Montréal cultural calendar
Leisure activities Culture, arts and heritage The city
Blockbuster museum exhibitions, live music concerts, theatre and comedy are among the many live entertainment choices in Montréal this Spring 2026.
POP MUSIC
Some highlights of upcoming national and international tours:
May
Luke Combs - Forever After All
Brit pop sensation MIKA at Place Bell (May 4), Flea and the Honora Band at Théâtre Beanfield (May 10), metalcore bands August Burns Red and The Amity Affliction team up for their Spring Horizons Tour date at MTELUS (May 12) the same night death-metal band BEHEMOTH headlines the Olympia Theatre (May 12), British royalty Joe Jackson at Théâtre Maisonneuve (May 13), music icon Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass at Théâtre Maisonneuve (May 14), The Reggae Uprising Band at Club Balattou (May 16), Australian singer-rapper The Kid LAROI at Place Bell (May 16), the Black Veil Brides at MTELUS (May 26), Canadian rock icons The Guess Who at Place Bell (May 29), and country superstar Luke Combs headlines two shows at Parc Jean-Drapeau (May 29 and 30).
Concerts of note: Montréal soul diva Sylvie DesGroseilliers pays homage to Tina Turner at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal (May 9); and Canadian-born, St. Louis-based blues-rock slide-guitar god Anthony Gomes will blow the roof off iconic venue Foufounes Électriques (May 21).
June
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Hip Hop superstar A$AP Rocky at Bell Centre (June 1), crooner Josh Groban at Place Bell (June 2), Sacramento rock bank Cake at the Olympia Theatre (June 3), Australian punk rockers Amyl and The Sniffers at Place Bell (June 5), Canadian rockers Arkells Théâtre Beanfield (June 5), Canadian rock icons Triumph at Place Bell (June 10), Grammy-winning Australian electronic dance music trio RÜFÜS DU SOL at Parc Jean-Drapeau (June 20), country-rock icon Steve Earle at Théâtre Beanfield (June 25), RnB Hip Hop legends NE-YO & AKON bring their co-headliner Nights Like This Tour to the Bell Centre (June 26), Franco-Algerian singer-rapper Rilès headlines MTELUS two nights (June 28 and 29), goth alt-rockers Evanescence at Bell Centre (June 30), and Father John Misty at MTELUS (June 30).
Concerts of note: Exquisite Montréal soulman Clerel headlines Clerel & Friends: A Donny Hathaway Tribute at O Patro Vys (June 6), and Montréal’s international Queen of the Blues Dawn Tyler Watson headlines her Jazz Project at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, a free show at Le Studio TD on June 26.
Performers Flo Rida, The Temptations Revue and Max-a-Million headline the 21st edition of Strangers in the Night gourmet charity gala at Complexe Pointe Claire on June 27, benefiting the West Island Women’s Shelter and the Kat Demes Pavilion at the Montréal Children’s Hospital.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the landmark film Hedwig & the Angry Inch adapted from his off-Broadway hit, writer, director and star John Cameron Mitchell will screen a 4K restoration of the 2001 cult movie musical at Théâtre Beanfield on June 30, followed by a live post-screening conversation, audience Q&A and a special acoustic performance, as well as post-show meet-and-greets.
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.
CITY OF FESTIVALS
Montréal hosts many star-studded festivals each spring:
On the 20th anniversary of Montréal being named a UNESCO City of Design, the inaugural Montréal Design Week celebrates design in all its forms — architecture, interior design, makers, shops and creators, emerging and established, from April 28 to May 7.
The 16th edition of the feminist HTMlles festival in media arts and digital culture brings together local artists, scholars and activists passionate about critical engagement with new technologies from feminist perspectives. Runs May 6 to June 7.
The Pouzza Fest punk rock music festival presents 175 bands in different venues from May 15 to 17. Headliners include Buzzcocks and The Planet Smashers.
The 15th edition of the Montreal Comic Arts Festival runs from May 15 to 17.
PorchfestNDG is a popular way to discover local musicians as they perform on neighbourhood front porches on May 16 and 17.
