Things to do in November 2023
This article was published on October 26, 2023.
Montréal trades warm days for cozy fall activities, delicious seasonal meals and world-class entertainment this November. Outdoors, watch the seasons change in the parks and see parades and public art turn city streets and building facades into a canvas. Restaurant festival MTLàTABLE delivers new flavour combinations and culinary classics. No less than three international film festivals bring the world to Montréal screens. The NHL hockey season continues to thrill fans. And Montréal’s fall cultural calendar keeps everyone entertained from morning to late at night with theatre, circus, dance, museum exhibitions, art and all kinds of live music.
Welcome to Montréal!
To enjoy the best the city has to offer during your stay in November, 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! Here's an article on our “Promise for a sustainable stay” detailing how you can enjoy your stay.
November festivals & major events
Montreal’s fall festivals and other major events celebrate artistry, culture, food and the city itself this November! Downtown’s Quartiers des spectacles transforms for its 20th anniversary: until November 12, see multimedia creation Vibrer ensemble, 20 ans d'expériences mémorables and video projection 20 ans d'audace et de culture onto the façade of UQAM's Pavillon Président-Kennedy. Later in November the area shines bright with the incredible interactive art of Luminothérapie. And the annual Santa Claus Parade brings holiday cheer to downtown Montréal along Sainte-Catherine Street on November 25, some of many free things to do this fall!
Festivals continue to entertain downtown and throughout the city. A flagship event of Montréal’s culinary scene, MTLàTABLE – also known as Tourisme Montréal’s restaurant week returns for an 11th edition from November 3 to 19. Discover dishes from around the world, bring your own wine restaurants, vegetarian delights, delectable desserts, date-night destinations and more. See the MTLàTABLE event website for all the events and participating restaurants.
November is the perfect time to cozy up at the cinema at film festivals. Start with an international buffet of French-language films (with English subtitles), conferences and more at the CINEMANIA film festival from November 1 to 12. Then take deep dives into real-world subjects at the Montréal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), with over 150 new documentaries from around the world, from November 15 to 26. And Canada’s first LGBTQ+ film festival Image+Nation continues into its 36th edition with over 100 features, docs and short films from around the world, from November 16 to 26.
The Arab World Festival delights with music, dance, art, film and more from October 28 to November 11 at Place des Arts and other major venues. World music festival Mundial Montréal showcases the best in new global music at several great local venues from November 14 to 17. And urban music festival M for Montréal is back in person and virtually from November 15 to 18. And the Bach Festival presents more than 30 concerts featuring hundreds of incredible musicians, singers and conductors from November 17 to December 3.
Discover Montréal’s literary community at the Salon du Livre, featuring author readings, roundtable discussions and plenty of books for sale, from November 22 to 26 at Palais des congrès de Montréal. As well, the Read Quebec Book Fair celebrates Québec’s English-language publishers and writers, with special guests, film screenings, panels, workshops and book publishers and sellers on November 3 and 4 at the Concordia McConnell Building Atrium.
Enjoy local harvest season activities, seasonal food and more at public markets like Jean-Talon Market and Atwater Market. The first weekend in November marks the end of apple picking in and around Montréal – try Verger Labonté, where you can also find your way through a corn maze and play new maze game Pomanji on November 4 and 5. For more activities for all ages, read our Montreal cultural guide for children and teens. And scroll down to our music section for all the live music in Montréal in November.
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Sights & adventures in Old Montréal
There’s so much to do in the Old Port of Montréal, from walking along cobblestone streets to sight seeing to river boating. Before heading down to the Saint Lawrence River, visit Notre-Dame Basilica (one of Montréal’s most famous icons) – inside, wow at the Gothic Revival architecture and see gorgeous multimedia show AURA. By nightfall, the projections of Cité Mémoire illuminate history on Old Montréal building facades.
See views of the city and the river from Montréal’s Grand Quay, where you’ll find a cruise ship dock, marine history displays, green spaces and two new attractions: the Port of Montreal Tower and the BONJOUR structure, a perfectly oriented photo op! Nearby, treat yourself to bird’s-eye views in the climate-controlled pods of La Grande Roue de Montréal Observation Wheel. Explore the river on beautiful boat tours even in early November with Croisières AML. Or boost your adrenaline while zipping over the water on the MTL Zipline.
Space Explorers: The Infinite is a VR experience of life onboard the international space station. Family entertainment abounds at the Montréal Science Centre, where kids will love hands-on exhibitions like Inspiring Nature, Inspired Techno – Biomimicry and Transport and incredible IMAX film Animal Kingdom 3D: A Tale of Six Families and Into Nature’s Wild 3D at the IMAX®TELUS Theatre, plus the new Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Exhibition.
November sports & gaming
The Montréal Canadiens NHL season continues in full force this month – see the Habs in action at the Bell Centre as they play Tampa Bay Lightning on November 7, Boston Bruins on November 11, Vancouver Canucks on November 12, Calgary Flames on November 14, Vegas Golden Knights on November 16 and Florida Panthers on November 30.
Intense games and a preview of prospective NBA talent make the NCAA - Northern Classic a must for basketball fans – watch eight Division 1 NCAA basketball teams face off on November 24, 25 and 26 at Place Bell. If you can’t be at the games, watch hockey, soccer, football and other sports at Montréal’s sports bars.
Downtown sights & sounds
Explore the Quartier des spectacles on a luminous pathway of video projections and lighting installations, including on the esplanade of Place des Arts, where you’ll see Montréal’s cultural institutions in a new light in Insitu, a visual poem projected on the facade of Maison symphonique. Inside Place des Arts – this year celebrating its 60th anniversary – experience the artistry of Michel Lemieux of 4D ART and Édouard Lock in exhibition New Media Pioneers.
On the Esplanade Place Ville Marie by night let massive art installation The Ring wow you. Or take a break at Esplanade Tranquille at the corner of Clark and Sainte-Catherine Street, where you might see a pop-up performance this month. Nearby in the LGBTQ+ Village, see amazing Montréal drag shows at Cabaret Mado and Bar Le Cocktail.
For a quick bite to eat downtown, you’ll find a variety of great food at gourmet food halls, including Time Out Market, Marché Artisans, Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten and Le Central - Manger Montréal. Have a meal on Restaurant Bivouac’s terrace, where you’ll also be treated to a magnificent view of downtown Montréal, or try the new rooftop piano-bar-terrace Le Marie-Louise at Espace Saint-Denis with views of the Quartier Latin. Or head to Chinatown for noodles, dumplings and so much more.
City tours and pop-up events
Discover the city with expert guides on Montréal tours. Set your own agenda with private walking tours at your own pace. See the city like a local with MTL Detours. Take a free walking tour of the Quartier des spectacles to explore the heart of downtown – and even go on a tasting tour of the Latin Quarter.
If you’re wondering about why Montréal has so many colourful murals, hear more about them and their artists on a street art tour with Spade & Palacio, including new murals from this year’s Mural Festival and others, like the brand new mural tribute to artist Françoise Sullivan at 1281 rue Saint-Christophe. Tour Montréal sights or take a day trip outside the city with N-Tours. Or take yourself on self-guided audio tours thanks to TourBird.
Even in November, Montréal is a bike-friendly city with hundreds of kilometres of bike paths, many of them open year-round. See the sights, ride through the parks and explore neighbourhoods at your own pace – rent a bike or bring your own to bicycle around the city, take a bike tour, or simply get from A to B (and back again) on a BIXI shared bike – available until mid-November when winterized bikes join the fleet for year-round use in several neighbourhoods.
Nature & relaxation
Among the many free things to do this fall, visit Montréal's parks, green spaces and cultivated gardens to experience an abundance of nature in the city. In early November, catch the finale of gorgeous fall colours while looking out on incredible city views in Mount Royal Park: take a walk through the park and up the stairs to the lookout, bus or drive up to Beaver Lake, or go on a guided discovery walk on the mountain. And at the foot of the Mountain, take a guided tour of the Cité-des-Hospitalières monastery garden, the only way to see this longtime-secret garden.
Another picturesque sight, Parc La Fontaine in the Plateau neighbourhood is perfect for taking a stroll after shopping, a bike ride, or after a great meal and entertainment on Mont-Royal Avenue, St. Denis Street or Rachel Street. Cross the river to Parc Jean-Drapeau for a riverside walk and a view of Old Montréal – while there visit the Space for Life Biosphère’s environment exhibitions. Take a tour of Montréal parks on your own or with a tour guide like Héritage Montréal.
There’s much to see and do for all ages at the Space for Life museums. Stroll the Montréal Botanical Garden grounds and tropical greenhouse. Experience several wild ecosystems at the Biodôme, where you’ll see penguins, otters and more animals of all kinds. Explore the mysteries of the universe in immersive films and exhibitions at the Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan. And learn about butterflies, moths and other insects at the Insectarium. See local wildlife in their natural habitats at the Ecomuseum Zoo. Visit dozens of Montréal attractions, museums and more at a discount with the MTL Passeport MTL!
For ultimate relaxation any time of the day, visit Bota Bota, spa sur l’eau on the Saint-Lawrence River in the Old Port and other world-class spas like Scandinave Spa Vieux-Montréal, Avie Spa & Coiffure, Rainspa and Strøm Nordic Spa.
Local food and drink
Along with all the culinary delights of MTLàTABLE from November 3 to 19 – see the MTLàTABLE event website for all the events and participating restaurants – discover even more seasonal dishes at the city’s restaurants throughout harvest season in Montréal. See what Montréal’s newest restaurants are cooking up or grab a seat for a light meal at the city’s “buvettes.” Whether you stayed up way too late or are up early, don’t miss a classic Montréal brunch any day of the week! Also try some of Montréalers’ favourite lunch restaurants, from Old Montréal and downtown to Villeray or the South-West, and favourite French restaurants.
Among the many restaurants to check out, stop for a bite at newly reopened Café Constance in Place des Festivals, have a meal with a view at Muze lounge & terrace in Hôtel HONEYROSE downtown, and eat well at globally inspired Azalea restaurant and seafood specialists Maestro SVP in the Plateau. It’s also an excellent time to have dinner and see a show at the Casino de Montréal: live music and cabaret shows entertain while incredible seafood and more is on the grill at Le Montréal, there’s a gourmet buffet at Pavillon 67, and quick delicious eats at L’Instant.
Get your caffeine fix at Montréal's indie coffee shops – and fresh-baked doughnuts to go with it! Add more sweetness to your life with creations from Montréal's best bakeries and pastry shops, best chocolate shops and candy shops. By night, discover Montréal’s hottest new bars, award-winning bars, the city’s 30 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. Explore restaurants and cafés along Beaubien Street in the Rosemont-La-Petit-Patrie neighbourhood (also where you’ll find Little Italy and some of Montréal’s best Italian restaurants). And downtown, enjoy dinner and a show at restaurant-cabaret Le Balcon.
Dig into Quebec classics like smoked meat, poutine and Montréal bagels – and discover more classics with these retro places to stay, eat and drink. And check all the boxes on your “must-eat list” with these musts for foodies in Montréal. Warm up with Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho. Eat the best of plant-based food with our ultimate guide to vegan eating in Montréal. And join the debate over who makes the best pizza or tacos in Montréal!
Shopping in Montréal
Go shopping for gifts, wardrobe staples and dinner-party glam in Old Montréal’s boutiques, downtown along Sainte-Catherine Street and in the underground city malls – discover the latest styles at Montréal Eaton Center and Place Montréal Trust, 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). Head further into Old Montréal and to the Plateau and Mile End for unique boutique finds: keep your eye out for items made by Montréal designers, relaxing self-care staples and plenty of home decor.
Start your holiday shopping early at Montréal’s unique holiday markets and craft fairs, starting in November, including contemporary housewares, furniture, fashion and more at SOUK in a new location in Mile Ex from November 29 to December 3, traditional and local creations at The Great Christmas Market from November 25 to December 30 and much more.
Add sparkle to your life at the coolest Montréal jewelry stores. 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.
November art exhibitions
Montréal’s cultural calendar features excellence and entertainment in the city’s museums and art galleries. At the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, new exhibition Marisol: A Retrospective dives into the art and life of the groundbreaking multidisciplinary artist who was famed for her edgy work and her role in New York’s art scene. Another must-see: recent paintings by Françoise Sullivan in new exhibition I let rhythms flow dedicated to the famed Québec artist. Also catch exhibition The Pop of Life! Pop Art in the Collection of the MMFA, showcasing iconic works of Pop art from the Museum’s collection. Meanwhile, abstract paintings come to life on the museum’s facade in outdoor “videographic weaving” exhibition Pixels, Petit Point and Monument by artist Nathalie Bujold.
The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal presents exhibition Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot’s Russia, based on the artistic protests of the Russian feminist punk art collective – Pussy Riot presents RIOT DAYS, a multimedia activist experience on November 1 at Rialto Theatre. Also see Cyprien Gaillard’s 3D film Nightlife (screening at Cinémathèque québécoise until November 5). At home, explore immersive online exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything, a recreation of the MAC’s monumental show.
At the Phi Foundation, see new exhibition JOUEZ/PLAY by Rirkrit Tiravanija – the influential artist encourages visitors to become active participants in the artistic experience and experiments with illusory speculation and technological integrations. At Arsenal art contemporain in the Little Burgundy neighbourhood, see Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition, exploring the history of the famed Parisian cathedral. And the Biennale Transnationale Noire advances a Black transnational community of artists, authors, musicians, activists and others, from November 11 to December 22 at Art-Mûr gallery.
Also see new exhibitions at Bradley Ertaskiran in the neighbourhood of St. Henri, Darling Foundry and 1700 La Poste in Old Montréal, Hugues Charbonneau, Patel Brown, Galerie B-312, SBC Gallery, McBride Contemporain and Ellephant downtown, as well as Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain, Oboro, MAI in the Plateau, Centre Clark and Dazibao in Mile End, Art Mûr in La Petite-Patrie, and many, many other amazing art galleries in every neighbourhood. Find out more in our Montréal guide to gallery hopping and these affordable places to buy contemporary art. And hunt for public art everywhere in the city!
Passeport MTL
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Digital & VR immersive experiences
Montreal is a hub for thought-provoking digital art throughout the year. Experience what it’s like to be on board the international space station in VR in Space Explorers: The Infinite, created by Montréal company Felix & Paul, continuing throughout the year. For more award-winning digital art and VR go to the Phi Centre for multisensory exhibition Sex, Desire and Data, a unique deep dive into the complex mapping of our sexualities as they merge with technology. Also at the Phi Centre, tune out the noise inside listening room Habitat Sonore, including deep listening events like Jon Hopkins' Music For Psychedelic Therapy from November 16 to 20.
A massive immersive art experience in surround sound and laser light, Oasis Immersion takes over the ground floor of Palais des congrès, with the quirkiness of Sweet Folie and the return of immersive experience VAN GOGH - Distorsion. Under the 360-degree, surround-sound SAT dome, lose yourself in audiovisual experience Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon, celebrating the album’s 50th anniversary, or enter the psychedelic landscape of Recombination, created by fractal artist Julius Horthuis. And the newest addition that must be experienced to be believed, the Museum of Illusions Montréal has us questioning our perceptions, located at 54 Rue Saint-Antoine O. in Old Montréal.
