Things to do in Montréal this October 2025

October festivals and unmissable events 

As the weather shifts into fall, Montréal festival season doesn’t stop: fall festivals and other major events celebrate artistry, culture, food and the city itself. Throughout the city, car-free pedestrian streets are the place to be for outdoor festivals, dining, shopping and socializing. Also explore the many free things to do this fall, which range from outdoor performances to cultural festivals.

The Festival du nouveau cinéma de Montréal entertains from October 8 to 19, screening over 200 features and short films from around the globe, plus panel discussions, workshops, tech-focused events, a children’s program and parties. 

October gets digital with two events: first HUB Montréal, which from October 20 to 22 presents music, digital arts, film, video games, multimedia, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and second: MTL connect: Montreal Digital Week, which from October 28 to 31 brings an opportunity for entrepreneurs, researchers, decision-makers, industry players and artists to exchange and collab at its downtown event.

Electronic dance music takes over Parc Jean-Drapeau every weekend until October 12 at Piknic Éléctronik, when the whole family can spend the day dancing, eating from food trucks and generally basking in the sun. Speaking of family-friendly activities, head to SOS Labyrinthe in the Old Port to swing from the rafters — literally! The adventure sports site also puts on special activities throughout the season, including the popular Blackout nights every Thursday.

At historic Marché Bonsecours, see global events, hidden corners of the world and more through a photojournalism lens at the Expo World Press Photo Montréal, on until October 13. And the Annual Montreal Gem & Mineral Show shimmers, shines and rocks at the Palais des congrès de Montréal from October 24 to 26.

For the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend (from October 11 to 13) or any time this month, enjoy local harvest season activities, seasonal food and more at public markets like Jean-Talon Market and Atwater Market — or try apple picking in and around Montréal at several locations, including at Verger Labonté, where you can also find your way through a corn maze and play games. 

An autumn must, visit the Gardens of Light lantern installation by night at the Botanical Garden, which also hosts Halloween Shivers and harvest activities all month.

There’s more Halloween fun in Montréal with thematic events and parties at month’s end, including Château Ramezay’s annual family event Pick a Peck of Pumpkins event, and the interactive cult film experience The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball, which screens the original 1975 film at the historic Cinéma Impérial downtown throughout the end of October. Dress up, sing along and do the time warp again!

TO GET AROUND TOWN

To get where you’re going hassle-free, public transportation is the way to go. The STM has special offers on fares and a handy tool to plan your trip quickly and efficiently. You can also download the Transit and Chrono apps for up-to-the minute bus schedules. 

Fall attractions and tours

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.

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.

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 you’ll find 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. Or boost your adrenaline while zipping over the water on the MTL Zipline, or on North America’s tallest urban bungee cord at Montréal Bungee.

Explore the river on boat tours before the cold season with Navark, Croisières AML, Bateau-Mouche, and Petit Navire. 

Downtown, visit the Esplanade Place Ville Marie, where the massive art installation The Ring glimmers above you. Or take a break for entertainment and a snack at the Esplanade Tranquille café 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: grab a fall jacket 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 two- or three-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 2025 MURAL Festival. For an electric bike tour of the murals, look to Fitz Montréal — their comfortable cycling tours cover anything from downtown Montréal to Jean-Talon Market. To enjoy Montréal after dark, head out on the Montréal by Night Loop on GrayLine’s double decker bus! Enjoy the ambiance and watch as the city’s most vibrant districts come to life after dusk.

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’ top lunch spots, 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. 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 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 35 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.

Fall sports and games

For skateboarders, the Vans Skatepark on the Olympic Park Esplanade is the place to be — it’s also where you can try rock climbing at Nomad Bloc, and kids can play on the inflatable games of Îlots76. And, not quite a sport but definitely an adrenaline booster, La Ronde amusement park offers roller-coaster thrills under the sun until the weather gets cold — and don’t forget the Halloween specials!

It all goes down at the Bell Centre on October 9, when the Montréal Canadiens kick off the regular NHL season. See the whole month’s schedule here!

Cheer on the CF Montréal soccer team at home at the Saputo Stadium throughout the month, the Roses MTL female soccer team at various locations, the Montréal Alliance basketball team at various locations and the Montréal Alouettes football team at the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. You can also catch the Royal de Montréal team compete in the Ultimate Frisbee Association games at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard. If you can’t make the games in person, watch all the 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? 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. Head to the Casino de Montréal to play on life-size arcade games at their ARcade by Moment Factory gaming experience: a fusion of multimedia and video game technology in two play areas that pits teams against each other in six interactive games. Each game combines motion-detection, projection technologies and videogame mechanics. 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. 

Savour the glorious fall-time sunshine with a visit to Montréal’s parks, including the stunning Jardin du Monastère at the Musée des Hospitalières, where you can get guided tours of the garden and participate in activities. Plus, it’s at the foot of Mount Royal Park.

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.

Fall into the shops

Shop for some sweater-weather 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, Aritzia, 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. 

Onstage in October

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 October, Mozart’s Don Giovanni opera, the brand new production by Opéra de Montréal presented at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier until October 5. The music’s timelessness is on full display in this maelstrom of tragedy and dark comedy, seduction and self-destruction.

