MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and gastronomy
The MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE Festival has become one of the annual gourmet happenings of choice for savouring the menus and tasty offerings of Montréal restaurants, from tried-and-true classics to new addresses thanks to Air France Finest Tables. The gourmet 2024 edition kicks off on February 22, with more than 25 international chefs and winemakers shining bright in some fifty of Montreal's gourmet restaurants. Emmanuel Pilon will be at Mastard with Simon Mathys, while Julien Royer, the first-ever Singaporean chef to attend the festival, will be at Monarque. Furthermore, eight MICHELIN Green Star chefs will take to the helm in leading Montréal kitchens: Glenn Viel at Maison Boulud with Daniel Boulud, Caterina Ceraudo at Restaurant Graziella, Christian Têtedoie at Europea, and Ed Tejada & Ryan Walker at O'Thym.
At Monème, you'll have the chance to sample dishes from star chefs Matthias Marc and Adrien Cachot, semi-finalist and finalist respectively in the reality TV show, Top Chef France.
Quartier Gourmand
The Quartier Gourmand is back again this year on the 2nd floor of the Maison des Festivals. On the programme for the two weekends of the MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE Festival, from March 1 to 3, and March 8 and 9, a spotlight on Indigenous cuisine (March 3), culinary demonstrations and tastings, happy hours devoted exclusively to discovering Québec spirits, and some twenty free activities on the themes of "Drinking from the Forest", "Eating from the Forest" and "The Flavours of the St. Lawrence River". Special events
Special events
The celebrations for this landmark anniversary kick off with the 25 ans x 25 services gastronomic evenings, a multi-sensory and gustatory journey orchestrated by artist Nicolas Fonseca in the Lune Rouge installations.
Experience Air France business class on February 23 and 24 with the Souper 90 ans d'Air France 90th Anniversary Dinner, where you can enjoy the menu offered on board the famous airline accompanied by chefs Pasquale Vari and Olivier Perret with the brigades from Renoir and the ITHQ as your servers.
Treat yourself to Brunchs en Lumière at one of the 25 restaurants offering a unique creation to round off your Nuit Blanche All-Nighter in style.
And finally, the Apéros Montréal en Lumière will put Italian wines in the spotlight with festive aperitifs hosted by Louis Desroches for Masi, Francesco Vitulli for Cecchi and Kristine Mansuy for Michele Chiarlo, all served with antipasti platters and tastings by the glass.
MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and live shows
Gastronomy may be highlighted during the MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE Festival, but music is far from in the shadows! Live performances get the spotlight in this wintry festival with an exciting calendar of shows and concerts. Ben l'Oncle Soul will perform compositions from his most recent opus, Is It You?, and Emilie Simon will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her eponymous debut album with an intimate show.
Fresh off a world tour, Gabriella will take to the stage with seasoned musicians for her brand-new show Million Lights, an evening that promises to be nothing short of magical. Not to be missed is the De la beauté recital, an instrumental project by Alex Nevsky who will be revisiting some of his favourite songs accompanied by a string and wind quartet.
On March 2, Vancouver's legendary DJ Kid Koalo will be in town for one night only. Other not-to-be-missed shows include Lisa Leblanc (March 1), Sara Dufour (March 1), Pretty Woman: The Musical (March 5 to 10), David Goudreault (February 28-29), Pierre Flynn (February 27), Bruno Pelletier (March 2) and many more. Check out the full programme and get your tickets before they’re gone!
MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE outside
The MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE Festival also features a host of outdoor activities and entertainment in the Quartier des spectacles. Lace up your skates and glide along the CeraVe skating trail; move to the beat of the thematic DJ Station evenings; take a ride on the Loto-Québec Ferris Wheel; meet up with friends at the SAQ bistro; and warm up at the Cirque du Soleil kiosk where the characters from KURIOS - Cabinet des curiosités await.
A first for the Nuit Blanche All-Nighter
For the first time ever, the Nuit blanche All-Nighter will take over the first weekend of the festival with a fantasy theme. With over 100 activities happening across the city, this is one event you won’t want to miss!
Check out the programme and mark your calendar for this annual festival in the Quartier des spectacles. One thing's for sure, the MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE Festival is a great way to light up your winter!
