Jingle Bells! Celebrating the holidays in Montréal
Leisure activities Winter Culture, arts and heritage
No city celebrates Christmas quite like Montréal, which welcomes the 2026 holiday season with countless musical concerts and special events, from the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal’s famed adaptation of The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker
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.
Bach Before Bedtime’s Nutcracker explores Tchaikovsky’s timeless classic in a format ideally suited for children; bringing together dancers, a string quartet, English and French narration, and singalongs, at Le Gesù in the Quartier des Spectacles on November 29 and December 1. In only 45 minutes, children are introduced to the world of classical music and the story of The Nutcracker in an interactive and relaxed atmosphere.
Ballet Ouest de Montréal’s Nutcracker features 35 professional dancers joined onstage by more than 80 children from the Montréal area, at Salle Pierre-Mercure on December 4 to 6.
A Québec yuletide tradition
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.
Jazz diva Holly Cole headlines Swinging Christmas 2026 with STRINGS at Théatre Outremont on December 4.
The 13th annual Andy Kim Christmas benefit concert for the National Music Centre and the Montréal Children’s Hospital Foundation stars music legend Andy Kim with his guests Alan Frew of Glass Tiger; Canada’s “Queen of Disco” Patsy Gallant; Neil Donell, former lead singer of Chicago; J.D. Fortune, Joe Bocan, Fred Dionne and Katrine Sansregret; and more TBA. Former MusiquePlus VJ Geneviève Borne will host. December 5 at Le Studio TD.
Montréal siblings Martha and Rufus Wainwright co-headline their Winter Harmonies holiday concert at the Monument-National on December 13, in support of Centennial Academy, a high school that supports students with learning differences.
Parapapam returns to the Maison Symphonique on December 26 and 27 with a 35-piece orchestra conducted by Marianne Trudel with a powerful choir of more than 100 singers, plus guest vocalists Mélissa Bédard, Christian Marc Gendron, Manon Séguin, Patrick Normand and Nathalie Lord performing the most beloved Christmas carols.
A classical Christmas
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents:
- Nagano Conducts Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with OSM Conductor Emeritus Kent Nagano. Runs December 8 and 9 at the Maison Symphonique.
- Holiday Traditions: Le Vent du Nord at the Maison Symphonique on December 17.
The Orchestre Metropolitain presents:
- Choral Christmas at the Basilica with conductor Léa Moisan-Perrier at Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal on December 8.
- The highly-anticipated 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.
The Ensemble Caprice presents Handel’s Messiah at the Maison Symphonique on December 11.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Under The Lights: A Tribute to the Music of A Charlie Brown Christmas featuring Toronto jazz pianist Thompson Egbo-Egbo at the Fairmount Theatre on December 3.
Bourgie Hall at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts brings back The Taurey Butler Trio performing their beloved annual A Charlie Brown Christmas concerts, with guest jazz vocalist Halie Loren, for four concerts on December 16 and 17.
Carols by Candlelight
The glorious and historic Church of St. Andrew and St.Paul – whose Gothic Revival architecture looks like it comes straight out of Robin Hood – have scheduled their hugely popular Carols by Candlelight concerts with the A&P Choir on December 19 and 20.
Gospel Music
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.
Montréal soul queen Michelle Sweeney headlines her roof-raising Gospel Brunch with Michelle Sweeney & The Gospel Tribe at Le Balcon on December 27.
The Lyric Theatre Singers
Founded in 1990, The Lyric Theatre Singers present their annual Candlelight Christmas concerts at Concordia University’s Loyola chapel for four concerts from December 3 to 6. Under the direction of guest musical director Chris Barillaro, the company’s 46 singers will perform their timeless holiday repertoire of classical songs to Broadway-style showstoppers.
Christmas at the theatre
The beloved Québec Issime musical Décembre headlines Salle Pierre-Mercure from December 11 to 29.
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.
The French-language family classic Le Petit Prince headlines the Monument-National on December 27 and 28.
O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy starring British comedy duo James & Jamesy headlines Théâtre Jean-Duceppe on December 29 and 30.
Santa Claus Parade
The 74th edition of Montréal’s Santa Claus Parade runs along René-Lévesque Boulevard between Drummond and Saint-Urbain Streets on Saturday, November 21.
Complexe Dejardins presents Santa Claus and his Magical Kingdom from November 21 to December 24. Free face-painting, rides on the little train or carousel, daily shows, and Santa himself is on hand to hear every child’s holiday wishes.
Enchanted worlds
Over at the McCord Stewart Museum, relive the magic of Ogilvy’s mechanical Christmas window displays in the Holidays at the Museum installation from November 6 to January 10, 2027. Visitors of all ages will see The Mill in the Forest outdoors on Victoria Street and The Enchanted Village inside the Museum. These dazzling displays – a holiday tradition that goes back to 1947 and among the last of their kind in North America – feature handmade animals that come to life in a Bavarian setting.
Christmas markets
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.
The PVM Winter Market on the outdoor Esplanade PVM at Place Ville Marie transforms into a holiday village gourmet kiosks, choirs, singer-songwriters and family-friendly activities from November 17 to December 13.
The DDO Fine Arts and Crafts Holiday Market runs from November 6 to 8.
Blue Christmas
Drag Superstars and the Queens of Christmas BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon return to Montréal with their 9th annual blockbuster tour The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show at the Olympia Theatre on November 18.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars winner Jimbo the Drag Clown brings her Jimbo Ruins XXXMas show to Théâtre Beanfield on December 4.
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.