Holiday season cultural activities in Montréal
Leisure activities Winter
Montréal lights up this holiday season with a wide variety of unique cultural and winter activities and events, concerts, exhibitions and a festive restaurant scene to please every palate. Here are some choice shopping, fine dining, and arts and culture options in Montréal as the holidays approach.
Concerts and shows
Montréal’s entertainment scene sparkles with concerts and shows at venues big and small. Here are some of our picks.
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents Nagano Conducts Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with OSM Conductor Emeritus Kent Nagano on December 8 and 9 at the Maison Symphonique.
The Orchestre Metropolitain presents the return of Holiday Melodies with Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the Maison Symphonique on December 19 and 20.
The Orchestre Classique de Montréal perform their annual holiday season concert Händel’s Messiah in the crypt at Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal on December 10.
Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal’s timeless adaptation of Casse-Noisette (a.k.a. The Nutcracker) by Québec choreographer Fernand Nault returns to Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts for its 62nd year. This two-act ballet based on Hoffmann’s classic tale is set to the music of Tchaikovsky and brings together more than 60 dancers and 100 extras, plus Les Grands Ballets Orchestra under the direction of conductor Jean-Claude Picard. If you have never seen it, this famed production is a must. The Nutcracker runs from December 5 to 30.
Featuring a superb cast of singers, Noël, Une Tradition en Chanson (75% French-language repertoire) returns to the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal on December 1 and 2.
Also at the Cabaret du Casino, famed tenor Marc Hervieux headlines his Noël Big Band show on December 21.
The Drag Queens of Christmas BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon return with their 9th annual The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show at the Olympia Theatre on November 18.
More than 100 singers and musicians will take the stage when Jireh Gospel Choir and Montreal Gospel Choir directed by Carol Bernard bring their annual Noël Gospel concert to the Maison Symphonique at Place des Arts on November 28.
Jazz diva Holly Cole headlines Swinging Christmas 2026 with STRINGS at Théatre Outremont on December 4.
Montréal siblings Martha and Rufus Wainwright co-headline their Winter Harmonies holiday concert at the Monument-National on December 13.
Here is a round-up of 2026 holiday season concerts:
Arts and culture
Blockbuster shows fill Montréal theatres, museums and art galleries this season.
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in the Golden Square Mile presents The Soul Trembles, the largest solo exhibition to date of Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota. Covering more than three decades of creative output, the exhibition pays tribute to an internationally renowned visual artist, lauded for her performances and immersive installations made with red, black or white thread. Runs to February 14, 2027.
The blockbuster exhibition Heroes of Greece. The Age of Troy at the Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex in Old Montréal explores one of the greatest adventures of all time: the Trojan War. Guided by the Iliad, the legendary epic featuring heroes and powerful gods and goddesses, this major exhibition explores the origin and legacy of this seminal work attributed to the poet Homer. At the crossroads of myth and reality, the exhibition immerses visitors in history, showcasing nearly 400 authentic objects—treasures of Greece—from 28 Greek museums and archaeological sites. Several works are being presented on display for the first time in North America. Runs to March 7, 2027.
At McCord Stewart Museum in the Golden Square Mile, visitors of all ages can relive the magic of holidays past with the Ogilvy’s Christmas mechanical window displays: The Mill in the Forest, installed in Museum Alley, and The Enchanted Village inside the Museum. Runs November 6 to January 10, 2027.
Disney On Ice presents Magic of Family skates into Place Bell from December 17 to 20, with segments from Frozen and Encanto. Tickets available for both French and English shows.
The Hudson Village Theatre presents their all-ages annual holiday pantomime Alice in Wonderland filled with singing, dancing, silly jokes, goodies and baddies, written Tom Whalley and directed by Katie McHugh and Jean-Frédéric Samson. Runs December 11 to January 3, 2027.
City of lights
As the nights grow longer, Montréal lights up with tons of activities to get you glowing with holiday spirit.
The Lumino playground in the Quartier des Spectacles lights up the night with eye-popping interactive installations from January 21 to March 7, 2027.
