Things to do in Montréal this May 2025
Spring The city
With festivals dedicated to arts and culture, science, drinks and food, there’s no shortage of things to do in May in Montréal. Soak up the splendour of (nearly) summer weather by dancing in the sun, cheers at the inaugural Montréal Cocktail Fest, go for a celebratory Mother’s Day brunch or try out new flavour combinations during Pizza Week. There’s circus, theatre, dance and opera… and no shortage of live music to entertain all month long.
Welcome to Montréal!
To enjoy the best the city has to offer during your stay in May, please don't think of yourself as a tourist, but as one of us. Whether you're here for a few days, a few weeks or a few years, we're counting on you to enjoy Montréal in a spirit of respect, responsibility and celebration!
Unmissable May events
Spring has undoubtedly sprung, with the city burgeoning with possibility and blooming with excitement. Soak up the sweet weather in Montréal’s beautiful neighbourhoods, newly opened terrasses or enjoy a celebration of the richness of Japanese culture in the city with Japan Week, returning with new activities and events from May 1 to 11.
Expect the unexpected at Festival TransAmériques, presenting innovative world-class theatre, dance and performance art on the city’s main stages and outdoors starting on May 22. At the same time, see even more live performances at the OFFTA festival, from May 23 to June 1!
Get a taste of Montréal’s cocktail scene at the inaugural edition of the Montréal Cocktail Fest, bringing together a stellar lineup of mixology mavens, award-winning bars and exclusive cocktail dinner experiences. It happens from May 18 to 22. Cheers!
Take a deep dive into history during the Festival d’Histoire de Montréal, held at 14 different Montreal museums from May 9 to 11.
Summer starts early at Piknic Électronik, where the world’s biggest electronic music producers and the greatest local talents get crowds dancing at Parc Jean-Drapeau every weekend beginning on May 17 with Armin Van Buuren.
A conference that seems like a festival, C2MTL welcomes all-star speakers and thousands of attendees from May 20 to 22.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival is set to surprise you with new theatre, dance and comedy shows —plus a free outdoor stage in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood — all starting on May 26.
For kids of all ages who love science, Eureka! Festival presents hands-on activities and demos on May 31 and June 1 in Parc Jean-Drapeau. The year’s theme: creativity!
Dance to the beat of the Fuego Fuego Latin music festival on May 24 and 25, with Nicky Jam, Wisin, Danny Ocean and so many more artists.
The Montréal Comic Arts Festival brings Québec artists and their art to Saint-Denis Street between Gilford and Roy, with free activities for all ages, from May 23 to 25.
Springtime attractions & tours
The easiest way to visit dozens of Montréal attractions, museums and more at a discount is by getting your own key to the city: Passeport MTL, whose special spring edition will help you experience the best of the magical season.
Find out what to do every day in Montréal (and throughout the province) on the Vitrine website, or in person at their office at 2 Sainte-Catherine Street East in the heart of Place des Festivals. From plays to concerts to dance shows and beyond, it’s your go-to resource for cultural goings-on.
We hope you make yourself at home in Montréal’s incredible hotels — there’s an accommodation option for everyone, from landmark hotels to family friendly hotels and boutique hotels galore.
In Old Montréal, walk the cobblestone streets to the St. Lawrence River and visit the iconic Notre-Dame Basilica — see the gorgeous multimedia AURA Experience, a wonderful way to feel the grandeur of this landmark.
Downtown holds one of the city’s most lovely churches, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, where you can admire the beautiful stained glass during services or during the regular organ concerts.
In the Old Port of Montréal, after snapping a selfie or three at the glimmering BONJOUR structure, see views of the city and the river from the Grand Quay of the Port of Montréal, where you’ll find a cruise ship dock, marine history displays, green spaces and a stunning attraction: the Port of Montréal Tower. Nearby, treat yourself to bird’s-eye views on La Grande Roue de Montréal observation wheel, where the four-season cabins are always the perfect temperature.