Piknic Électronik runs at Parc Jean-Drapeau from May 17 to October 18. The outdoor festival books the world’s top house and techno DJs all summer long.
The Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada runs May 22 to 24. Click here for all you need to know about the race and all Grand Prix festivities. Then click here for the storied history of auto racing in Montréal.
A festival of contemporary dance and theatre, the star-studded 20th edition of the internationally-acclaimed Festival TransAmériques presents some 25 shows from May 28 to June 10. Click here for full festival programming.
The bilingual St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival returns June 1 to 21 when 500 artists from some 90 producing companies present more than 800 indoor theatre performances at this year’s 36th edition. The OFF Fringe runs concurrently from June 3 to June 21.
The 26th edition of the Suoni Per II Popolo music festival runs throughout June.
The world’s top graffiti artists paint buildings along Saint-Laurent Boulevard during the 14th edition of MURAL public art festival which runs June 4 to 14.
The 37th edition of Les Francos de Montréal runs June 12 to 20. Click here for concert info.
The 46th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal runs June 25 to July 4. Click here for all performing artists and concerts.
Click here for a full listing of Montréal spring and summer festivals.
THEATRE
The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts presents a new Canadian musical from Michael Rubinoff, original producer of Come From Away: Grow is an irreverent and moving tale that follows two sheltered Amish sisters whose journey of self-discovery takes root in the most unexpected place: a cannabis dispensary. Runs May 24 to June 14.
Festival TransAmériques
A festival of contemporary dance and theatre, the star-studded 20th edition of the internationally-acclaimed Festival TransAmériques presents some 25 shows from May 28 to June 10. Click here for full festival programming.
Montréal Fringe Festival
After a record-breaking 2025 edition, the bilingual St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival returns June 1 to 21 when 500 artists from some 90 producing companies present more than 800 indoor performances at this year’s 36th edition. The OFF Fringe runs concurrently from June 3 to June 21.
The Fringe celebrates diversity, accessibility and artistic freedom and remains one of the most affordable entertainment options in town with 100% of the ticket price returned to the performing artists.
Outdoor free programming at the hugely popular Fringe Park – located at Parc des Ameriques, corner Rachel and St-Laurent – features live bands, as well as the festival’s marquee event Drag Race on June 20, featuring professional drag stars versus a bevy of Fringe fest beauties in a knock-down Battle Royale of skill-testing obstacles!
Outdoor free programming at the hugely popular Fringe Park – located at Parc des Ameriques, corner Rachel and St-Laurent – features live bands, as well as the festival’s marquee event Drag Race on June 20, featuring professional drag stars versus a bevy of Fringe fest beauties in a knock-down Battle Royale of skill-testing obstacles!
Broadway Across Canada and evenko present smash hit touring productions at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. Their 2026 Broadway season includes Moulin Rouge! The Musical (June 9 to 14) and the triumphant return of Disney’s THE LION KING for a whopping 24 performances (August 19 to September 6).
Click here for more English theatre in Montréal.
Click here for French-language theatre in Montréal.
DANCE
The prestigious Danse Danse series presents their season finale Hamlet, Prince du Danemark by Ex Machina (a.k.a. theatre maker and director Robert Lepage) and Côté Danse (a.k.a. choreographer and principal dancer Guillaume Côté) at Salle Ludger-Duvernay in the Monument-National (May 13 to 23).
To close their season, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens presents Alice in Wonderland, choreographer André Santos very first creation for Les Grands Ballets, in a boldly neo-classical style. With Les Grands Ballets Orchestra. Runs June 3 to 6 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
In the Wilder Building, Agora de la danse spring programming includes Miel by LA TRESSE, returning to the Agora for a third time (May 7 to 9).
Click here for all Agora de la danse programming.
Founded in 1999 in the Plateau-Mont-Royal, the multi-disciplinary programming of “The MAI” (Montréal, arts interculturels) promotes hybrid and innovative practices in dance, theatre, visual arts, speech arts, performance. Dance-related highlights include the inter-disciplinary Carbon Movements (May 13 to 16), and Entre-Deux (June 3 to 6).
