The Bulletin: The incoming weather’s hot, but this lineup’s hotter. 🥵 [Issue #149]

The Bulletin is a collection of what's happened, what’s happening, and what’s to come in and around Montreal.

The Main

The Main

October 2, 2025- Read time: 7 min
The Bulletin: The incoming weather’s hot, but this lineup’s hotter. 🥵 [Issue #149]La Force playing on the Rialto Theatre's rooftop on Friday, September 26, 2025 for POP Montreal. | Photograph: Eva Blue / @evablue

This seems to be déjà vu from last weekend, because it is.

October has arrived, and some cold days leading up to it has made it deceitful. We thought to ourselves once more that we could write something even partially witty about our memories of autumn months so grey and wet that they reminded us of something straight out of The Notebook. But this ain't it, people: The future—the immediate future, anyway—is looking hot and humid enough to stop packing up those cut-offs and mesh tops.

Funny enough, this weekend seems to know it, too. We can't remember the last time we had a lineup this stacked (though it was probably right in the heat of early July). There's more than you can shake a stick at—but hey, you've got yourself a copy of the Bulletin, so you know which general direction to shake that stick in.

You want to experience something surreal? Fashion-coded? Something a bit more goth-harvest-spooky-core? It's here. Do not squander the upcoming good weather, friends. You will regret it.


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

Thursday

♻️ Second Soul is hosting a Cycle Market in Concordia’s Atrium with clothing vendors, tooth gems, and denomination bins.  

🧘 Bota Bota offers a sound bath workshop—a meditative experience open to all guests.

🎸 Tiny Fest kicks off with shows from local musicians at venues along St. Laurent and Parc.

📚 Volume MTL’s 8th Annual bilingual international art and book fair wraps up this weekend, support Montreal and Quebec’s first art-publishing event while you can.

🎼 Record Night at Nouveau Palais! Grab your coolest record out of your collection and spin the B-Side among friends, drinks, and classic comfort food.

Friday

🎭 Indulge into surrealism, puppetry, cabaret, and more at Phénomena Festival, a proud interdisciplinary art event

🌠 Bask in some Detroit house at the SAT from night to sunrise, courtesy of Ferias.

🎷 l’esprit ne descendra pas sans chants rewrites overlooked histories in a collage-driven exploration of Black women, jazz, and Little Burgundy.

🎉 Marché Korea throws a three-day bash for their 35th anniversary, with a mini festival in the parking lot—expect Korean street food, K-beauty booths, and more.

🍻🎞️ Bières et Caméras hosts the second edition of their film festival, complete with conferences, photo walks, and workshops.

 📸 Relive your best summer moments Dine and Dish’s scrapbooking night, where journaling, shared snacks, and a signature drink come together for a cozy, crafty evening at Café Oui Mais Non.

Saturday

🪩 Disco Mayo is hosting an artists market with local vendors, vinyl records, and hot soup. 

🎤 Don’t Tell Comedy has a mystery line up of comedians doing stand up in the Plateau. 

🛍️ The Total Market returns for its 9th edition with 50+ Montreal designers, artisans, and vintage vendors—all under one roof, with free entry. 

🎪 Catch the Fête de quartier Angus & Cie at Parc Jean-Duceppe in Rosemont for a day of carnivalesque festivities ranging from live music to clown shows

🎨 Evara Events is hosting their latest Sip & Paint, unwind from a busy week with a drink and a paintbrush in hand. 

🎤 Celebrate diverse musical worlds at MUZ, with a myriad of local and worldwide artists all convening at Studio TD. 

👯 Emoween 2025 costume contest haunts Cabaret Berlin, with themed drinks, horror visuals, and a free makeover station.

Sunday

📚 Join historian and author Catherine Clement for a book launch and talk on The Paper Trail, exploring untold stories of exclusion behind one of Canada’s darkest chapters.

🌈 Slow Sunday: Queer Edition hosted by the Together Club offers a cozy, low-pressure space for meaningful connection, where phones are off and community comes first.

🎱 Star Bar's Bingo is back with prizes and pizza —all while raising funds for the Indigenous Support Workers Project.

👻 Get into the Halloween spirit with Cinema du Parc’s matinee of American Psycho.