Visit the esplanade of Place Ville Marie, where the massive art installation The Ring glimmers above you. Or take a break for entertainment and a snack at Esplanade Tranquille at the corner of Clark and Sainte-Catherine Street.
One of the best ways to discover the city is with expert guides on Montréal tours: bundle up and set your own agenda with private walking tours at your own pace. See the city like a local with MTL Detours, take a day trip outside the city with N-Tours, call upon the experts at Guidatours, or take yourself on self-guided audio tours thanks to TourBird. For an unparalleled taste of the city, savour one of the expert 2 or 3 hour walking tours given by Local Montréal Food Tours — they range from Mile End to Old Montréal.
If you’re wondering why Montréal has so many colourful murals, hear more about them and their artists on a street art tour with Spade & Palacio, including the most recent murals from the last MURAL Festival. For an electric bike tour of the murals (weather permitting), look to Fitz Montréal — their comfortable cycling tours cover anything from downtown Montréal to Jean-Talon Market.
You can also devise your own self-guided art tour (or follow one of their expertly curated ones) thanks to Art Public Montréal, a fountain of information on Montréal’s hundreds of public artworks that are viewable for free year-round. Explore their selection of podcasts, too, for the inside scoop.
Les Promenades de Jane is back in Montréal from May 2 to 4 — it’s a fantastic way to discover new neighbourhoods in the city. This international event, organised in more than 500 cities around the world, offers some 40 walks around Greater Montréal this year, all led by local citizens and organisations along themes ranging from history to architecture, heritage, urban agriculture, social struggles and much more.
May foodie musts
Montreal’s many food festivals happen throughout the year. This month, don’t miss Pizza Week from May 1 to 10, when many of the city’s pizza joints and other restaurants create signature pizzas — remember to vote for the one you like best!
In the mood for a tipple? Head to the 9th edition of La Semaine du cidre, happening from 1 to 11 May. Cider enthusiasts can (re)discover Quebec cider with everything from guided tastings to food and cider pairings — plus 250 SAQ branches will be showcasing different ciders for the duration.
Get a taste of Montréal’s cocktail scene at the inaugural edition of the Montréal Cocktail Fest, bringing together a stellar lineup of mixology mavens, award-winning bars and exclusive cocktail dinner experiences. It happens from May 18 to 22. Cheers!
The Québec tradition of sugar shack season extends into the beginning of May. For a real Québécois experience, visit some of the best sugar shacks in and around Montréal.
Treat your mum like the queen she is on Mother’s Day this year, whether it’s with the classical Sunday brunch experience — so many Montréal restaurants are going the extra mile this May 11 — or a pinkies-up afternoon tea.
To fill up on fresh produce and local goods, explore the city’s beautiful public markets, including Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy and Atwater Market in Saint-Henri. Montréal’s smallest market, the Public Market of Lachine, in the southwest, also offers a great selection of products year-round to go with its quaint design.
Le vin dans les voiles is a natural, organic and biodynamic wine agency based in Montréal that offers fascinating wine tasting and educational events. Peruse the calendar here. The workshops happen in French, but hey — wine is a universal language!
Indulge in more incredible food at Montréal’s variety of restaurants, where there’s always something new and exciting to nosh on. Discover Montréal’s newest restaurants and buvettes, and don’t miss a classic Montréal brunch, whether you’re looking for elegance or comfort food. For some crowdsourced favourites, try Montréalers’ favourite lunch restaurants, from Old Montréal and downtown to Villeray or the South-West. Get a taste of long-time Quebec classics like smoked meat, poutine and Montréal bagels and keep on ticking the boxes on your must-eat list with these other musts for foodies in Montréal.
Explore superb restaurants and cafés along Beaubien Street in the Rosemont-La-Petit-Patrie neighbourhood (also where you’ll find Little Italy).
Stop for a bite at the beautiful COMMODORE in Hôtel HONEYROSE downtown, or clink oyster shells in your own private holiday seafood celebration at Maestro SVP in the Plateau.
Downtown, explore the wide variety of excellent meals at gourmet food halls including Time Out Market, Marché Artisans, Le Cathcart and Le Central — or venture out to the de la Savane metro station to explore Le Fou Fou in the huge and tawny Royalmount mall.