November at the museum
Among the Montréal museum exhibitions this season, go to Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex in Old Montréal to learn about not only the city’s history but cultures from around the world: learn about why Montreal’s river-based location was so important in exhibition St. Lawrence River, Echoes from the Shores; follow the story of Montréal through historic objects in Favourites! Our Collections on Display; and kids of all ages can step into history in interactive exhibition Come Aboard! Pirates or Privateers?
The McCord Stewart Museum bridges past and present in its exhibitions. See exhibition Mother Memory Cellophane by Séamus Gallagher; Becoming Montreal: The 1800s Painted by Duncan, artist James Duncan’s documentation of the city’s development from 1830 to 1880 alongside artist Iregular’s AI-powered digital reinterpretation of the paintings; Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience; and new exhibition Wampum: Beads Of Diplomacy featuring over 40 wampum belts that have traded hands for over two centuries. And starting November 24, annual exhibition Enchanted Worlds, mechanical Christmas displays from the historic Ogilvy department store.
Visit brand new museum MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises, dedicated to the voices of Montrealers, located in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles at the corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Sainte-Catherine Street. At the Canadian Centre for Architecture, see Visibly Iroquoian, an installation by interdisciplinary performing artist Ange Loft, Far from Nostalgia: The Letters of Amancio Williams, dedicated to one of the key figures of modern architecture in Latin America, The Lives of Documents—Photography as Project, and archives exhibition File Under: Law and Policy.
Travel back in time as you tour the rooms of Château Ramezay and visit historical site Chateau Dufresne near the Olympic Stadium, currently featuring works by artist Guido Nincheri. The Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal marks the bicentennial of Mount Royal Park’s creator, architect Frederick Law Olmsted with exhibition Our Mountain: Memories of Mount Royal.
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. Take a historic walking tour of Jewish Montréal with the Museum of Jewish Montréal, and learn more about Montréal’s Jewish culture, food and more. Explore the Afromuseum, representing the contributions of Afro-Canadians to the cultural landscape of Canada. 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.
On stage in November
World-class theatre, dance, opera, circus and more grace the city’s stages throughout November. See Cirque Éloize’s exciting and moving signature circus, storytelling and music show Entre Ciel et Mer from November 16 to 18 at Place des Arts. La TOHU presents circus show White Gold by Cambodian troupe Phare Circus, acrobatic feats that tell a tale of balancing the modern world, community and Buddhist teachings, from November 22 to December 1. Experience Indigenous culture through music, visual art, poetry, food and craft at the Micro Ouvert Autochtone 2023, free on November 11 and 12 at Place des Arts’ Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme.
In Montréal theatre, see the award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, the inspiring true story of King’s journey from teenage songwriter to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, from October 15 to November 5 at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts. Also at the Segal, through story and song Jake Epstein bares his soul and shares his dreams of success in showbiz tell-all Boy Falls From The Sky, from November 19 to December 10.
Centaur Theatre features playwright Drew Hayden Taylor’s alterNatives, a comedy of manners set at a dinner party that shines a light on the cultural divides between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, from October 17 to November 5. Also at the Centaur, Infinithéâtre presents Extra/Beautiful/U, a play that questions the quest for beauty in identity, from November 30 to December 9. Imago Theatre presents the world premiere of The Retreat, a funny and provocative play that explores mental wellness through the lens of absurdity, from November 2 to 6 at Bain Mathieu. And Festithéâtrecréole celebrates Creole languages and cultures with theatre and more, including the play Psychoschizo on November 3.
In contemporary dance, Danse Danse presents Jungle Book Reimagined by the always exceptional Akram Khan Company, reframing Mowgli’s journey through the eyes of a young climate refugee, at Theatre Maisonneuve from November 1 to 4. Danse Danse also presents dancer-choreographer Anne Plamondon’s Myokine performed by a septet at Cinquieme Salle from November 14 to 18, as well as Assembly Hall, a new Kidd Pivot production by choreographer Crystal Pite and playwright Jonathon Young, from November 29 to Decemberb2. At nearby Agora de la danse in the Wilder Building, choreographer Katia-Marie Germain’s Mascarades features six women dancers in a work inspired by the codes of cinema and painting, from November 15 to 18.
