The Bulletin: Total chaos. Zero cohesion. All good stuff. [Issue #143]

What can we say? We got nothing for you this week when it comes to a cohesive intro. We put it all down, stepped back to take a good look, and thought: "This is chaos."

You can tell just by giving it all one good scroll: We’ve got puppets roaming Wellington, tarot readings with your espresso martini, hyperpop raves blasting Charli XCX and NCT, and a grand reopening that somehow combines dirty horchata and back-to-school stationery.

Brooklyn DJs are spinning funk and Afro-Caribbean grooves in a Parc-Ex alley, while kids gather for nature stories beside grazing sheep. A Laufey-themed album drop is turning a bookstore into a fan zone, someone’s giving out free cannoli with live jazz in Little Italy, and a festival in the Old Port is mixing cocktails, fashion shows, and social-change cinema.

See for yourself. Enjoy!

Experience something new for a change.

Right now, Montreal is the throes of hosting artists that push electronic music and digital art beyond the safe and predictable. Drum hits trigger cascading visuals, modular synths bend in real time, and the line between physical and digital dissolves completely.

Intimate venues, immersive installations—MUTEK creates space for artists to test ideas that feel like they've arrived a few years ahead of schedule.

📅 Until August 24

Read the full story on why MUTEK remains Montreal's portal to the future of sonic art.

MUTEK is a Montreal Festival for Digital Art & Music’s Future

Inside MUTEK Montreal, where global artists push boundaries in digital art, music, and tech—turning the city into a living lab of creativity.

The MainThe Main

Activities, parties, points of interest, art exhibitions, you name it: These are the weekend events you don't want to miss.

Thursday

🎛️ MUTEK returns with three days of cutting-edge talks, performances, workshops, and exhibitions exploring electronic music, AI, XR, gaming, and more—check out our guide for the highlights.

👗 An attention grabbing M.A.D. festival parade celebrating all things independent, local and secondhand takes over Avenue Mont-Royal, kicking off this weekend’s trade fair. 

✨ Imagine Monkland brings a weekend of street performers, live music, local shops, culinary treats, and activities for all ages to the heart of Monkland Avenue.

☀️ Plaza St-Hubert celebrates back-to-school with a lively weekend street sale, music programming by Lula World and Maison des Amériques, and plenty of local deals.

🍕 Repslabel rings in five years at Mellön Brasserie with pizza, drinks, and live painting.

🫂 The second edition of the Fête de Pointe-Saint-Charles will feature live performances, kiosks, bites, BBQ, workshops, music jam, murals and more.

🎉 URBANIA’s summer party lands at Ausgang Plaza for an end-of-season blowout featuring sausages, DJs, and surprises.

Friday

🎭 Festival Marionnettes Plein la Rue animates Wellington with roaming puppet performances from international and local artists, blending magic, surrealism, and playful storytelling for all ages.

💿 Ferias welcomes Brooklyn’s finest back to Montreal, with Public Service, Mickey Pérez, Toribio, and Detroit’s Deon Jamar bringing funk, jazz, Afro-Caribbean grooves, and house to the Parquette dancefloor.

🌙 Péché hosts “Originelle,” a free evening showcase with guest artists Moutarde au Miel and Émilie Buist-Lemieux.

Saturday

💥 Glimmering Dolls brings NEOBRAT dance party to Montreal, a night of hyperpop and K-pop featuring tunes by Charli XCX, NCT, Kim Petras, AESPA, and more. 

📚 Take in a family-friendly storytelling session by Poucé Carré, where kids can enjoy nature-themed tales alongside grazing Biquette sheep.

 🛍️ Parc World pops-up at 6540 Avenue du Parc, serving up sought-after Montreal-made clothing and unique local pieces.

🍸 Spend the evening at 4e Mur sipping espresso martinis, sharing snacks, and getting a personal tarot reading in an intimate speakeasy setting.

🎭 Saboteurs in Val-David debuts its first comedy night with laughs, on-site dining, and drinks

🌿 Nueva Era celebrates its grand reopening with vegan pastries, dirty horchata, and fresh stationery for a sweeter back-to-school season.

🕺 Bonne Famille teams up with MURAL Festival for a free Royalmount block party packed with DJs, dancing, and summer vibes.

Sunday

📚 Drawn & Quarterly Bookstore invites Laufey fans to stop by and celebrate A Very Laufey Day by picking up her newest album and enjoying local drinks, limited edition merch, and more.

🎶 House Callin takes over Salon Daomé this and every Sunday, with this edition featuring DJs Donotstealmyname, Field Note, and Lex Ferenda.

📣 AfroMonde Festival brings four days of music, comedy, fashion, food, and art to Montreal, culminating in a vibrant cultural parade through the Old Port.

🎬 Montreal International Film Festival returns with over 30 screenings from August 22–24, spotlighting global cinema that inspires social change, plus panels, cocktails, and more.

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From custom campaigns to sharp, story-driven features, we collaborate to make sure your message lands with the right people, in the right way.

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WHAT TO EAT & DRINK IN AND AROUND MONTREAL

Scope the latest restaurant openings, recommendations on where to eat, plus new menus, old classics, and everything in between.

Marco Garguillo dishes out fresh couscous with Dépanneur Comptoir at Couscous 2 Rue on August 21, serving his grandmother’s recipe over two evenings of street-side eats and summer vibes.

Bar Suzanne celebrates eight years with a block party during the Duluth Street Fair on August 21—expect BBQ, a special outdoor menu, and DJ Seb Joanette on the decks.

