Montréal cultural calendar

POP MUSIC

Some highlights of upcoming national and international tours:

June

British rapper Central Cee (June 1 and 2), American indie folk band The Head And The Heart (June 3), Australian singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts (June 5), American rock band Clutch (June 6), Aussie cultural phenom Dope Lemon (June 7), and American industrial metal band Static-X (June 10), all at MTELUS.

Japanese rock band One Ok Rock (June 3),  French electronic music duo Justice (June 6), American outlaw country music singer-songwriter Cody Jinks, British soft-rock heartthrob James Blunt (June 13), co-headlining rock bands Volbeat and Three Days Grace (June 16), Croatian cellist Hauser (June 18), Rock Hall  of Famers ZZ TOP with opening act The Wallflowers (June 25), and Japanese metal band BABYMETAL with opening acts Black Veil Brides and Bloodywood (June 30), all at Place Bell.

Lane 8 brings his Childish tour to Parc Jean-Drapeau on June 6; up-and-coming American RnB crooner Kyle Dion headlines L’Escogriffe Bar Spectacle (June 10); Billy Corgan and The Machines of God headline the Beanfield Theatre on June 13; legendary Scottish New Wave rock band Simple Minds headline the Bell Centre with opening acts Modern English and Soft Cell on June 17; and The Montreal Reggae Summer Fest takes over Polish Hall on June 27.

Special concert of note: Montréal’s world-renowned jazz pianist Oliver Jones and musical guests Julian McIntosh Jazz Quartet and soul singer Coco Thompson headline the Jazz In The Neighborhood concert at the U.N.I.A. Hall in Little Burgundy on June 7.

Local soul, jazz and hip hop

For those looking for dinner and a show under one roof, the city’s top soul and RnB musicians headline Le Balcon music hall and restaurant year-round. Regular headliners include Montréal music legends Freddie James, Kim Richardson, Dawn Tyler Watson and Michelle Sweeney.

Montréal’s premiere musicians and entertainers also headline live-music nightclubs Diese Onze and Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill, both ranked by DownBeat magazine as two of the top jazz nightclubs on the planet. Montréal’s top jazz, soul and blues divas headline both venues which also have dinner menus.

Le Cypher X organizes the city’s premiere hip hop concerts every Thursday at O Patro Vys while GrowveMTL presents jams featuring the city’s top musicians playing everything from disco to hip hop each Wednesday at Turbo Haüs.

Hillbilly Night each Monday at the legendary Wheel Club in NDG is the longest-running open mic night in Montréal. The live-music venue presents all genres, including the superbElton Songs tribute to pop icon Elton John on June 6.

CITY OF FESTIVALS

Montréal hosts dozens of festivals each spring and summer. Some star-studded highlights:

Thousands gather each Sunday at two stages in Parc Jean-Drapeau for Piknic Électronik.

The 19^th edition of Festival TransAmériques runs to June 5. More in the theatre section below.

The St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival runs to June 16. More in the theatre section.

The St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival runs from May 26 to June 16. More in the theatre section.

The Concours musical international de Montréal brings together some of the most outstanding classical singers of the new generation, at Salle Bourgie and Maison symphonique. Runs to June 6.

The Planétarium presents the fifth edition of their AstroFest which offers dozens of free activities for sky watchers by the Planétarium team and some 30 professional astronomy partners, with a spotlight this year on Mars. Runs June 7 to 8.

Founded by cellist Denis Brott, the 30th edition of the internationally-acclaimed Montréal Chamber Music Festival presents 13 concerts from June 7 to 22 at Bourgie Hall, and at the Cinquième Salle and Maison symphonique.

The Francos de Montréal presents more than 250 performances by French-language musicians from around the world. Highlights include a big free outdoor concert by African roots-reggae superstar Tiken Jah Fakoly on June 18. Runs June 13 to 21.

The MURAL Festival presents some of the world’s top graffiti artists reimagining city walls from June 5 to 15.