Created by Montréal’s renowned multimedia entertainment studio Moment Factory, AURA literally reconstructs Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal‘s interior with lights and sound.
Fabulous food and a festive mood
Montréal is known as a city that celebrates food year round, so you’ll find lots of palate-pleasing options, plus a festive menu of holiday-themed dinner shows.
Stay up to date with the city’s dynamic culinary scene by clicking here to read food critic Mayssam Samaha’s latest picks.
Food critic Jason Lee’s choice picks where to eat during the holidays.
For those looking for dinner and a show under one roof, Le Balcon music hall and restaurant in the Quartier des Spectacles offers themed live-music shows year-round, starring such well-known entertainers as Montréal soul queen Michelle Sweeney who headlines her roof-raising Gospel Brunch with Michelle Sweeney & The Gospel Tribe on December 27.
Get a breath of fresh air
Stretch your legs and work off some of those delicious meals with outdoor fun all around the city, from hiking on Mount Royal to ice-skating in the Old Port.
The 75-hectare Jardin botanique (Botanical Garden) is home to some 20 thematic gardens, including the Alpine Garden and the First Nations Garden, as well as 10 greenhouses. It is an ideal getaway for families looking for a calm and spacious oasis in the city. Along with the Planetarium, Biodôme, Biosphere and Insectarium, the Jardin botanique is part of Montréal Espace pour la vie, the largest natural sciences museum complex in Canada. Click here for more info about Montréal Espace pour la vie.
Enjoy music, festive lights, hot chocolate and more at Noël dans le Parc on the Parterre of the Quartier des Spectacles from December 5 to 21.
Les amis de la montagne operates a sports equipment rental service for ice skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snow tubing and more in Mount Royal Park each winter. Enjoy the refrigerated skating rink at Beaver Lake or explore the marked trails for cross-country skiing (22 km), snowshoeing (3 km) and hiking (10 km in winter). Click here for their updated programming.
If you have your own equipment, go hiking, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing on the trails of Parc Maisonneuve and Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Discover neighbourhoods
Every neighbourhood in Montréal exhibits a unique character of its own, embodied by its historical sights, restaurants, hotels and art galleries, nightlife, parks and people. Click here for an introduction to Montréal’s most popular neighbourhoods, plus here are other choice picks:
Chosen by Time Out magazine as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world, Villeray’s charms lie in its people and independent businesses, from its picturesque parks to its curved apartment staircases. Be sure to check out the legendary Ferlucci Coffee Shop and stop by Avanaa Chocolat for some hot chocolate.
Verdun has been shaped by the borough’s proximity to the St. Lawrence – in fact, the beautiful green parks that line the entirety of the waterfront were originally built to protect the area from flooding. A little snow doesn’t keep anyone inside either, with a cross-country ski track along the river’s edge starting at Parc Arthur-Therrien and traversing all the way to Lachine nearly 20 km away. Time Out magazine chose Verdun’s Wellington Street as one of the coolest streets in the world. Click here for more info about Verdun and its attractions.
Les Quartiers du Canal district is comprised of three Montréal neighbourhoods: Griffintown, Little Burgundy, and Saint-Henri, bound together by the historic Lachine Canal. The pathways and greenspaces along the Lachine Canal are a perfect area for dining and daydreaming, for promenading and pedaling. Highlights include famed Joe Beef restaurant and historic Atwater Market. Click here for more info about Les Quartiers du Canal.
Holiday markets and shopping
Montréal is a shopper’s paradise year-round, but the experience becomes even more festive during the spirited holiday season. Here are some ideas to get you started.
The Montréal Christmas Village at Atwater Market (November 26 to December 24) and The Great Christmas Market (November 13 to January 3, 2027) in the Quartier des Spectacles are back this holiday season.
Montréal’s Underground Pedestrian Network, often nicknamed “the underground city” by visitors, connects all the major downtown shopping centres without setting foot outside. Look for “RESO” signs and start exploring.
Richard Burnett
Richard “Bugs” Burnett is a Canadian freelance writer, editor, journalist, blogger and columnist for alt-weeklies, mainstream and LGBTQ+ publications. Bugs also knows Montréal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter.