A complete guide to the best festivals of Montreal, season by season

The best festivals and events in Montreal will show you a city that runs on a four-season cycle and treats culture like a contact sport—intense, joyful, and wildly participatory. It's one of the best things to do in Montreal: You only need to take one look below to see that Montreal doesn’t really do downtime—OK, maybe a bit in the winter, but even then you can catch us dancing to techno in snowsuits.

Winter doesn’t freeze the calendar, it kicks it off. Spring doesn’t thaw things out, it ramps things up. And by the time summer hits, the streets are basically one long block party with better lighting as the best terrasses at the best bars fill up. As for fall, well, it's just a generally perfect time in the city.

This guide is your guide to the best Montreal has to offer—music, art, food from the best restaurants, film, parades, and everything in between—organized by season so you can plan (or stumble into) something great no matter the month.

Some of these are household names; others are word-of-mouth legends. All of them are worth showing up for.

The best festivals in Montreal during spring

Plural Contemporary Art Fair (April 11 to 13, 2025)

Every spring, Plural brings Canada’s contemporary art world under one roof—and invites the public in. Hosted by the Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC), this annual fair is Quebec’s largest gathering of galleries, artists, collectors, and curious onlookers looking to see (and sometimes buy) what’s next in visual art.

The vibe lands somewhere between museum show and creative marketplace: polished but not precious, serious but far from stiff. Dozens of galleries from across the country present fresh work by emerging and established artists, with everything from large-scale installations to more accessible pieces ready to take home.

Blue Metropolis (April 14 to 27, 2025)

Montreal’s Blue Metropolis Festival is one of North America’s largest and most diverse literary gatherings. Since 1999, it has brought together writers, poets, and storytellers from around the world, celebrating literature in multiple languages. The festival goes beyond book launches and readings—expect lively discussions, masterclasses, translation slams, and thought-provoking panels. With a focus on cultural diversity, social inclusion, and the power of words, Blue Met fosters a meeting ground for authors and readers alike. Whether you’re a casual book lover or a dedicated bibliophile, this festival offers a deep dive into the written word in all its forms.

Montreal Cocktail Fest (May 18 to 21, 2025)

Montreal Cocktail Fest is a four-day deep dive into global cocktail culture, where some of the best bartenders on the planet take over the city’s top bars. Expect international guest shifts, chef-driven pairing dinners, late-night parties, rare spirits, and seminars that get into the craft, culture, and future of the drink.

Founded by local heavyweights Kevin Demers and Gregory J. Buda, MCF is built for both industry pros and passionate amateurs. You’ll find free pop-ups at places like The Coldroom, Atwater Cocktail Club, and Bisou Bisou, while seminars at the PHI Centre feature names like Monica Berg, Jason Littrell, and Kevin Kos. Dinners pair award-winning chefs with bartenders for one-night-only menus, and parties range from themed bowling nights to blowouts with bars from Mexico City, Paris, and beyond.

BALCONFÊTE NDG / Porchfest NDG (May)

Take one neighbourhood, add a few dozen porches, mix in local talent, and you’ve got one of Montreal’s most charming DIY music festivals. Porchfest NDG—also known as Balconfête—is a grassroots celebration that turns Notre-Dame-de-Grâce into an open-air concert hall for one weekend every spring.

It’s a self-guided walking tour of the neighbourhood, with jazz, bluegrass, indie rock, funk, and acoustic sets spilling out from balconies, stoops, and front lawns. The vibe is casual, hyper-local, and refreshingly unplugged—no fences, no wristbands, just music and neighbours doing their thing. Every show is free, every performance volunteer-driven, and the architecture of NDG itself becomes part of the stage.

Festival TransAmériques (May 22 to June 5, 2025)

For two weeks every spring, Festival TransAmériques (FTA) pushes the boundaries of dance and theatre, turning Montreal into a stage for the most innovative and daring performances from around the world. Since its inception in 1985, FTA has been a platform for radical artistic expression, where local and international creators reimagine what live performance can be.

Expect provocative storytelling, immersive choreography, and genre-defying works that challenge conventions and leave audiences inspired, unsettled, and transformed. Whether in intimate black box theatres, sprawling outdoor spaces, or unconventional urban settings, FTA blurs the line between artist and spectator, movement and meaning, tradition and experimentation.

