal in April and early May.

A city of creative food, Montréal expands its gourmet flare with its many musts for foodies to new restaurants, bustling downtown food halls and local food festivals. Don’t miss street food fest YATAI MTL, June 6-9, with restaurant and boutique specialities as well as free performances. If you love beer, check out the microbrews at Festival Mondial de la bière (Montreal Beer Fest), May 24-26. 

As the weather warms, restaurant and bar terrasses spring into action, with friends gathering at bustling street-side patios, gorgeous green hideaways, open-air nightclub dance floors and even a weekly outdoor dance party, Piknic Électronik (May 19 to October 6). And see what’s cooking at First Fridays, when Montréal food trucks take over the Olympic Park Esplanade on the first Friday of each month from June to October.

High-tech experiences transform

Inside Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal, beautiful multimedia show AURA alters the famed Gothic Revival architecture. By night in Old Montréal, the projections of Cité Mémoire illuminate history on building facades. An immersive experience in surround sound and laser light at the Palais des congrès event complex, Oasis immersion is Canada’s largest permanent immersive destination, surprising gusts with new exhibitions every season.

Experience award-winning virtual reality, digital immersive art and a wide array of avant-garde and tech-influenced live performance at the Phi Centre in Old Montréal, such as the Embodied Spaces project, a monthly presentation of live performances featuring local artists interpreting spaces within the Centre itself. Sit back and take a deep dive into new digital art under the dome of the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT) downtown. The Montréal Science Centre’s IMAX cinema puts nature in all its glory on the giant screen. And explore the mysteries of the universe with immersive 360° projections at the Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan.

International art inspires

Montreal’s museums and art galleries reflect the spring season too! At the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, see the groundbreaking exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore: Giants of Modern Art (until June 2), and much, much more. The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal is a pivotal contemporary art platform featuring renowned artists. As it undergoes a complete transformation in 2024, it’s welcoming visitors to its new, temporary home in the iconic Place Ville Marie building a few short blocks away.

In late-April, dozens of art galleries from Montréal, Toronto, New York and beyond show work at the Plural Contemporary Art Fair on the Grand Quai du Port de Montréal, April 12-14. At the Phi Foundation, take in expertly curated solo and group exhibitions of contemporary art by acclaimed international and local artists. Discover more places to experience art in our Montréal guide to gallery hopping and these cool places to buy affordable contemporary art.