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.
This article was updated on March 21, 2024.
Blockbuster museum exhibitions, live music concerts, theatre and comedy are among the many live entertainment choices in Montréal this spring 2024.
Some highlights of upcoming national and international tours:
American R&B singer Mariah the Scientist (April 3), German indie rockers Giant Rooks (April 9), UK singer-songwriter PinkPantheress (April 10), American alternative rock bandBlue October (April 11), Finnish melodic death metal band Insomnium (April 12), Canadian alternative rock legend Matthew Good (April 13), Italian power metal band Wind Rose (April 16), heavy metal legends Queensrÿche (April 20), all at the Beanfield Theatre;
American singer-songwriter Benson Boone (April 6), two-nighter by French rapper Luidji (April 9 and 10), Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening (April 16 and 17), Mali’s Grammy-winning “songbird of Wassoulou” Oumou Sangaré (April 21), The Black Crowes (April 23), and Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian (April 28), all at MTELUS;
American rock legends Queens Of The Stone Age (April 13), Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Davido (April 19), British harmonic musical genius Jacob Collier (April 23), all at Place Bell;
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli (April 11), American folk-pop singer-songwriter Noah Kahan (April 13), and Nicki Minaj (April 17), all at the Bell Centre.
Other April shows of note: The California Guitar Trio and The Levin Brothers (featuring legendary bassist Tony Levin of King Crimson and Peter Gabriel fame) at Club Soda (April 3), Ska legends The Slackers at Cafe Campus (April 14), New York-based indie-electronic artist Elliot Moss at Petit Campus (April 20), the Montreal Gospel Choir directed by Carol Bernard performs their Season Finale concert at Salle Désilets (April 27 at 4 and 8 pm), and Montreal-born genderqueer country singer-songwriter Bobby Dove plays with their Honky Tonk Heroes: Blake Eaton (bass), Eric Sandmark (drums), Alex Ginella (violin) and Benjamin Vallée (pedal steel) at L'Escogriffe Bar (April 16).
And the theme for Craig Morrison’s 24th Annual Roots of Rock & Roll Concert is I Want to Hold Your Hand: The 60th anniversary of the British Invasion, April 13 at Oscar Peterson Concert Hall.
American death metal band Dying Fetus (May 1), British rapper Giggs (May 3), Swedish progressive metal group Soen (May 10), Australia’s Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (May 13), L.A.-based Canadian singer-songwriter and TikTok sensation Alexander Stewart (May 18), Japanese alternative metal band SiM (May 21), former Skid Row lead singer Sebastian Bach (May 24), and British folk group The Longest Johns (May 25), all at the Beanfield Theatre;
Country and post-grunge singer Peyton Parrish (May 5), Straight No Chaser(May 7), Canadian country singer-songwriter Matt Lang(May 9), Montreal rock icons GrimSkunk (May 10 and 18), guitarist Trey Anastasiobest known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish (May 19), and British singer-songwriter James Arthur’s two-nighter (May 22 and 23),all at MTELUS;
Hip hop icon Ice Cube (May 10), German metal band Electric Callboy (May 18), and classic rock icons and Montreal favourite Styx (May 21), all at Place Bell; and Mexican superstar Luis Miguel headlines the Bell Centre (May 24).
Other May shows of note: Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon at Ausgang Plaza (May 2), The Tina Trons play two sets of 2 sets of 80s post-punk New Wave at NDG’s legendary The Wheel Club (May 18), Hip Hop icon and legendary rapper Slick Rick The Ruler at Theatre Paradoxe (May 21), and legend-in-the-making blues guitarist Christone ''Kingfish'' Ingram headlines Le National theatre (May 31).
The biggest Latin music festival in Canada, Fuego Fuego returns to the Olympic Park (May 25 and 26), as does legendary Montreal indie rock band Half Moon Run’s new one-day festival L’Appel Montréal (May 30).
Canadian pop icon Sarah McLachlan (June 20) at Place Bell; while Colombian sensation FEID (June 1), global Mexican superstar Peso Pluma (June 4) who with 8.5 billion views was YouTube’s 2023 most-viewed artist of the year, RnB king Chris Brown (June 20), and legendary country duo Brooks & Dunn (June 21) all headline the Bell Centre.
Other June shows of note: Australian singer-songwriter Xavier Rudd headlines MTELUS for three shows (June 16 to 18), while The Chainsmokers (June 7) and Pitbull (June 8) headline the all-new Podium Concerts series at Parc Jean-Drapeau during the Canadian Grand Prix Formula 1 weekend (June 7 to 9, race day is June 9).
Then the 44th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal runs from June 27 to July 6.