The Formula One Canadian Grand Prix runs at Parc Jean-Drapeau from June 13 to 15, same dates as the Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival.

The 45^th edition of the famed Festival International de Jazz de Montréal presents 3,000 performers from around the world performing more than 350 ticketed indoor concerts and free shows on several outdoor stages from June 26 to July 5.  Headliners include Wynton Marsalis (June 25), Samara Joy (June 28), Branford Marsalis (July 1), George Thorogood & the Destroyers (July 3), Montréal’s very own Kid Koala (June 26 to 29) and The Brooks (June 29), as well as the hotly-anticipated all-star Oscar Peterson Centennial Gala: Canadiana Suite (July 4). Click here for full program. 

Click here for your full spring and summer Montréal festival guide.

THEATRE

Montréal’s two big English-language theatres – the venerable Centaur Theatre Company in Old Montréal, and the Sylvan Adams Theatre at the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts in the west end – offer varied programming.

The Segal presents the slapstick comedy Clue: On Stage, based on the cult classic 1985 film and inspired by the iconic Hasbro board game. Step into a world of mystery as murder and blackmail unfold over a sinister dinner party at Boddy Manor. This slapstick whodunit keeps you guessing: Was it Miss Scarlet in the library with the rope? Or Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the knife? Runs June 8 to 29.

Click here for more English theatre in Montréal. 

Festival TransAmériques 

A festival of contemporary dance and theatre, the star-studded 19^th edition of the Festival TransAmériques presents some 25 shows to June 5. 

Argentina’s Tiziano Cruz returns with Wayqeycuna, the final instalment of his trilogy that weaves together family history and a critique of neoliberal power structures, at the Théâtre Rouge du Conservatoire (May 31 to June 3). 

Dance icon Louise Lecavalier presents the North American premiere of her new solo show danses vagabondes at the FTA from May 31 to June 4.

Another FTA highlight is Norwegian-Jamaican performer and choreographer Harald Beharie’s Batty Bwoy which reappropriates the Jamaican term “Batty Bwoy” (literally, butt boy), slang for a queer person. Runs from May 28 to 31.

Click here for full festival programming.

Montréal Fringe Festival

After a record-breaking 2024 edition, the bilingual St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival returns May 26 to June 15 when 500 artists from some 90 producing companies present more than 800 indoor performances at this year’s 35^th edition. The OFF Fringe runs from May 28 to June 15.

Outdoor programming at the hugely popular Fringe Park – located at Parc des Ameriques, corner Rachel and St-Laurent – will feature live bands, as well as the festival’s marquee event Drag Race on June 14 featuring professional drag stars versus a bevy of Fringe fest beauties in a knock-down Battle Royale of skill-testing obstacles!

Click here for more Montréal English-language theatre this spring.

DANCE

Dance icon Louise Lecavalier presents the North American premiere of her new solo show danses vagabondes at the Festival TransAmériques from May 31 to June 4.

Another FTA highlight is Norwegian-Jamaican performer and choreographer Harald Beharie’s Batty Bwoy which reappropriates the Jamaican term “Batty Bwoy” (literally, butt boy), slang for a queer person. Runs from May 28 to 31.

Located in The Wilder Building, Agora de la danse highlights this season include and the DNA – Danse Non Altérée street dance event which is part battle, improvisation and creation featuring youth up to 17-years-old (June 7). 

Click here for their full schedule.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens present the classical ballet Don Quixote at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier from May 29 to June 7. 

CLASSICAL STAGE

Under the artistic direction of Maestro Rafael Payare, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents Mahler’s Song of the Earth With Rafael Payare to close the season (May 28 to 30).

As part of their Prestige & Patrimoine series, GSI Musique and Oziko present their Ferland symphonique tribute to Québec pop icon Jean-Pierre Ferland. The symphonic arrangements of Blair Thomson will be performed by the OSM under the baton of conductor Alain Trudel (June 2 to 5).