Get your caffeine fix at Montréal’s indie coffee shops — and why not snag some fresh-baked doughnuts to go with it! Add more sweetness to your life at Montréal’s best bakeries and pastry shops, best chocolate shops and candy shops.
Eat plant-based with our ultimate guide to vegan eating in Montréal or join the debate over who makes the best pizza in Montréal — or the best tacos. Warm up with authentic Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho.
By night, discover the city’s 31 top cocktail bars, inventive Montréal microbreweries and late-night eats. Or mix Montréalesque cocktails at home with gin, vodka, rum and more specialty spirits from these Montréal specialty alcohol and spirit makers.
May is also an excellent month to have dinner and see a show at the Casino de Montréal: live music and cabaret shows will entertain you and your date while you enjoy incredible seafood and more on the grill at Le Montréal, a gourmet buffet at Pavillon 67, and quick delicious eats at L’Instant.
Spring sports and games
UFC
Montréal Alliance
The Bell Centre is also welcoming UFC 315 on May 10, the first time in a decade that the MMA giant has been to Montréal. Watch a stellar main card that will pit middleweights Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena, plus fantastic flyweights Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot.
Don’t miss the Montréal Alliance’s Eclipse, a basketball game under the stars! It happens on May 23 starting at 8 pm, when the IGA Stadium will trade its tennis nets for basketball hoops as the Montréal Alliance hosts the first professional outdoor basketball game in Canadian history.
If you can’t make the games in person, watch all the hockey, soccer, football, basketball, MMA and more at Montréal’s sports bars.
The Grand Chelem Baseball Centre, located downtown, invites you to step up to the plate: whether you’re an elite player or a casual hitter, Grand Chelem offers baseball and softball training for all levels and any age.
Wanna play games? Head to the Centre Eaton de Montréal where the PLAYBOX Centre has a game for everyone, from internationally renowned crane games to arcade games, skill games and VR attractions. Super Super at DIX30 in Brossard is another super lively, family-friendly option, while Royalmount has a very fun arcade at The Rec Room, next to the Cineplex cinema, where you can duke it out in VR games and more before munching burgers or nachos (with accompanying cocktails, for parents) at the onsite eateries. Montréal loves exploring the retro side of play with its selection of arcades.
Montréal Bowling is the perfect spot downtown to play a few rounds of bowling, play some pool, watch some sports, play some arcade games and grab some great snacks and cocktails.
Get swinging with a foray into the circus arts (since Montréal is a bona fide capital of circus) at the Montréal Circus Academy, where you can learn flying trapeze, pole fitness, exotic pole dance, aerial silks, aerial hammock, straps, handstands, flexibility and more.
If you’re feeling more artsy, Art Chaos is a fantastic family- or group-friendly activity in Mile End, where you can paint crazy creations on rapidly spinning canvases, for a truly interactive experience. And while you’re in the neighbourhood, stop into 3 Wizards Shop on Avenue du Parc — it offers an immersive foray into the magical world of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts sagas, with a selection of official products. You can take your quidditch to the next level.
Savour the rising temperature of spring with a visit to Montréal’s parks. At the Espace pour la vie museums, enjoy the Montréal Botanical Garden’s sprawling tropical greenhouse environments or its slowly burgeoning outdoor space. Experience several wild ecosystems at the Biodôme (there are penguins, otters, monkeys and more), explore the mysteries of the universe at the Planétarium, and learn about the thousands of butterflies, moths and other insects at the Insectarium.
The West Island’s Ecomuseum Zoo is a wonderful place to glimpse local wildlife in their natural outdoor habitats — and you can even have breakfast with some of them throughout the month of May.
Among the many free things to do this season, see incredible city views from Mount Royal Park: head for a walk through the park and up the stairs to the lookout or bus or drive up to Beaver Lake. Stroll (or bike) around Parc La Fontaine, go to St-Michel’s Parc Frédéric-Back, or cross the river to Parc Jean-Drapeau for a riverside walk and a different view of the city. While there, visit the Espace pour la vie Biosphère too, for environment-focused exhibitions and more.