With a history of amplifying marginalized voices, fostering artistic risk-taking, and igniting dialogue, this festival isn’t just about watching—it’s about experiencing theatre and dance as an evolving, necessary force in contemporary culture.

Piknic Électronik (May 23 to October, 2025)

Every Sunday from May to October, Piknic Électronik turns Parc Jean-Drapeau into an open-air dancefloor for electronic music lovers of all stripes. With a lineup that blends big-name DJs and underground favourites, the festival delivers eclectic, high-energy sets in a laid-back, sun-drenched setting. Expect crowds swaying under the trees, food trucks fuelling the party, and a vibe that’s as family-friendly as it is rave-ready. Founded in Montreal, Piknic has since gone global, but its home turf remains a must for anyone looking to dance the weekend away with skyline views and top-tier beats.

FringeMTL (May 26 to June 15, 2025)

Fringe is chaos in the best way possible—a 20-day, no-rules celebration of theatre, comedy, dance, circus acts, and whatever else a performer can dream up. Unlike other festivals, there’s no curating, no gatekeeping, and no guarantees, except for this: every artist gets an equal shot. Shows are chosen by lottery, ticket prices are artist-set, and 100% of the proceeds go back to the performers. It’s DIY culture at its finest, where risks are rewarded and spontaneity is part of the deal.

The festival sprawls across the Plateau, with 800 performances taking over theatres, bars, and backrooms. MainLine Theatre serves as Fringe HQ, but the heart of the fest beats at Fringe Park (Parc des Amériques), where audiences and artists mingle over beers and buzz about must-see shows. Late nights belong to the 13th Hour cabaret and Fringe-After-Dark parties, where the lines between stage and audience blur even further. Whether you’re catching a show at Café Cleopatra, scribbling a Fringe Buzz review, or just watching it all unfold, Montreal Fringe is where weird and wonderful collide.

Eurêka! Festival (May 30 to June 1, 2025)

Every May, Eurêka! Festival transforms Montreal into a massive outdoor science playground. Held at the foot of the Biosphère, it’s Quebec’s biggest science celebration, offering 100+ free interactive activities for all ages. Expect hands-on workshops, mind-blowing experiments, and street performances that make science fun and thrilling. Meet real scientists, dive into cutting-edge tech, and watch theatre and magic collide with discovery. Whether you’re a kid or just a curious mind, Eurêka! proves science is both learned and experienced.

MURAL Festival (June 5 to 15, 2025)

For eleven days each June, Saint-Laurent Boulevard sheds its usual identity and becomes something else entirely—a sprawling, open-air gallery where world-class artists turn blank walls into colossal canvases. The Main pulses with the energy of live mural painting, block parties, and the kind of street-level creativity that feels distinctly Montreal.

MURAL isn’t just about watching paint dry—it’s a full-on cultural takeover. Guided tours dive into the stories behind past and present works, while a stacked lineup of concerts and late-night parties keep the boulevard buzzing long after the spray cans are capped. Whether you’re here to admire the craft, hunt down the best street food, or dance until the streetlights blur, MURAL is where art meets the city in its rawest, most vibrant form.

YATAI MTL (June 5 to 8, 2025)

For one weekend in June, Griffintown channels Tokyo side streets with YATAI MTL, Quebec’s biggest Japanese street market. It’s part food fair, part cultural deep dive, and part block party—with over 25 food stalls, 40 merchants, and enough lanterns, Shiba Inus, and matcha cocktails to convince you you’ve slipped into an anime.

The lineup runs deep: karaage, okonomiyaki, ramen, and taiyaki on the food side; kimono styling, Ghibli piano concerts, Kendo demos, and a City Pop dance night on the culture side. Even the dogs get their moment with a Shiba fashion show. Organized by ASIASIE, the nonprofit behind POCHA MTL and Marché ASIASIE, the festival is more than just a weekend hang—it’s a joyful exchange between Quebec and Japan, built on craft, community, and serious snacking.

Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada (June 13 to 15, 2025)

For one adrenaline-fueled weekend every summer, Montreal transforms into the centre of the racing world. The Canadian Grand Prix is one of Formula 1’s most thrilling circuits, where drivers push their cars to the limit on the legendary Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. With speeds topping 300 km/h, this is F1 at its purest—high stakes, high drama, and a track that’s claimed some of the sport’s biggest names. Beyond the race, the entire city erupts into a massive celebration, from exclusive parties to street festivals. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just here for the spectacle, this is Montreal at full throttle.

Francos de Montréal (June 13 to 25, 2025)

Francos de Montréal kicks off summer with a high-energy celebration of French-language music, drawing over a million spectators to the Quartier des Spectacles. Since 1989, it has showcased the best in francophone hip-hop, rock, pop, folk, electro, and more, with a mix of free outdoor concerts and intimate venue performances.

From emerging talent to global stars, Francos is where music lovers discover fresh sounds and revel in legendary acts. Whether you’re here to dance in the streets, catch a late-night show, or simply soak up the atmosphere, this festival is a loud, proud tribute to the power of francophone music.

Suoni Per Il Popolo (June 19 to 30, 2025)

Now in its 25th year, Suoni Per Il Popolo isn’t just a music festival—it’s a resistance movement with a backbeat. Organized by the Société des Arts Libres et Actuels (SALA), this community-driven celebration of experimental sound turns venues like Casa del Popolo, La Sala Rossa, and La Sotterenea into sanctuaries for the bold, the noisy, and the beautifully unclassifiable.

Free jazz, noise, avant-rock, musique actuelle, outsider folk—you’ll find it all here, often in the same night. The programming is as defiant as it is eclectic, featuring rare appearances from international legends alongside boundary-pushing locals. Workshops and artist talks build bridges between performers and audiences, while a strong focus on accessibility and cultural exchange keeps things grounded in the real world.

Mondial de la bière (June 20 to 22, 2025)

Montreal takes its beer seriously, and the Mondial de la bière is proof. Every June, this international beer festival transforms Windsor Station and the Rio Tinto Courtyard into a playground for beer lovers, featuring hundreds of brews from around the world. As the largest beer festival in North America, it attracts everyone from casual drinkers to seasoned connoisseurs looking for the next great pour.

With tasting stations both indoors and out (all covered in case of rain), expert-led samplings, and a lineup of food vendors, the festival is built for exploration. Each year brings a fresh focus on standout breweries, both local and international, offering limited editions and rare finds. Entry includes a commemorative glass, and tasting credits run on a reloadable card system, keeping things smooth and efficient. Whether you’re here to expand your palate or just enjoy a cold one with friends, Mondial de la bière is where Montreal comes to celebrate the art of brewing.

The best festivals in Montreal during Summer

L'International des Feux Loto-Québec (June 26 to July 31, 2025)

Every summer, Montreal’s night sky becomes the stage for the world’s most spectacular fireworks showdown. L’International des Feux Loto-Québec isn’t just a fireworks display—it’s a high-stakes battle where the world’s top pyrotechnic teams compete for the coveted Gold Jupiter, blending explosive artistry with perfectly timed musical scores. Since 1985, this has been the Olympics of fireworks, drawing over three million spectators and setting off more than 6,000 fireworks per show.

La Ronde’s grandstands offer the best (ticketed) view, complete with booming synchronized sound. For the ultimate free spot, join the crowds on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, which goes pedestrian-only for the occasion. Rooftops, riverside parks, and the Old Port all make for solid vantage points, turning the city itself into an amphitheatre of light and sound. Whether you’re watching from a blanket on the grass or in the middle of a packed bridge, this is summer in Montreal at its most cinematic—loud, bright, and completely unforgettable.

Montreal International Jazz Festival (June 26 to July 5, 2025)

When Montreal throws a jazz festival, it doesn’t do half-measures. Recognized by Guinness World Records as the planet’s largest jazz fest, the Montreal International Jazz Festival's ten-day takeover of the Quartier des Spectacles pulls in two million visitors and some of the best musicians from around the globe. Whether you’re into classic jazz, contemporary fusion, or just looking for an excuse to sip a beer under the open sky, there’s something here for you.