🧙 Festival Nocturna comes to a close with a costume contest, witchy artisanal goods, and tattoos

🎵 The Grand Organ Festival brings some of the finest organ playing to Montreal– and for free!

🖼️ Experience the Kent Monkman exhibit at the MMFA for artworks that reimagine history and subvert the colonial narrative.


Montreal’s newest ride option has arrived: Lyft is now live in the city, connecting you with local drivers whether you’re heading from a late dinner to catch last call in the Plateau, or need a reliable ride to YUL without the parking headache.

The app lets you choose your ride—standard, XL for up to six people, or Wait & Save for when you have extra time and want to save a little cash. You can also schedule rides ahead, or get picked up faster with priority pickup.

Safety features include real-time ride sharing with trusted contacts, optional audio recording, and check-in confirmations when you reach your destination.

New riders get 50% off their first five trips (max $10/trip) with code MAIN50. Terms apply.


Locali is the neighbourhood pizzeria from Alexandre Brunet and Mélanie Mailhiot, the duo who first launched NO.900, part of our best new restaurants for October. | Photograph: Locali / Official

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.

Monktoberfest on Oct 4 turns Monk Blvd into a pedestrian party zone with concerts, food stalls, artisans, and microbrews. 

Pumpui is hosting its last BBQ of the season on Oct 4 with cider and snacks

The Oktoberfest takes over the Jean Talon Market on Oct 4-5 with local craft beers, live music, food stalls, and more

Coco Disco Club hosts a one-night-only Italian–Mexican feast on Oct 5, featuring 5 dishes, cocktail pairings, and good vibes for a good cause

Boucherie Capitol is having a block party pop-up in Villeray on Oct 5—serving a Banh Mi style porchetta sandwich and surprise sweet treat. 

Bar Mamie throws its last Kebab day of the season on Oct 5, partnering with their neighbors to offer flash tattoos and hair cuts

Babeurre celebrates its 3 year anniversary at Spaghetti Western on Oct 6, whipping up 2 special spaghetti dishes to commemorate the occasion. 

Le Blossom is hosting one of their omakase nights on Oct 7 with a Hip Hop and R&B twist.

Elena’s new slice shop Elena Pizzeria opens on October 8th, bringing New York style sourdough slices and pies to Griffintown. 

Beigne Habitude rolls out seasonal flavours– taste the autumn season with pumpkin spice and thai tea infused brioches.


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Photograph: Marie Rousseau / @marieourse

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

David McMillan and Derek Dammann are teaming up for Grille-Nature, a West Island restaurant built on family dining, farms, and “true hospitality.” Read more.

From Syrian home cooking and seafood palaces to slice shops, delis, and disco-lit dînettes—October’s best new restaurants prove Montreal’s fall food scene is anything but quiet. Read more.

Caribbean restobars, fridge-door chapel bars, aperitivo counters, and owl-inspired lounges—Montreal’s 11 best new bars bring serious range this fall. Read more.

A fictional designer, a very real design lab: André Brown is where structure meets chaos, rules get broken, and Montreal’s bars get designed to feel, not just look. Read more.

From dumpster-dived CBC gear to Grammy-winning albums, Breakglass Studios has spent 20 years shaping Montreal’s sound—now it’s building an entire ecosystem. Read more.

Seventeen and armed with a sewing machine, Olivia Donahue built Avenir Vert out of her bedroom and thick skin, turning hate emails into Vogue features. Read more.

Mile End was born with an English butcher’s gamble, a tavern at the crossroads, and a horse track the city forgot. Learn its origin story: Read more.

Montreal scored five spots on North America’s first-ever “50 Best” list—including Mon Lapin at No. 2—cementing the city as a dining heavyweight. Read more.

Closed since 2017 and nearly torn down, Verdun’s Natatorium just got a second life—the borough now plans to restore, not demolish, its historic pool. Read more.

Sixty per cent of Canada’s infrastructure, but only a dime of every tax dollar—Montreal’s mayor has power, but not nearly enough. Read more.

Dandelions, maple keys, Japanese kirigami: Montreal engineers are rethinking the parachute—disks that bloom mid-air, then land on target. Read more.

Montreal’s 2nd REM line opens in November, but the long-promised West Island extension won’t arrive until spring. 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 & Production Coordinator / Phylida Tuff-West, Editorial Intern / Kaitlyn DiBartolo, Editorial Intern

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