Manuzza hosts a Sicilian aperitivo with live jazz and free cannoli on August 22 to celebrate its second anniversary in Little Italy.

Parc Jean-Drapeau throws Montreal’s biggest BBQ from August 22-24, a three-day feast at Jardins des Floralies with food stalls, grills, and plenty of picnic spots. Free entry.

Perogie Lili celebrates Ukrainian Independence Day and its first anniversary on August 23 with signature perogies, a new summer flavour, live music, and giveaways.

Loulouta pops up at Paquebot Bélanger on August 23 with braided sandwiches, salads, Nutella babkas, drinks, and beats for a tasty, music-filled afternoon. 

Cooking demos and workshops are added to the Discovery Stage lineup at Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 23 and 24, showcasing chefs and artisans at work.

Alphabet Café unveils its new in-house ABC Matcha—a Japan-sourced, Montreal-packed matcha brand now on offer.

Wild beers and funk music take over Mellön Brasserie for “What the Funk” on August 23—a full day of music, drinks, tattoos, screen-printing, guest breweries, and new beer releases.

CUP MTL throws a Thai BBQ block party on August 24, complete with cocktails and a DJ spinning tunes for a lively street-side celebration.

Peruvian chicken takes over at Bonheur d’Occasion on August 24, as Bertha’s Rotisserie serves up a one-day-only pop-up with cocktails to match.

Panacée hosts an intimate dinner with Jean-Christophe Beaudin and chef Catherine on August 24, featuring an exclusive menu inspired by their shared culinary journey.

Join Toronto DJ Nafi Geejay at Groovy and Chill’s boozy brunch on August 24—food, drinks, terrace vibes, and a genre-fluid soundtrack.

Dieu du Vin launches a new range of non-alcoholic, naturally grape-based wines on August 25, with tastings, suggested pairings, and the team on hand to celebrate.

Cocktails, community, competition: the FAB 2025 Grand Final lands at Burgundy Lion on August 26, with three bartenders battling it out for the big win.

Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from entertainment to current affairs and more.

Coco Disco Club is a new and democratic disco-ball-lit clubhouse on Duluth where deep-fried lasagna, espresso martinis, and third place vibes collide. Read more.

Claude Masson didn’t just serve drinks—he anchored one of Montreal’s most iconic restaurants with elegance, discretion, and quiet brilliance for nearly 40 years. Read more.

Trapped by the heat, one writer escapes to Montreal’s new capsule hotel—only to find cool air, clean showers, and existential dread. Read more.

Texas barbecue get fused with Montreal smoked meat at Aylwin Deli, where pitmaster Antoine Bériault makes it thick-cut and peppered with confidence. Read more.

The OQLF flagged Burgundy Lion’s name, igniting a fight over signage laws, neighbourhood identity, and what counts as official French. After public outcry, the OQLF backed off—for now. Read more.

Sunburns, singalongs, and a stadium-sized dose of denim—LASSO turned Parc Jean-Drapeau into a cowboy-core fever dream last weekend. Read more.

Montreal honours jazz legend Oscar Peterson 100 years after his birth, tracing his roots from Little Burgundy to global acclaim. Read more.

From power pastas to low-key French bistros, here’s where Montreal locals actually go for a great lunch. Read more.

A 10-month-old baby was nearly hit by a tear gas canister—fired by police responding to a nearby protest. The viral photo and their story are sparking outrage over crowd control tactics. Read more.

The Empress Theatre may finally see a revival—again. The city is studying a redevelopment plan that would mix cultural space with off-market housing. Read more.

Montreal’s new Grand Parc de l’Ouest merges five major parks into one massive green space. Mayor Plante calls it a legacy—developers call it a $180M lawsuit. Read more.

A new McGill study shows micromobility—bikes, e-scooters, BIXI—makes up 5% of trips but only gets 2% of Montreal’s road space. Even doubling bike lanes wouldn’t dent space for cars. Read more.

Montreal’s film industry is facing a steep slowdown this summer, with fewer sets, fewer contracts, and artists left waiting—and worrying. Read more.

POP Montreal is returning with Ducks Ltd., Elle Barbara, DAM, rooftop shows, a 24-hour Art POP, and even a dog fashion fest. Lineup is live: Read more.

Mayor Valérie Plante is calling on Quebec to appoint a dedicated homelessness minister, saying the crisis demands a “top gun” with a clear mandate. Read more.

Futur Montréal has named Jean-François Kacou as its leader and mayoral candidate for the upcoming municipal election, aiming to “do politics differently.” Read more.

Montreal’s metro moves 800,000 people a day and supports 16,000+ jobs—but with crumbling infrastructure, its future depends on serious reinvestment. Read more.

A stretch of Docteur-Penfield Ave. will close for eight years as the city upgrades the McTavish pumping station. Through-traffic will be blocked, with detours and two-way traffic nearby. Read more.

Montreal is about to get its first cat museum—and it’s kicking things off with a feline-focused pop-up in Villeray this September. Read more.

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And that wraps yet another weekly bulletin. We’ll be back with more curiosities, local stories, and events to discover next week.

If ever you catch something we should know, don't hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram.

👋 Masthead: Philip Tabah, Founder & Head of Creative / Daniel Bromberg, Co-Founder & Head of Operations / Jean-Philippe Lauzon, Co-Founder & Head of Tech / JP Karwacki, Managing Editor / Amber Spector, Social Media Manager / Anahi Pellathy, Editorial Intern