Massive free shows turn downtown into a giant block party, while ticketed concerts bring legends and rising stars into iconic venues. If jazz isn’t your thing, don’t worry—festival organizers always throw in a few big-name headliners from the worlds of rock, soul, and hip-hop. The streets are closed to traffic, the vibe is electric, and the music doesn’t stop until midnight. For a city that thrives on summer festivals, this one sets the bar impossibly high.

Festival International Nuits d’Afrique (July 8 to 20, 2025)

Montreal’s Festival International Nuits d’Afrique is where the city’s summer rhythm meets the beats of Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Since 1987, this two-week celebration has blended electrifying concerts, intimate venue performances, and immersive workshops, all capped off by six days of free outdoor shows in the Quartier des Spectacles.

With over 700 artists from 30+ countries, it’s a full-spectrum experience of sound, dance, and culture. Whether you’re here to discover new artists or lose yourself in the music, Nuits d’Afrique delivers a global soundtrack for Montreal’s summer nights.

Fantasia International Film Festival (July 17 to August 3, 2025)

Fantasia is where film fanatics, horror hounds, and genre geeks converge. Since 1996, this North American mecca for genre cinema has unleashed a wild mix of horror, sci-fi, anime, action, and cult oddities across Montreal’s screens. From underground gems to world premieres, the festival has hosted icons like Guillermo del Toro, John Carpenter, and Mark Hamill.

With hundreds of screenings, industry panels, and the influential Frontières co-production market, Fantasia isn’t just a festival—it’s a proving ground for the next big thing in genre cinema. If you love movies that push boundaries, this is where you want to be.

Chợ Đêm MTL (July 17 to 20, 2025)

Part food festival, part cultural homecoming, Chợ Đêm MTL brings the energy of a Vietnamese night market to the Peel Basin for four days every summer. Expect street food that actually feels like it belongs on the street—grilled skewers, noodle soups, sweet treats, and drinks that hit harder when the sun goes down.

But this isn’t just about eating. Chợ Đêm is a celebration of Vietnamese identity in Quebec, blending flavour with music, performance, and a curated retail space spotlighting local makers and artists. It’s loud, joyful, and built by the community that lives it—not just as a showcase, but as a continuation of something rooted.

POCHA MTL (July 24 to 27, 2025)

Griffintown turns into a slice of Seoul during POCHA MTL, a four-day Korean street food and culture fest that delivers way more than just crispy fried chicken. Set around Hangar 1825, the festival brings together sizzling eats—think kogos, bibimbap, Korean tacos, and dishes from guest chefs flown in from South Korea—with a nonstop soundtrack of K-pop, live DJ sets, and dance performances that keep the energy dialled way up.

Named after Korea’s casual street-side tents (pojangmacha), this open-air market blends food, music, and community in a way that feels loose, local, and loud. It’s part neighbourhood block party, part cultural flex, and 100% delicious.

Fierté Montréal / Montreal Pride (July 31 to August 10, 2025)

Montreal doesn’t just do Pride—it takes over the city. For eleven days, the streets of the Village and beyond transform into a festival of protest, celebration, and community, culminating in a parade that draws over 300,000 people. What started in 2007 as a grassroots response to the loss of Divers/Cité has grown into the largest LGBTQ+ gathering in the francophone world, attracting millions of visitors and a lineup of events that stretches from drag spectaculars to activist panels.

Music, art, and performance spill out onto the streets, but Fierté is as much about visibility as it is about partying. The festival has become a global platform for queer voices, blending high-energy celebrations with serious advocacy. Whether it’s a nightclub takeover, a late-night screening, or a rally for trans rights, the heart of Fierté Montréal is always the same: joy, resistance, and a whole lot of glitter.

Osheaga (August 1 to 3, 2025)

Montreal’s summer festival season peaks with Osheaga, a three-day spectacle at Parc Jean-Drapeau that pulls in some of the biggest names in music—and the kind of crowd that turns the metro ride over into an event of its own. Think of it as Canada’s answer to Coachella, but with less desert dust and more poutine-fuelled stamina. The lineup spans indie, hip-hop, electronic, and pop heavyweights, mixing international headliners with breakout acts and local talent.