After three years of intensive training, graduating students of the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal will be featured in Les danses de mai, opus 2026, under the direction of Lisa Davies. The 2026 cohort will present two works: Henri Michaux : Mouvements by Compagnie Marie Chouinard, and Noetic, by Geneva-based choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Runs May 20 to 23 at Tangente in the Wilder Building.
CLASSICAL STAGE
Some Orchestre symphonique de Montréal highlights this spring:
Swiss-Ecuadorian guitar duo Hermanos Gutiérrez performing with the OSM for three concerts (May 6 and 7), and the season-finale 70-minute symphonic fresco Wagner and the Legend of the Ring with pianist Yefim Bronfman (May 27). All OSM concerts presented at the Maison Symphonique at Place des Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles.
The Orchestre Métropolitain presents Grieg, Nordic Sun conducted by Lina González-Granados (May 23), and Grammy-winning OM Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin closes the season with Songs of Hope (June 14). All OM concerts presented at the Maison Symphonique at Place des Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles.
Founded in 1939, Canada’s renowned Orchestre Classique de Montréal presents their season-closing concert Viva Vivaldi: Four Seasons and Gloria at the Maison Symphonique (May 30).
Under the direction of conductor Francis Choinière, the Orchestre Philharmonique et Chœur des Mélomanes with the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal choir and many superb soloists – including legendary tenor John Mac Master as the Emperor Altoum – perform a concert version of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot at the Maison Symphonique (May 9 and 10).
The 31st edition of the star-studded Montreal Chamber Music Festival presents 16 concerts at Bourgie Hall and the Maison symphonique. Click here for concert info. Runs June 9 to 21.
Over at Bourgie Hall, Les Violons du Roy presents Souvenir de Florence with conductor Andrei Feher (May 15), and Les Violons du Roy in Rome, from Corelli to Nino Rota with contralto Rose Naggar-Tremblay (June 5).
Click here for the full Bourgie Hall program.
MUSEUMS
The superb exhibition Richard Avedon: Immortal. Portraits of Aging, 1951-2004 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts presents some 100 portraits of public figures like Duke Ellington, Patti Smith, Jean Renoir, and William Burroughs, that capture the universal experience of aging. Avedon highlighted our infirmities, wrinkles, crow’s feet, folds of skin, liver spots — visible markers of what he called “the avalanche of age.” While no celebrity eludes Avedon’s unsparing eye, his empathy for his subjects in these B&W photos is palpable. None of us escape age. Runs to August 9.
The Torlonia Collection: Masterpieces of Roman Sculpture exhibition at the MMFA displays 58 life-like marble sculptures: Roman statues, busts, and sarcophagi; stunning bas-reliefs; mythological creatures; and striking portraits of gods and goddesses, emperors – including Marcus Aurelius, Hadrian and Commodus – and their wives. Runs to July 19.
Click here for more Montréal museum exhibitions.
Montréal’s Studio Shaman presents the virtual reality experience ROME, In Caesar’s Footsteps at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, transporting audiences back 2,000 years to the assassination of Julius Caesar. A free-roam VR adventure, visitors explore a meticulously reconstructed Rome: Caesar’s private gardens, the Forum Romanum, the Curia of Pompey where the Senate vote takes place, military camps in Gaul, and the Circus Maximus. With hand-tracking motion capture, participants interact naturally with scenes—voting by raising their hands, handling objects, and influencing key moments. Two different endings are possible depending on the choices made along the journey. Runs to June 28.
Click here for more Montréal immersive exhibitions.
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
Sesame Street Live presents Elmo's Got The Moves at Théâtre Maisonneuve on May 24.
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 Montréal Science Centre’s IMAX cinema screens films for all ages.
CIRCUS ARTS
Specializing in contemporary circus, La TOHU presents the National Circus School Graduating Students Show showcasing young NCS 2026 cohort circus artists before they join professional circus companies. Runs May 29 to June 7.
After its record-breaking Montréal run drew more than 300,000 spectators in 2023, Cirque du Soleil brings back ECHO under the Big Top at the Old Port of Montréal from May 23 to June 28. Click here for tickets.