Also in opera, catch the Stella Musica Festival on October 17 at Cinquième Salle, back for a spectacular 10th edition. Under the artistic leadership of pianist Katarzyna Musiał, the evening showcasing women's talent in music will feature exceptional artists including Les Voix Boréales, Fuego Flamenco and Élisabeth St-Gelais.

At Gésu on October 17, see a talent show that gives back more than entertainment: the Carabet de la Seconde Chance promotes the social and community reintegration of individuals who have been involved with the justice system through the arts. Come enjoy and support this cool initiative! 

Starting on October 22 at the Segal Centre, Cult Play is a captivating solo performance featuring Alex, who recounts her encounter with a magnetic woman who draws her into a world as thrilling as it is unsettling. Let the play draw you into the awkward space between desire and manipulation, belonging and betrayal. 

At the Centaur Theatre, see the results of the theatre’s inaugural Indigenous Artist Residency: Stone and Bone Spectacular is a playful and profound look at the history of Tioh’tià:ke featuring dancing beavers, stone-lifting stunts, and long-lost lovers. Catch it from October 15 to 26.

On October 25 don’t missZantray 2025 at Cinquième Salle: organized as part of Creole Month, the immersive musical theater night features music, poems, dances and video projections that altogether will retrace the life of Queen Anacaona, an indigenous figure who features in Creole lore.

Dance-wise, catch a monumental work by choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Ihsane: a stunning piece featuring some 20 performers from the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, a vocal duo and an instrumental ensemble. It’s presented at Théâtre Maisonneuve from October 1 to 4.

On October 16, New York’s famous all-male ballerina (bellerino?) troupe, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (aka the Trocks), returns with a wickedly funny new program including excerpts from Swan Lake, The Dying Swan and Paquita. It happens at Théâtre Maisonneuve.

From October 22 to 25 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, enjoy Snow White and the Ballet, as the visionary choreographer Étienne Béchard skillfully combines classical and contemporary dance to offer a fresh interpretation of the famous Brothers Grimm tale.

Onscreen in October

The Festival du nouveau cinéma de Montréal promises to entertain film buffs from October 8 to 19, screening over 200 features and short films from around the globe, plus panel discussions, workshops, tech-focused events, a children’s program and parties. 

Film lovers who enjoy classical music will love this orchestral film soundtrack concert at Place des Arts, especially themed for spook season: on October 30 it’s a night themed around the Isle of the Dead at the OSM, and on Halloween itself, catch The Phantom of the Opera, both at Maison Symphonique.

The Montréal Science Centre’s IMAX cinema puts nature on the giant screen in all its glory — this month you can see the incredible T. REX 3D: Greatest of all Tyrants throughout October, where you can discover the most gripping and scientifically accurate portrait ever made of this titan and its formidable carnivorous cousins.

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).

Explore the city through cinema in these Hollywood movies made in Montréal.

Live music in October

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, music shines throughout October with Daniel Lanois on October 5, Alireza Ghorbani on October 10, Gipsy Kings on October 11, David Myers playing Genesis songs on the piano on October 25, Catherine Major and Jeff Moran on October 27, Foreigner with special guest 54.40 on October 27, the Rumours of Fleetwood Mac tribute band on October 28, Sarah McLachlan’s Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th Anniversary Tour on October 29 and 30, Luce Dufault, Lulu Hughes and Kim Richardson on October 29, and a night of jazz by female composers on October 30.

For classical music lovers, the month offers everything from Salebarbes meets the OSM from September 30 to October 2, to an Indigenous Mosaic featuring St-Gelais, Montour & Derksen on October 5, to Mahler’s Swan Song on October 15 and 16 — see the full Place des Arts programming here.

At the Bell Centre this month, catch Shawn Mendes with Eddie Benjamin on October 1, MANÁ on October 3, Bryan Adams with The Sheepdogs on October 8, Mumford & Sons

with Michael Kiwanuka on October 17 and GIMS on October 24.

You’ll find all sorts of fun music shows at MTELUS, including Max McNown on October 1, Brutalismus 3000 on October 2, Elbow on October 3, Noah Cyrus on October 4, 2Hollis on October 6, Bladee on October 11, Aminé on October 12, Gogo Penguin on October 15, Jonathan Roy on October 16, Ilan Bluestone on October 18, Yung Lean on October 21, Ariane Moffat on October 23, MXPX on October 25 and Little Big on October 27.

The world’s best EDM artists come to New City Gas to get you moving. See the full programming here.

Want to experience music and entertainment in a sparkling, velvet-clad theatre? Look no further than Caf’Conc. Find the programming here.

At the SAT this month, don’t miss Joe Kay on October 11 and Autechre Live on October 24. See the full programming here.

At Théâtre Fairmount in Mile End, catch Signs of the Swarm on October 2, Skinshape on October 3, Biscits on October 4, Madball + Strife + Integrity on October 8, Psychostick on October 9, Sainte Vie on October 11, Model/Actriz on October 15, Sofia Isella on October 17, Ezra Furman on October 20, Black Pistol Fire on October 21, Smerz on October 22, Emily Catalano on October 23, Balu Brigada on October 27, IAMX on October 29 and Honestav on October 30.

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 venuesCasa 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.