Beyond the music, Osheaga doubles as an interactive playground, with large-scale art installations, a food lineup that rivals the city’s best, and a festival-wide game system where attendees can trade points for prizes. VIP upgrades offer shorter lines and a better view, but the real pro move? Mastering the site’s layout to avoid bottlenecks between stages. Whether you’re deep in the pit or lounging in the grass, Osheaga delivers a quintessential Montreal summer experience—one that lingers in your ears long after the last encore.

îLESONIQ (August 9 to 10, 2025)

For two days every August, îLESONIQ transforms Parc Jean-Drapeau into a high-energy playground for electronic music lovers. With massive stages, immersive audiovisuals, and top-tier DJ lineups, this festival is a must for anyone looking to dance from daylight to dusk. Expect pounding bass, vibrant visuals, and a euphoric crowd across three outdoor stages. From EDM to house, techno, trance, and dubstep, global headliners and rising stars bring unstoppable energy to this open-air rave. With gourmet food trucks, interactive experiences, and even a splash zone, îLESONIQ is the ultimate summer send-off for Montreal’s party scene.

LASSO Montréal (August 15 & 16, 2025)

Turns out, country hits different when it’s blasting across an island with the Montreal skyline in the background. LASSO Montréal is the city’s big swing at a full-scale country music fest and cowboy culture—and in just a few short years, it’s already lassoed a loyal crowd. Held at Parc Jean-Drapeau, the two-day event brings chart-toppers, Nashville exports, and homegrown talent together for a weekend of boots, beers, and backbeats.

From pop-country powerhouses to gritty Americana acts, the lineup spans the genre’s many moods. It’s high-energy, radio-friendly, and proudly twangy—without feeling like a novelty. Pre-game warmups kick off with LASSO in the City at MTELUS, but the real party unfolds on the grass, under the open sky.

MUTEK (August 19 to 24, 2025)

Montreal’s MUTEK Festival is where electronic music and digital art collide in a cutting-edge showcase of immersive, boundary-pushing creativity. For over 25 years, this international festival has been a hub for artists and innovators exploring the outer edges of sound, technology, and audiovisual experimentation. With installations, live performances, and forward-thinking collaborations, MUTEK attracts global talent while maintaining deep roots in Montreal’s artistic scene. Whether you’re here for hypnotic beats or mind-expanding visuals, this August gathering is a must for anyone seeking the future of digital culture, live and in the moment.

M.A.D. Festival (August 21 to 24, 2025)

Downtown Montreal turns into a full-blown fashion playground every August as M.A.D. Festival takes over with four days of street style, bold design, and unapologetic self-expression. This is where the city’s creative scene steps onto the runway—literally and figuratively. Think live fashion shows, DJ sets, designer pop-ups, visual art, panel talks, and open-call model castings that rewrite the rules of who gets to strut and why.

It’s not just about aesthetics—it’s a statement. The event leans into inclusion, sustainability, and culture, spotlighting Indigenous designers, queer ballroom culture, and emerging artists alongside household names. Public catwalks blur the lines between audience and performer, while #DressToExpress becomes a rallying cry for authenticity in a world of fast fashion and filtered feeds.

With over half a million attendees and zero dress code (unless “be yourself” counts), M.A.D. is equal parts block party and cultural manifesto. Come for the shows, stay for the movement.

JACKALOPE (September 12 to 14, 2025)

Come for the chaos, stay for the camaraderie: JACKALOPE brings together some of the boldest athletes in skateboarding, bouldering, BASE jumping, BMX, and breaking for three days of high-stakes competition and full-send energy on the Old Port’s pavement and skyline. It’s where Canada’s action sports community shows off what’s next, and where legends get their start.

You’ll see gravity get ignored on the halfpipe, chalked hands grip impossible holds, and jumpers hurl themselves from platforms with alarming calm. Between all that? Concerts, live demos, pop-up shops, and enough food trucks to fuel a small army of thrill-seekers. There’s even a public zone where amateurs can try their hand at the gear.