Montréal, arts interculturels celebrates its 25th season this year – in November, see Creatrix, a theatrical dance duet between Mona El Husseini and her mother, Hala Farahat, abstracting the Egyptian Baladi dance, from November 29 to December 2. At Théâtre La Chapelle, Danse-Cité presents The Beach and Other Stories by Maria Kefirova from November 16 to 19, and more this month. A Royal Opera of Madrid production, Authentic Flamenco headlines the Rialto Theatre from November 10 to December 2.
Drag queen Rita Baga headlines MTELUS with her Créature show on November 22. The Jinx & DeLa Holiday Show starring RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar alum BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon headlines the Olympia on November 23 and 24. Australian comedy sensation Josh Thomas headlines Club Soda on November 26. Legendary comic superstars Steve Martin and Martin Short co-headline their You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today! show at Place des Arts on November 30. And Rush frontman Geddy Lee is in conversation about his biography My Effin' Life on November 21 at Place des Arts.
On screen in November
Film festivals rule the Montréal screens in November this month, from international French-language films (with English subtitles) at CINEMANIA from November 1 to 12, to Montréal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) from November 15 to 26, to Canada’s first LGBTQ+ film festival Image+Nation from November 16 to 26.
Experience family-friendly cinematic shows on the domed screens of the Planétarium de Montréal, including Starmap to the Unseen Universe, Celestial Chronicles, Worlds Beyond Earth and more for all ages. The Montréal Science Centre’s IMAX cinema puts nature on the giant screen in all its glory – this month see the incredible Animal Kingdom 3D: A Tale of Six Families and Into Nature’s Wild 3D.
See independent features, family films, documentaries and more at Cinéma Moderne. Discover new art house films and more from Montréal indie cinemas' programming at Cinéma du Parc (including late-night cult classics at Parc at Midnight screenings), Cinéma du Musée at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, and the iconic Cinémathèque québécoise in the Quartier des spectacles. Explore the city through cinema in these Hollywood movies made in Montréal. And see the art world in a whole new light thanks to the International Festival of Films on Art year-round ART FILM program.
Classical music in November
The 17th edition of the classical music Montréal Bach Festival runs from November 17 to December 3, featuring more than 30 concerts, including an opening concert conducted by Reinhard Goebel with the Orchestre du Festival Bach Montréal and pianist Schaghajegh Nosrati at the Maison Symphonique on November 17.
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal performs with organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez and trumpeter Lucienne Renaudin Vary in a concert of works ranging from Baroque to jazz on November 2 at Maison symphonique. Conductor Christoph Eschenbach joins the OSM in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 on November 8 and 9 at Maison symphonique. The OSM also presents cellist Alisa Weilerstein in FRAGMENTS, combining lighting effects, theatrical sets and Bach on November 10. Inspired by the album Histoires sans paroles - Harmonium symphonique, the OSM under conductor Dina Gilbert perform High Mass at the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church from November 16 to 18. And conductor Rafael Payare and pianist Javier Perianes lead the OSM in concert A South American Voyage on November 22 and 23 at Maison symphonique.
The Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeur des Mélomanes performs Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and more on November 4 at Maison symphonique. The Orchestre Classique de Montréal presents Astor Piazzolla’s tango opera María de Buenos Aires at Pierre-Mercure Hall with mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah and baritone Clarence Frazer on November 23.
Elim Chan conducts the Orchestre Métropolitain in One Thousand and One Drums at the Maison Symphonique on November 3. Grammy-winning Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts OM concert Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 in The Leningrad Symphony at the Maison Symphonique on November 18. And for something different, the OM pairs with a Montréal drag legend in concert Barbada & the Musicians of the OM, presenting musical tales for children on November 12 at Bourgie Hall.