The Orchestre Métropolitain presents Adventure Awaits with Grammy-winning conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin (June 15).

All concerts at the Maison Symphonique.

The OM then embarks on a European mini-tour with concerts in Brussels, Paris and Vienna (June 23 to 25).  

Looking ahead, the OM presents the hotly-anticipated Beck with Orchestre Métropolitain at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on July 16. 

Winner of the 2024 JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year, the Orchestre Classique de Montréal presents Ode To Joy: Beethoven’s 9^th at the Maison Symphonique (May 31). 

The Concours musical international de Montréal brings together some of the most outstanding classical singers of the new generation, at Salle Bourgie and Maison symphonique at Place des Arts from May 25 to June 6.

Founded by cellist Denis Brott, the 30th edition of the internationally-acclaimed Montréal Chamber Music Festival presents 13 concerts from June 7 to 22 at Bourgie Hall, and at the Cinquième Salle and Maison symphonique.

The 14th season of Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts features some 90 concerts, with half of its programming showcasing Québec and Canadian artists. Highlights this spring include pianist Maxim Bernard’s Chopin Matinee (June 5), and to conclude the season, Symphony in the French Manner with Les Violons du Roy (June 6).

Click here for the full program.

MUSEUMS

The PHI in Old Montréal presents the hotly-anticipated exhibition Jean-Marc Vallée: Mixtape, a multimedia and sound journey into the memory and work of the famed Montréal film director for whom mixtapes were an essential part of his creative process. With the participation of Marc-André Grondin, Evelyne Brochu, Denis Villeneuve, Reese Witherspoon, Vanessa Paradis, Laura Dern and others. Runs to July 6. Free admission but reservations required. 

Embark on the Life Chronicles immersive expedition exploring our planet’s major evolutionary phases covering 3.5 billion years of the Earth’s history and the living organisms that inhabit it, including dinosaurs and the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. Equipped with a virtual reality headset, visitors experience the past brought to life with stunning visuals and sounds grounded in meticulous scientific accuracy.

Life Chronicles is located in the Old Port next door to the Montréal Science Centre. Children under 8 not admitted. The 45-minute immersive experience runs to October 13.

The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts in the Golden Square Mile presents the Berthe Weill, Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-garde exhibition displaying more 100 works and archival documents, including paintings and sculptures by major figures of Modern art ranging from Pablo Picasso to Suzanne Valadon. It is the first large-scale exhibition dedicated to the career and artistic vision of Berthe Weill who opened her Paris gallery in 1901 in the neighbourhood of Montmartre and played a seminal role in the development of Avant-garde movements in France in the first half of the 20^th century. Runs  to September 7.

Click here for more Montréal museum exhibitions.

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

The Big Bounce Canada 2025 Tour is the biggest touring inflatable event in the world and includes seven massive inflatable attractions including the 24,000 square foot World’s Largest Bounce House, and the 900+ foot long obstacle course The Giant. At Carrefour Angrignon for three weekends, May 31 to June 15. Click here for tickets and info.

Children of all ages can discover new worlds at Montréal Espace pour la vie, the largest natural-sciences museum complex in Canada which comprises the Jardin botanique, Planetarium, Biosphere, famed Biodôme and Insectarium. Purchasing fixed-time tickets online is highly recommended. 

The Planétarium presents the fifth edition of their AstroFest which offers dozens of free activities for sky watchers by the Planétarium team and some 30 professional astronomy partners, with a spotlight this year on Mars. Runs June 7 to 8. 

The children-friendly permanent exhibitions at the Montréal Science Centre are all open, including the blockbuster exhibition T. Rex: The Ultimate Predator (runs to September 7). Their IMAX cinema screens films for all ages, including T-Rex 3D: Greatest of all Tyrants.

CIRCUS ARTS

Le Monastère presents Le Jardin, a relaxing outdoor oasis in the heart of the city, with free evening shows (June 1 to September 30). Le Monastère also presents the cream of local contemporary circus artists in their Cabaret du Jugement Dernier, a circus competition showcasing acrobatics, juggling and aerial acrobatics (July 4 to 12).