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 music legends Freddie James, Kim Richardson, Dawn Tyler Watson and Michelle Sweeney who headlines her popular Gospel Brunch with Michelle Sweeney & The Gospel Tribe on May 11.
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 while GrowveMTL presents jams featuring the city’s top musicians playing everything from disco to hip hop each Wednesday at Turbo Haüs.
The annual all-star Expos Fest Celebrity Gala (April 20) will reunite coaches and players from the 1994 Montréal Expos – including Felipe Alou, Moises Alou, Rondell White, Ken Hill, Jeff Fassero, Pedro Martinez, Cliff Floyd, Mike Lansing and Mel Rojas – to raise money to support the Kat Demes Pavillion at the Montréal Children’s Hospital.
The 44th annual Festival international de cinéma Vues d’Afrique runs from April 11 to 21.
Montréal Fringe Festival
After a record-breaking 2023 edition, the bilingual St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival returns May 27 to June 16 when 500 artists from some 90 producing companies present more than 700 indoor performances at this year’s 34th edition. The OFF Fringe runs from May 29 to June 16.
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 icon Mado Lamotte’s 22nd annual Mado’s Drag Race on June 15.
Festival TransAmériques
A festival of contemporary dance and theatre, the 18th edition of the Festival TransAmériques will present some 25 shows from May 22 to June 5. Some FTA highlights include the radical theatre satire of Carte noire nommée désir at Usine C (May 23 to 26), Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists at Théâtre Jean-Duceppe (May 26 to 28), and the free outdoor Multitud show (May 23 to 25) in Place des Festivals in the Quartier des Spectacles.
Click here for full festival programming.
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.
Centaur Theatre
Seven of Montreal’s top actresses – Deena Aziz, Leni Parker, Joy Ross-Jones, Espoir Segbeaya, Warona Setshwaelo, Felicia Shulman and Julie Tamiko Manning – explore what it means to be a woman working with Shakespeare today in Thy Woman’s Weeds (April 23 to May 12). Directed by Amanda Kellock and written by Erin Shields, this feminist take on Shakespeare’s works highlights the contemporary social dynamics that challenge women’s full participation in the performing arts.
Segal Centre for Performing Arts
The Segal Centre remounts playwright Selina Fillinger’s critically-hailed comedy POTUS or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (May 12 to June 2). POTUS is about seven brilliant women who try to keep the President out of trouble when a White House PR nightmare spins into a global crisis. There will be audio-described performances on May 26 at 2 pm and 7 pm.
Click here for more Montréal English-language theatre this spring.
At the forefront of new contemporary dance in Montréal, Agora de la danse season highlights include acclaimed dance artist Heidi Strauss in Between Me and You (April 10 to 12), choreographer Isabelle Van Grimde with live music from Thom Gossage in Transes (April 24 to 27), and Chœur et chorégraphes blends dance and song in a piece developed by interdisciplinary artist André Pappathomas (May 8 to 11). All shows presented in the Wilder Building.
At Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens presents their Carmina Burana double bill (April 13 to 20) featuring Carmina Burana by Edward Clug and Jeunehomme by Uwe Scholz with choir and the superb Les Grands Ballets Orchestra. Then Les Grands Ballets presents a gem of the classic repertoire, the Romantic ballet Giselle (May 30 to June 2) which was first performed by the Paris Opera Ballet in 1841.
The Danse Danse series presents Symphonie de cœurs, a large-scale show with 15 performers choreographed by Rhodnie Désir, with the Orchestre Métropolitain conducted by rising star Naomi Woo at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier (April 4 to 6). To close the season, Danse Danse presents Swan Lakes in which choreographer and artistic director Éric Gauthier gives a trio of international dance superstars—Cayetano Soto, Marie Chouinard and Hofesh Shechter—free rein to reimagine the legendary ballet Swan Lake and create their own subversive version for the 16 dancers of Gauthier Dance at Théâtre Maisonneuve (May 1 to 4).
Over in the Plateau-Mont-Royal, the Montréal, arts interculturels cultural organization – better known as “The MAI” – presents an eclectic slate of multi-disciplinary productions (visual arts, dance and theatre) each season. Highlights of the MAI’s current 25th season include Mexican choreographer and performer Sonia Bustos who explores the phenomena of reminiscence in her solo show Je ne vais pas inonder la mer (May 15 to 18).