For the ultimate relaxation session after a day of trekking (or just because you deserve it), visit Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau, a unique spa in a moored boat on the St. Lawrence River in the Old Port, and other world-class spas like Scandinave Spa Vieux-Montréal, Avie Spa & Coiffure, Rainspa and Strøm Nordic Spa.
May shopping
Shop for some new springtime style staples in Old Montréal’s boutiques, downtown along Sainte-Catherine Street and in the Underground City malls. The Centre Eaton de Montréal and Place Montréal Trust are full of the latest looks from the hottest shops, including Uniqlo, Nike, Aritza, Decathlon and many more boutiques (and remember to ask for a VIP Visitor Card at Guest Services for exclusive discounts only for tourists).
Keep your eye out for items made by Montréal designers, relaxing self-care staples and plenty of sparkly goods from the coolest Montréal jewellery stores.
Find foodstuffs from local artisans as well as imported delicacies at Montréal’s public markets, and shop local and eco-friendly at the most fabulous vintage boutiques in the city. Pick out the perfect new books for friends and family from Montréal’s bookstores, and dive into a wide world of music at Montréal’s excellent vinyl stores.
Forgot to pick up souvenirs? Fear not, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) has got you covered. The focus on local goods in both the domestic and the international zones range from foods to goods, including scarves and bags from m0851, yoga gear from Lolë and novels by local authors. Start your foray at Découvrir Montréal.
May art and exhibitions
Springtime is in hyperdrive in museums and galleries around town, so get the full low-down in our seasonal exhibition overview.
Until May 25, celebrate 20 years of excellence in puppetry at the Galerie d’art d’Outremont. GAUDEŌ! is a festive exhibition of puppets, sets and designs that have marked the last 20 years of the popular Festival des Casteliers puppetry festival.
Explore the art of globally acclaimed, Montréal-based artist Jana Sterbak in the admirably curated solo exhibition Corpus Insolite, happing throughout May and beyond at the Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. Throughout her career, Sterbak has explored power, desire and the fragility of existence in works that often incorporate unconventional materials, so this pairing of her work with objects from the hospital museum’s own collection is particularly prescient and playful.
At PHI, experience the story of a Quebec filmmaker shaped through music in the exhibition Jean-Marc Vallée: Mixtape, throughout May. With the participation of Marc-André Grondin, Evelyne Brochu, Denis Villeneuve, Reese Witherspoon, Vanessa Paradis, Laura Dern and others, it’s a multimedia journey into the memory and work of the director for whom emotion was a rich territory, lived, felt and expressed through music. While there, also take in Lap-See Lam: Shadow Play and Nico Williams: Bingo.
Visit the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts to enjoy the last days of Heart On, ending on May 4, a career retrospective celebrating the radical art-making of Joyce Weiland, one of the most influential Canadian artists of her time. There’s also Bad Girls Only to see this month, an exhibition of rarely seen works from the museum’s collection of early modern prints and drawings showcasing northern European depictions of “sinful” women.
At the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal in Place Ville Marie, catch the brand new exhibition Skyscrapers by the Roots, running throughout the month. It explores the long life of late modernism in the field of architecture by bringing together a series of works created over the last decade by Shannon Bool, Kapwani Kiwanga, Rachel Rose and Jonathan Schouela, a new film installation by David Hartt, as well as works by Lynne Cohen and François Dallegret produced in the 1960s and 1970s.
Go to Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex in Old Montréal to board the good ship D’Iberville to embark on an immersive and interactive seafaring adventure taking place in the days of New France, with their permanent exhibition Come Aboard! Pirates or Privateers?
You’ll also be near the kid-friendly Montréal Science Centre, where you can explore interactive exhibitions that investigate the scientific world, like the permanent exhibition Human: a voyage to the very heart of human evolution through a fully interactive and highly energetic environment.