CINÉMA
The Filmharmonique Orchestra and jazz band present the live concert-film experience La La Land at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on May 16 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (English with French subtitles).
The world premiere of Montréal film producer Lori Braun’s documentary Prophet Of Ecstasy will be held over two days, May 23 at Cinéma du Musee and May 24 at Concordia University’s Sir George Williams Auditorium with special guests and panel discussions. Prophet Of Ecstasy tells the stranger-than-fiction story of how MDMA became the club drug of the century and its 30-year fight for decriminalization and the science of the drug as a tool in mental health care.
Created with the blessing of the iconic rock band, Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon screens under the starry dome of the Planétarium on Fridays and Saturdays until June 21. This show merges the original musical score with spectacular visuals of the solar system and immersive effects in a surround-sound environment.
The Cinéma du Musée presents Surrealist Saturdays until July 7. The series features cult classics and essential films of the genre such as Blue Velvet (July 4 and 7). Click here for the full line-up.
The Cinéma du Musée presents enraCINÉ until July 11. The series explores the intersections of migration, identity, artistic practice, and cinema. Ten artists from immigrant and Indigenous backgrounds each select a film that has profoundly shaped their understanding of identity, belonging, and cultural continuity. Click here for the full line-up.
The new PARC AT MIDNIGHT cycle (May 1 to June 28) 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 film schedule.
The Montreal Cinéclub Film Society screens classic movies at various venues every second week. Click here for the full program.
L’AMOUR À MINUIT is a non-profit Cinéma L’Amour screening series of cult classics that raises funds to restore and maintain the iconic century-old theatre that was built in 1914. Click here for the full program.
Queer Cinema Club Montréal presents monthly screenings at the Cinéma du Parc.
The IMAX cinema at the Montréal Science Centre in the Old Port screens films for all ages.
LITERATURE
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 author H. Nigel Thomas launches his eighth novel And Then Again Begin at the UNIA Hall in Little Burgundy on May 7 beginning at 6:30 p.m. There will be a Q&A with Thomas by 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize laureate Chanel Sutherland.
The inaugural Lire Queer Reader Fest is a grassroots initiative uniting Montreal’s vibrant book clubs for a celebration of queer literature at various venues and bookstores. Clubs will read works in English, French and Spanish. All readers (including allies) are welcome. Runs May 14 to 24.
DRAG SHOWS
Montreal’s LGBTQ Village hosts its inaugural outdoor Grand Festival National de Drag de Montréal starring a who’s who of local drag stars. Runs May 15 to 17 on Saint Catherine Street in the Village, between Champlain & Alexandre-deSève. Click here for info.
Acadian drag legend and Canada’s Drag Race finalist Sami Landri headlines Le Sami Party at Club Soda on May 14.
Celebrated Montréal impersonator Jimmy Moore headlines his Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour show (May 22 and 23) and Lady Gaga: The Mayhem Ball Tour (May 29) at the Le Studio TD.
Montréal drag superstar Rita Baga hosts her Cabaret Caf’Conc’ variety show at the iconic Caf’Conc’ (short for Café Concert) at the Montréal Marriott Chateau Champlain Hotel. Click here for upcoming shows.
Montréal is one of the drag capitals of the world. Located in The Village, drag icon Mado Lamotte’s Cabaret Mado and the 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.
French-Canadian comedy icon Mike Ward headlines French-language shows at the Bell Centre (May 29 and 30).
One of Australia’s most successful comedy acts, Sooshi Mango comedy trio bring their world tour to the Olympia Theatre on May 17.
Known as a comic’s comic, out comedy legend Jessica Kirson headlines the Olympia Theatre on May 23.
Canadian comic Tom Green brings his Stompin’ Comedy Tour to Théâtre Beanfield on June 13.
Comedy Central superstar Daniel Tosh headlines the Olympia Theatre on June 28.
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.
Support local, national and international comics at Montréal’s legendary The Comedy Nest nightclub located in the historic Montréal Forum. Click here for full programming.
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.