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal continues its star-studded 90th season:
Grammy-winning Maestro Kent Nagano returns to conduct works by two iconic composers: Stravinsky and Beethoven, in Beethoven’s Heroic Symphony no. 3 with Kent Nagano (April 10 to 12); Frank Peter Zimmermann, one of the greatest violinists of our time, joins Grammy-winning Maestro Rafael Payare conducting the OSM in Zimmermann and Brahms’ Masterful Violin Concerto (April 30 to May 2); and the OSM will close its 90th season with The Majestic Organ Symphony by Saint-Saëns (May 28 to 30), also with Payare conducting.
The Orchestre Métropolitain and their Grammy-winning Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin presents The OM Welcomes the Philadelphia Orchestra (April 19). Their Chœur Métropolitain will delight audiences with Carmina Burana (June 1), then Nézet-Séguin returns to conduct the OM in Mahler’s Sixth (June 16).
The Orchestre Classique de Montréal, with a vocal quartet of current and former members of the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, perform one of the most popular masterworks of the classical repertoire, Mozart’s Requiem (May 5); then present the all-star A Life in Opera: Homage to Joseph Rouleau (June 18) – featuring beloved opera excerpts by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Delibes and Offenbach – to pay tribute to the late world-famous operatic bass and former OCM Board Chair Joseph Rouleau.
All concerts at the Maison Symphonique.
Inspired by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s play Variations énigmatiqueswith music composed by Patrick Burgan, the opera Enigma explores a bizarre love triangle. Québec tenors Antoine Bélanger and Jean-Michel Richer are accompanied by the I Musici Montréal orchestra in an intimate staging,presented by the Opéra de Montréal at Théâtre Maisonneuve from April 7 to 13.
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli headlines the Bell Centre on April 11.
Twenty-four of the top classical pianists of the new generation from around the world gather in Montreal to compete for more than $200,000 in prizes and grants at the Piano 2024 edition of the prestigious Concours musical international de Montréal which runs from May 5 to 16. Click here for the full program.
There are some 100 concerts presented by Bourgie Hall this season, with half its programming including Québec or Canadian artists, in addition to more than 60 additional concerts by guest presenters. Highlights include:
Celebrated pianists Charles Richard-Hamelin and David Jalbert in Piano Four Hands (April 10); Montréal drag legend Barbada and the Musicians of the Orchestre Métropolitain present two concerts in French for ages 5+, Springtime Radiance (April 14) and Exhilerating Summer (June 2); and Les Violons du Roy headline Fantastic Dreams with Quebec soprano Andréanne Brisson Paquin (June 7).
The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts in the Golden Square Mile presents the Canadian premiere of O’Keeffe and Moore: Giants of Modern Art, a large-scale exhibition that for the first time sets the work of American painter Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in dialogue with that of British sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986). Via 120 works, together with recreations of each artist’s studio, the exhibition examines the lives and art of these two 20th century icons, retraces the evolution of their artistic practices and underscores the fundamental relationship between humanity and the natural world. Runs to June 2.
Also at the MMFA, the Saints, Sinners, Lovers and Fools: Three Hundred Years of Flemish Masterworks exhibition from The Phoebus Foundation’s collection of early modern Flemish art transports visitors to the Southern Netherlands during a dynamic period of social, scientific, economic and artistic development (1400-1700). Runs from June 8 to October 20.
The Olmecs and the Civilizations of the Gulf of Mexico exhibition at the Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex in Old Montréal explores the first known civilization of Mesoamerica, documenting nearly four millennia of history, trade and cultural traditions that are still shrouded in mystery. Runs from April 18 to September 15.
Known as one of the pillars of 20th-century fashion photography, Norman Parkinson is the subject of the comprehensive exhibition Norman Parkinson: Always in Style which presents 79 of his best-known images at the McCord Stewart Museum in the Golden Square Mile This North American premiere runs from April 19 to September 2.
The PHI Centre presents The Horizon of Khufu: A Journey in Ancient Egypt, a unique VR expedition that brings together ancient history and new technologies to relive the reign of Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu and explore the 146-metre-high Great Pyramid of Giza, Khufu’s final resting place built between 2,590 and 2,565 BC. Visitors wander through galleries and spaces inside the Great Pyramid before reaching its top for a breathtaking view of modern Cairo and the Giza Plateau, then board an Ancient Egyptian sun boat on the Nile to witness the funerary rite of Khufu 4,500 years ago.
The Horizon of Khufu is located in the Old Port next door to the Montréal Science Centre. Children under 8 not admitted. The 45-minute immersive experience has been extended to May 31.
Click here for more Montréal museum exhibitions.
Harlem Globetrotters at the Bell Centre (April 26) and Place Bell (April 27), while Stars On Ice headline Place Bell (April 30).
Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal in the hip, urban Griffintown neighbourhood presents Immersive Disney Animation, an innovative celebration that takes children of all ages inside the greatest films of Walt Disney Animation Studios, from their very earliest, groundbreaking features to their hit movies of today. Shows are given in French or English, depending on the time slot selected at the box office. Has been extended to May 5.
Using puppetry to bring life-like dinosaurs to the stage, Dinosaur World Live will delight children aged 3+ in a Jurassic adventure with a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Giraffatitan, Microraptor and Segnosaurus, at Théâtre Maisonneuve on May 7.
The children-friendly permanent exhibitions at the Montréal Science Centre in the Old Port of Montréal are all open, while its IMAX cinema screens films for all ages, including Wings Over Water 3D and Animal Kingdom 3D: A Tale of Six Families. Click here for the screening schedules of the latest films.
Children of all ages can also discover new worlds at Montréal Space for Life, the largest natural-sciences museum complex in Canada which comprises the Botanical Garden, Planetarium, Biosphere, famed Biodôme and Insectarium. Purchasing fixed-time tickets online is highly recommended.
The only presenter specializing in contemporary circus in North America, La TOHU presents three shows this spring: SLAM! is a hyper-theatrical wrestling show between titans of theatre and circus, Ex Machina and Flip Fabrique, directed by theatre legend Robert Lepage (March 19 to April 7); ESQUIVE features six acrobats from Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde exploring and paying tribute to the trampoline (April 24 to 28); and the National Circus School presents their Graduating Students’ Show (May 30 to June 9).
The 7th edition of the Montréal Clown Festival presents indoor and outdoor programming in the Quartier des Spectacles from April 25 to 28.
Cirque du Soleil presents KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities under the Big Top in the Old Port from May 23 to July 14.
Montréal is the circus hub of North America. For the latest Montréal circus arts and concert news, click here.
The 40th annual Festival international de cinéma Vues d’Afrique runs from April 11 to 21. The festival screens international features, documentaries and shorts by filmmakers from across Africa and the African diaspora.
Until April 21, the Cinémathèque Québécoise screens the best of Mel Brooks’ comedies.
The Society for Arts and Technology – called “The SAT” by locals – presents the 42-minute cinematic show Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon in surround-sound to celebrate the album’s 50th anniversary, in their Satosphere until May 4. Click here to book tickets.
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.
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 in the Old Port screens films for all ages, including Animal Kingdom 3D: A Tale of Six Families. Click here for the screening schedules of the latest films.
Canadian illustrator and cartoonist Maurice Vellekoop launches his graphic memoir I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together at La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly on April 10. The evening will feature a reading, a conversation with author Daniel Allen Cox, a Q&A, and a signing.
The Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival is one of the largest multilingual literary events in North America. This year, more than 150 authors of all genres and styles from Quebec, Canada and around the world will take part in 120 events in Montréal from April 25 to 28. Attendees are treated to interviews, round-table discussions, readings, performances and writing workshops.
The Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library presents international human rights icon and bestselling author Romeo Dallaire in conversation with Tarah Schwartz at the Harold Greenspon Auditorium (5801 Cavendish Boulevard) on May 4, as Dallaire discusses his new book The Peace: A Warrior's Journey. Admission is FREE but registration is required.
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.
Montréal drag legend Barbada and the Musicians of the Orchestre Métropolitain present two concerts in French for ages 5+, Springtime Radiance (April 14) and Exhilerating Summer (June 2) at Bourgie Hall.
Jimbo’s Drag Circus World Tour stars Canada’s own Jimbo from RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 and Canada’s Drag Race at the Olympia Theatre (May 19).
Cabaret Mado presents the latest instalment of The Golden Girls on May 29, with drag legends Marla Deer and Tracy Trash with Prudence and Velma Jones lip-syncing their way through the classic Hollywood sitcom. This is a very popular live tribute show, I recommend buying tickets early.
The St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival presents their marquee event, drag icon Mado Lamotte’s 22nd annual Mado’s Drag Race on June 15, presented for free at the Fringe Park – located at Parc des Ameriques, corner Rachel and St-Laurent – and featuring Cabaret Mado drag stars versus a bevy of Fringe fest beauties in a knock-down Battle Royale of skill-testing obstacles!
As Mado once told me, “Don’t expect Mado to be nice to anyone! I’m excited every year because drag queens are the best runners in the city! And we prove to the world that being ridiculous never killed anyone!”
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.
Just For Laughs presents Broad City actress and stand-up comic Ilana Glazer at the Olympia Theatre on May 1.
Support local, national and international comics at The Comedy Nest nightclub located in the historic Montréal Forum.
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.
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