The McCord Stewart Museum bridges past and present in its exhibitions, which throughout the month of May include Costume Balls: Dressing Up History, a fun and eye-popping show featuring outfits from extravagant costume balls and skating carnivals that were the pinnacle of society entertainments at the turn of the 19th century, as well as Little Burgundy, the latest in the Evolving Montréal series, presented by guest artist Andrew Jackson. The most recent photography exhibition, Pounding the Pavement, is a fascinating look at the history of street photography in Montréal. Featuring over 400 photographs, the exhibition explores different facets of the street: as a public arena, a site of protest, an assertion of collective identity, an architectural environment, a setting for local culture, or simply a place where things — sometimes incredible things — happen.
Visit MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises, a cutting-edge museum dedicated to the voices of Montrealers presiding over the corner of Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Sainte-Catherine.
Not far from the city, climb aboard railway cars, learn about the history of the railroad and explore miniature railways at the Exporail the Canadian Railway Museum.
Travel back in time as you tour the rooms of Château Ramezay and visit historical site Château Dufresne near the Olympic Stadium. The Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal marks the bicentennial of Mount Royal Park’s creator, architect Frederick Law Olmsted with the exhibition Our Mountain: Memories of Mount Royal.
Discover the vivid history and present of Québec ceramics at the Musée des métiers d’arts du Québec. And for another slice of Québec history, visit Montréal’s stunning churches and sacred sites.
Experience a massive immersive art experience in surround-sound and laser light at OASIS Immersion, where Weightlessness will lift you up and give you a unique and transportive sensory refuge. You can also dive headfirst into the work of Van Gogh or see Root for Nature, which extrapolates on biodiversity in all its splendour.
And don’t forget Montréal’s plethora of small, independent art galleries, from Bradley Ertaskiran to Hugues Charbonneau, Galerie B-312, SBC Gallery and Ellephant downtown, Oboro and MAI in the Plateau, Centre Clark and Dazibao in Mile End, Galerie d’Outremont in Outremont and many, many others in every neighbourhood.
Onstage in May
Starting May 15, LUZIA, the new show by Cirque du Soleil, takes us into the heart of a dreamlike Mexico, where light and rain blend in a poetic and acrobatic ode to the richness of its culture. Inspired by the country, this show dazzles us with the splendor of its landscapes, monumental architecture, and the indomitable spirit of its people.
Montréal’s cultural calendar is packed this season, with entertainment for everyone on the city’s many stages. Among the world-class theatre, dance, opera, circus and more gracing the city’s stages throughout May, you’ll find the Festival TransAmériques, presenting innovative world-class theatre, dance and performance art on the city’s main stages and outdoors starting on May 22. Don’t miss OFFTA, too, from May 23 to June 1.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival is set to surprise you with new theatre, dance and comedy shows —plus a free outdoor stage in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood — all starting on May 26.
More theatre awaits at Centaur Theatre, where For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again runs from May 13 to June 1. Enjoy an English translation of this classic Michel Tremblay play that pays loving tribute to his mother.
Continuing until May 18 at Segal Centre, Our Little Secret is a musical about the hilarious, moving and completely true story of Noam Tomaschoff’s discovery that he wasn’t an only child… he actually had more than 35 siblings around the world.
On May 11 at Théâtre Maisonneuve, experience the wonder of authentic Chinese traditions at Zhong Yi 2025, featuring the talents of almost 70 artists in dance, costume, live music and vocal performances.
Catch the Opéra de Montréal’s latest masterwork from May 10 to 20: La Bohème by Puccini takes over Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
For dance: running until May 3 at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Portuguese choreographer Marco da Silva Ferreira — the new darling of the European dance scene — presents his most ambitious work, Carcaça, celebrating the contemporary body with phenomenal intensity.
At Cinquième Salle at Place des Arts, from May 22 to 25, Shiraz is a dance show by Iranian-born choreographer Armin Hokmi that features six performers in conversation via minimal gestures and fluid movement, all performed with slowness and subtlety.