Cirque du Soleil presents the return of LUZIA under the Big Top in the Old Port to August 24.

CINEMA

Beyond Reality: Surrealism in Cinéma is a series of screenings at the Cinéma du Musée as part of the exhibition Worlds of Wonder: The Surreal Journey of Alan Glass at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts in the Golden Square Mile. Films being screened are Alice (May 31 and June 3), Possession (June 14 and 17), Mulholland Drive by David Lynch (June 28 and July 1), and Spellbound by Alfred Hitchcock (July 12 and 14). Click here for screening times. 

The Society for Arts and Technology – known colloquially as “The SAT” by locals – presents Entwined Memories, a compilation of five immersive short films by Taiwanese and international artists exploring collective memory, curated in collaboration with the Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab, from May 13 to June 7.

The PARC AT MIDNIGHT cycle at the Cinéma du Parc offers nocturnal screenings in the great tradition of the famous rep-house “midnight movies” of the 70s. Click here for programming.

The Montreal Cinéclub Film Society screens classic movies at various venues every second week. Click here for the full program.

The IMAX cinema at the Montréal Science Centre screens films for all ages, including T-Rex 3D: Greatest of all Tyrants.

LITERATURE

The Atwater Library Book Club is led by renowned author Mary Soderstrom. Upcoming event: Do You Remember Being Born? by Sean Michaels (June 11).

The Violet Hour Book Club, a reading group moderated by renowned author Christopher DiRaddo, is devoted to classic and contemporary works of LGBTQ literature. Up next: Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel (June 7). 

Lectures LOGOS Readings is a series of monthly multicultural readings hosted by award-winning author H. Nigel Thomas and renowned human rights advocate Maguy Métellus at the UNIA Hall in Little Burgundy.

DRAG SHOWS

The St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival presents their marquee Drag Race, featuring professional drag stars versus a bevy of Fringe fest beauties in a knock-down Battle Royale of skill-testing obstacles!

Hosted by drag icon Mado Lamotte since its launch 25 years ago in 2000, this year’s edition is actually No. 22, thanks to COVID and inclement weather. After Canada’s Drag Race season 5 contestant Uma Gahd hosted in 2023, Mado may return for one more show: “I found it exhausting because after Drag Race I’d go to work at Cabaret Mado. I’m not a young girl anymore. But I may come back to host one last show for the 25^th anniversary edition.”  

The Fringe Fest Drag Race happens June 14 at the Fringe Park located at Parc des Ameriques, corner Rachel and St-Laurent.

Montréal is one of the drag capitals of the world. Located in The Village, drag icon Mado Lamotte’s Cabaret Mado and Michel Dorion’s classic Bar Le Cocktail both book the best drag performers in the city nightly. Both venues are also two of the most popular nightclubs in The Village.

COMEDY

Montréal’s local comedy scene is enjoying a renaissance with flourishing comedy nights in clubs throughout the city, and touring national and international comedians selling out large venues.

Haitian-Canadian French-language comedic performer Tai TL (a.k.a. Tailaire Laguerre) headlines Place Bell on May 31.

Canadian-Iranian comedian Neema Naz brings his My Estupid Life Comedy Tour to the Olympia on June 21.

English comedian Paul Taylor at MTELUS on June 25.

Check out English-language stand-up comics at Comedyville located behind the Deli Planet in Central Train Station, with shows Thursday to Saturday. Click here for show descriptions.

Some of the city’s best stand-up comics perform at Double’s Comedy Club, a bilingual comedy night held the last Wednesday of each month at 9 p.m., at Double’s Late Night, a contemporary dive bar in the heart of Montréal’s Mile-End. 

The Montréal Comedy House downtown presents local and national comics.

Support local, national and international comics at Montréal’s venerable The Comedy Nest nightclub located in the historic Montréal Forum. Click here for full programming.