The best festivals in Montreal during fall

MAPP_MTL (September 23 to 27, 2025)

What if the city itself became a canvas? That’s the idea behind MAPP_MTL, Montreal’s annual projection mapping festival that turns concrete walls, alleyways, skateparks, and public spaces into ephemeral works of light and sound. Back for its tenth edition, this international showcase blends tech and storytelling in a way that feels both futuristic and deeply human.

Launched by artist Thien Vu Dang, MAPP_MTL straddles the lines between art show, block party, and digital playground. Expect mind-bending visuals, live electronic sets, food vendors, and hands-on creative workshops scattered across the city. This year’s theme—Crossroads—dives into the connections between bodies, cities, and machines, asking what happens when they meet, clash, and merge.

POP Montréal (September 24 to 28, 2025)

Every fall, just before the frost sets in, POP Montréal rolls through the city like a five-day mixtape you can live inside. Now in its 24th year, this indie institution blends grit and glamour, staging 400+ performances across dive bars, churches, rooftop patios, and everything in between. Expect boundary-pushers in hip-hop, punk, electro, folk, R&B, and whatever else resists easy labels.

But POP is more than a music fest—it’s a cultural sprawl. Art POP, Film POP, Puces POP, and Kids POP round out the week with exhibitions, screenings, markets, and all-ages chaos. The Pop Symposium brings artists and thinkers into dialogue, while late-night shows and unlisted afters keep the buzz going till sunrise.

It’s loose, unpredictable, and proudly DIY—exactly how Montreal’s creative scene likes it.

Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (October 8 to 19, 2025)

FNC doesn’t just screen films—it throws you into the deep end of what cinema is becoming. Now in its 54th year, the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma is Canada’s oldest film fest, but don’t let that fool you—it’s still one of the most forward-thinking. With over 200 titles from 60+ countries, FNC spotlights fresh voices, radical forms, and boundary-breaking tech, from VR installations to genre-bending shorts.

This is where auteurs debut their next curveball, where new filmmakers get loud, and where late-night screenings blur into spontaneous debates over cheap wine. The vibe is equal parts high-brow and high-energy, anchored in Montreal’s downtown core but sprawling across cinemas, pop-ups, and party spaces.

Montréal Burlesque Festival (October 10 & 11, 2025)

For two glitter-drenched nights each fall, Club Soda transforms into a velvet-draped portal to Montreal’s cabaret past. The Montréal Burlesque Festival brings together international bombshells, comedians, dancers, and divas for a celebration of glamour, tease, and full-spectrum femininity—with a wink and a whip crack.

It’s a showcase of modern burlesque in all its sequinned, subversive forms. Expect a mix of classic striptease, underground performance art, comedy, and showstopping spectacle, all fuelled by fishnets, champagne, and unapologetic self-expression. It’s sensuality with substance, honouring the art of seduction while flipping the script on who gets to command the spotlight.

Ramen Ramen Fes (October 13 to 26, 2025)

For two weeks every fall, Montreal becomes a battleground for broth. Ramen Ramen Fes invites noodle obsessives and curious slurpers alike to explore the full spectrum of what this Japanese staple can be—whether it’s deeply traditional, wildly experimental, or unapologetically over-the-top.

Local shops and guest pop-ups each roll out a signature bowl, crafted just for the occasion. Think rich tonkotsu, spicy miso, yuzu shio, or something you’ve never seen before. You eat, you vote, and the city decides whose ramen reigns supreme—alongside picks from a panel of expert judges.

MTLàTABLE (October 30 to November 16, 2025)

This is the stretch when locals eat like royalty—and get away with it. MTLàTABLE, Montreal’s annual restaurant week (now in its 13th edition), invites diners to explore the city’s culinary scene through special prix fixe menus at a fraction of the usual bill. It’s part celebration, part citywide tasting menu.

Over two weeks, hundreds of restaurants—from white-tablecloth institutions to buzzy new bistros—roll out multi-course meals designed to show off what they do best. It’s a golden window to finally try that place you’ve been side-eyeing on Instagram—or revisit an old favourite with fresh eyes (and a discounted wine pairing).

Festival International Bach Montréal (November 15 to December 7, 2025)

J.S. Bach might’ve died in 1750, but his music still hits—especially when it’s echoing through Montreal’s most storied venues. The Festival International Bach Montréal returns for its 19th edition with an ambitious program that brings together world-class performers from here and abroad to interpret, bend, and honour the composer’s vast legacy.