At the stunning Caf’Conc’, resplendent with 1920s theatric glamour, see some of the country’s (even the world’s!) best drag with Le Rita Bagga Supperclub, on May 8 or May 22.
Onscreen in May
Ad fans out there won’t want to skip The Night of the AdEaters at Théâtre Maisonneuve: a compilation of the best ads from around the world, selected for their originality and ability to captivate the audience. Funny, touching and creative ads from all corners of the globe will be shown starting at 8 pm on May 10.
The Montréal Science Centre’s IMAX cinema puts nature on the giant screen in all its glory — this month you can see the incredible Australia 3D: The Wild Continent throughout May, where you can discover flora and fauna that have evolved in splendid isolation, explore ancient landscapes sculpted by great geological forces, and learn from traditional custodians of the land.
See independent features, family films, documentaries and more at Montréal’s indie cinemas including Cinéma Moderne, Cinéma du Parc, Cinéma du Musée at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, and the iconic Cinémathèque québécoise in the Quartier des Spectacles (the city’s entertainment district).
From April 30 to May 4, don’t miss the Festival des films du Japon à Montréal, happening at Caf’Conc’, a gorgeous place to soak up some onscreen culture.
Explore the city through cinema in these Hollywood movies made in Montréal.
Live music in May
We’ve got the perfect overview of Montréal’s big, can’t-miss concerts in 2025 so you can plan your highlights of the year.
At Place des Arts this month, classical music shines throughout May with concerts featuring composers ranging from Ravel to Vivaldi to Rachmaninoff to Verdi, and well beyond. See the full program here. Special mention goes to the return of local heroes Halfmoon Run at Maison Symphonique from May 13 to 15, in collaboration with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal for an amazing pop/classical mash-up.
At the Bell Centre this month, catch Shakira on May 20 and Barry Manilow on May 30, I what is touted to be the legend’s last ever concert in Montréal.
You’ll find all sorts of fun music shows at MTELUS, including Solid Pink Disco with DJ Trixie (of Drag Race fame) on May 2, Virtual Riot on May 3, Nils Frahm on May 10 and 11, Devin Townsend on May 13, Alessia Cara on May 14, SDM on May 15 and 16, Ministry on May 17, Tom Odell on May 19, Rainbow Kitten Surprise on May 20 and 21, Peter Hook and the Light on May 22, Dylan Gossett on May 23, The Kooks on May 27, James Bay on May 28 and Rampage on May 31. See full schedule here.
The world’s best EDM artists come to New City Gas to get you moving, which in May includes CamelPhat with RIVO and Laura Scavo on May 16, Austin Millz on May 24 and Markus Schulz with Daxson, PUSH and Elias Erium on May 31.
At the SAT on May 1, don’t miss the SUBSTRAT sound series featuring IRL, Bénédicte, Michael Gary Dean and Freddy Speer. Darude plays on May 9, Blawan on May 10 and Klangkarussell on May 24.
Groove to live soul, disco, jazz, funk, salsa, Cuban music Fridays and more at Le Balcon, where you can have dinner with a show, go dancing, and enjoy a gospel brunch on weekends.
Hear live jazz nightly at Montréal’s amazing jazz and blues clubs, like Diese Onze and Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill. And go out dancing late into the night at Montréal’s dance clubs.
Indie venues Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa have chock-a-block full monthly programs featuring both local and visiting bands, which you can find here. Look here for the many live events at hole-in-the-wall Barfly. Same for Bar Le Ritz PDB, where there’s a show nearly every night. Explore the lineups at Le Ministère and Turbo Haüs, and follow L’Escogriffe on Facebook to stay on top of all their upcoming shows. L’Hémisphère Gauche, up in Little Italy, is packed with music lovers for their nightly shows, as is Quai des Brumes on the Plateau — it never takes a night off.
Isa Tousignant
Isa Tousignant is an editor and storyteller with a curiosity that runs deeper than most. She has chatted life philosophies with celebrity chefs, gemologists, arena rockers and furries. (All were transformative.) Her favourite things include discovering new flavours and celebrating the creativity that defines her hometown, Montréal.