Throughout the month, talented ensembles and soloists make Bourgie Hall at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts a must-visit: among the highlights this month, see …. And, after fire at the historic Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur, their free concert series returns this season at the Canadian Center for Architecture.
The Maison des marins de Montréal and the Foyer Maritime are delighted to present Un Noël Chantant avec Schubert, performed by Les Chanteurs de Lorraine and their musical ensemble. The festive evening will take place on December 4 at the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours.
More live music in November
From festival stages to the city’s classic venues, any time of year there’s plenty of live music in Montréal, with music festivals like Mundial Montreal along with many can’t-miss concerts. Pop diva P!nk plays two nights at the Bell Centre on November 1 and 2, followed by 80s New Wave icons Depeche Mode on November 3, The 1975 on November 17, Kiss on November 18 and Tool on November 19 – and Queen of Christmas and music icon Mariah Carey celebrates the holiday season with her "Merry Christmas One And All" show on November 29 at the Bell Centre. Meanwhile at MTELUS, The Cat Empire plays back to back shows on November 2 and 3. Blonde Redhead plays Studio TD on November 2, followed by Dan Mangan on November 3.
Montréaler Gino Vannelli presents new arrangements of his songs with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Québec at the Maison Symphonique on November 5. American singer-songwriter LP is at Place Bell on November 5. Ivorian roots-reggae superstar Tiken Jah Fakoly comes to MTELUS on November 8. Don’t miss incredible Canadian Indigenous musician and classically trained tenor Jeremy Dutcher at the Beanfield Theatre on November 9. Singer-songwriter Hannah Georgas impresses at Petit Campus on November 10.
French rapper Ninho plays Place Bell on November 11. A live music experience like no other, Choir! Choir! Choir! performs at Beanfield Theatre on November 12. Big Wreck is at the Beanfield Theatre on November 18. Montréal welcomes Portugal. The Man on November 19 at MTELUS. English soprano Sarah Brightman performs at Place Bell on November 21. Montréal musician Bobby Bazini plays Théâtre Maisonneuve on November 24. At the Phi Centre, see soulful Montreal singer-songwriter Hanorah on November 11 and R&B pop artist La Force on November 22, and an immersive performance by electronic producer Fred Everything on November 30.
Check out Stomp Records 28th anniversary all-star concert parties at Foufounes Électriques with Planet Smashers on November 24, The Creepshow on November 25 and more. More local stars come to Club Soda on November 24 for glam rock tribute concert Bang A Gong Montreal, with Dawn Tyler Watson, Shane Murphy, Paul Cargnello, Howard Bilerman, TJ Plenty (Asexuals) and Jason Bajada. See these shows and more co-presented by Evenko, Greenland, Blue Skies Turn Black, I Love Neon, and other show promoters at venues citywide, including Fairmount Theatre, Corona Theatre, Bar Le Ritz PDB, Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa, L’Escogriffe and elsewhere throughout the month.
Dance to electronic music by major international and local producers at Newspeak, New City Gas, Stereo and other dance music venues in the city. Groove to live Motown, soul, disco, jazz, salsa, Cuban music and more at Le Balcon, where you can have dinner with a show, go dancing, and enjoy a gospel brunch on weekends. The Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal presents a tribute to Wayne Shorter on November 8 at Place des Arts. 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.
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.
Robyn Fadden
Robyn Fadden was a Montréal-based writer and editor known for her curiosity, creativity and love for uncovering the hidden gems of the city. For over a decade, Robyn collaborated with Tourisme Montréal, bringing her vibrant voice and rich knowledge to stories about art, music, and local culture. Robyn had also covered major events for HOUR, MUTEK, ARTINFO, CKUT 90.3FM, and more. She passed away in September 2024, and while she will be deeply missed, her work will continue to inspire.