It’s not all pipe organs and powdered wigs. Alongside the formal concerts, the Off-Bach series offers something looser: public rehearsals, talks, café performances, and genre-crossing events that bring the music out of the church and into the street. Whether you’re a Baroque diehard or just Bach-curious, this festival makes a centuries-old catalogue feel alive, current, and full of possibilities.

M for Montréal (November 19 to 22, 2025)

Part showcase, part summit, all scene—M for Montréal is where the music industry meets the future. Now celebrating its 20th edition, this indie-forward festival and conference hybrid brings together hundreds of global delegates to scout the next wave of talent lighting up Quebec and Canada’s stages.

Over four days, emerging acts play packed showcases at venues like Club Soda, Casa del Popolo, and even the ever-iconic Café Cleopatra, while panels and networking events buzz with behind-the-scenes deals and discovery. It’s how names like Grimes, Mac DeMarco, Charlotte Cardin, and Men I Trust first made serious noise beyond Montreal.

Whether you’re an artist trying to break through or a fan looking to say you saw them first, M is where the city’s underground goes international

Salon du livre de Montréal (November 19 to 23, 2025)

Montreal’s biggest book event isn’t just for the literary crowd—it’s for anyone who’s ever been moved by a story, sparked by a sentence, or found themselves lost in a good read. The Salon du livre de Montréal returns to the Palais des congrès with hundreds of authors, signings, panels, public readings, and debates that turn the written word into a live experience.

Now in its 48th edition, the festival expands beyond the convention centre with events across the city and a digital program that brings the conversation online. Whether you’re into graphic novels, hard-hitting essays, YA fiction, or poetry that punches, this is where readers and writers meet face-to-face.

Montreal International Documentary Festival / RIDM (November 20 to November 30, 2025)

RIDM isn’t just a documentary festival—it’s a mirror, a microscope, and a megaphone. For over 25 years, this fall fixture has gathered bold, boundary-pushing films that reframe how we see the world and each other. From poetic deep dives to vérité-style dispatches, RIDM’s lineup spans over 100 local and international docs that challenge, provoke, and sometimes just sit with the hard stuff.

Founded by Quebec filmmakers in 1998, the festival has stayed true to its roots in craft and conversation. Expect masterclasses, panel talks, and post-screening debates where filmmakers and audiences meet without a velvet rope in sight. Its parallel event, Forum RIDM, is the province’s key hub for the documentary industry—part networking gauntlet, part creative incubator.=

If TIFF is where the suits go, RIDM is where the storytellers stay.

Expozine (November 2025)

Montreal’s most chaotic literary event isn’t held in a library—it’s Expozine, the sprawling, beautiful mess that is North America’s biggest bilingual zine and small press fair. Every fall, hundreds of indie publishers, comic artists, poets, political agitators, and scene weirdos pack into a room (or several) to trade, sell, and celebrate the printed word in all its unruly forms.

Founded in 2002, Expozine has become a rite of passage for local creatives and a pilgrimage site for zinesters across the continent. It’s not just about buying stuff—though you will, and your tote bag will regret it—it’s about discovery. Strange, handmade books. Radical pamphlets. Xeroxed manifestos. Bizarre genius hiding behind a dollar-bin cover.

The best festivals in Montreal during winter

Igloofest Montréal (January to Feburary 2026)

Only in Montreal could the year’s wildest rave happen in sub-zero temperatures. Igloofest turns the Old Port into a frozen dancefloor for three weekends every winter, where snowpants meet strobe lights and thousands of revellers stomp out the cold to a rotating lineup of international and local electronic heavyweights.

It’s part music festival, part endurance sport. Expect massive outdoor stages framed by steel scaffolding and neon visuals, plus the now-iconic Igloovillage, complete with fire pits, games, bars, and a snowsuit contest that somehow keeps getting more competitive—and ridiculous—every year.

Igloofest isn’t about escaping winter. It’s about leaning all the way in: dancing through snow flurries, throwing shapes in -20, and sweating under three layers of fleece. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to party in a snow globe, this is your chance.

Montréal Boréal – Le Jam du Nord (February 2026)

Forget hibernation—Saint-Henri throws open the (snow-covered) doors every February for Montréal Boréal, a cold-weather block party that feels more like a Nordic village takeover. For 10 days, Notre-Dame Ouest becomes a pedestrian-only playground filled with winter installations, live music, family-friendly activities, and enough maple taffy to glue your mittens shut.

The fest kicks off with Le Jam du Nord, a weekend of cozy chaos under a heated dome: artisan markets by day, après-ski vibes by night, and roaming performers keeping the magic alive in between. Expect wildlife-themed programming from Parc Omega and Parks Canada, kid-sized slides, glowing decor, and plenty of local flavour from nearby shops and cafés.

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE (February 2026)

Montreal doesn’t just endure winter—it throws a spotlight on it. MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE returns for its 27th edition as one of the world’s largest winter festivals, taking over the Quartier des Spectacles with a mashup of light installations, outdoor adventures, gourmet events, and live performances that make February feel like a celebration, not a sentence.

The outdoor site buzzes with zip lines, glowing sculptures, and free family activities, while restaurants citywide host tasting menus, chef collabs, and pop-up wine bars. But the crown jewel is Nuit blanche, a full night of art and exploration where museums, venues, and hidden spaces stay open till morning—because who says winter nights can’t be electric?

Nuit blanche (February 2026)

For one night every winter, Montreal refuses to sleep. Nuit blanche turns the city into a playground for insomniacs, art lovers, and anyone curious enough to follow a glowing trail of cultural chaos into the early hours. Now in its 23rd edition, this all-nighter pulls in thousands for a sprawling lineup of installations, performances, screenings, parties, and unexpected pop-ups—many of them free, all of them unforgettable.

From late-night gallery crawls to rooftop concerts and immersive weirdness in underground spaces, Nuit blanche rewires your sense of time and place. Transit runs all night, the streets hum with energy, and even the cold feels like part of the thrill.

Cabane Panache (March 2026)

Verdun doesn’t do sugaring-off season quietly. Cabane Panache is the city’s rowdiest ode to maple syrup and Québécois culture, turning Wellington Street into a full-blown forest party with axe-throwing energy and enough pork fat to coat your soul for the rest of winter.

What started as a small neighbourhood fest has grown into one of the province’s biggest free maple shindigs, with over 80,000 people showing up to eat, drink, and two-step through four days of woodsy revelry. Local restaurants serve sugar shack classics—with a twist—out of the “cookerie,” while the “espaces bouèssons” pour boozy maple concoctions, hot whisky, and microbrews to keep spirits (and body temps) high.

Add to that live music, urban taffy pulls, pop-up general stores, and enough plaid to camouflage you in a lumber aisle, and you’ve got a winter send-off that hits every note: sweet, salty, and a little bit wild.

Montreal St. Patrick’s Day Parade (March 2026)

Green beer and marching bands are just the start. Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the longest-running and most beloved street celebrations in the city—a high-energy tribute to Irish heritage that brings thousands downtown every March. For three hours, floats, bagpipers, dancers, and costumed revellers take over the streets in a mix of tradition, spectacle, and community pride.

First held in 1824, it’s among the oldest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the world, outdone only by New York in size. But what sets Montreal’s version apart is its vibe: loud, joyous, unpretentious, and welcoming to anyone ready to celebrate—Irish or not. Snow, slush, or spring sun, the city shows up in full force.

Festival Art Souterrain (March to April 2026)

Montreal’s underground city becomes an unlikely gallery during Art Souterrain, a contemporary art festival that stretches through kilometres of tunnels, food courts, and concourses beneath downtown. For three weeks each spring, commuters and curious wanderers alike stumble into a curated world of installations, video works, sound pieces, and performance art—all tucked between escalators and concrete corridors.

Now in its 17th edition, the festival pairs big themes with public space. This year’s edition takes on the climate crisis, asking not just what now? but what if? Expect site-specific works that spark reflection, disrupt your routine, or quietly catch you off guard somewhere near a chain coffee shop.

It’s free, it’s weirdly intimate, and it turns the mundane into something worth looking at twice.