Montréal jazz and blues clubs and festivals
Music Bars and pubs Bars and nightclubs Festivals and events
During her Sin-City era, Montréal was home to some of the hottest jazz clubs on the planet and a wide-open scene fueled by Prohibition. Today, the city’s jazz scene is as lively as ever.
Back in the 1930s and 1940s, gamblers, racketeers and the world’s greatest entertainers all came to Montréal at a time when the city’s most renowned musical export was jazz icon Oscar Peterson. His protégé was another jazz legend, Oliver Jones, who first performed at the fabled Café St-Michel at the age of 10 in 1944.
Click here to read about Montréal’s legendary jazz scene, and click here to read about Montréal’s notorious Sin City era.
Today, Montréal still has a thriving jazz and blues scene with concerts in nightclubs by popular local musicians, as well as superstar headliners at the city’s jazz and blues festivals.
Bistro à Jojo
Montréal’s classic blues joint Bistro à Jojo in the Quartier Latin features live music nightly. Many favourite local blues acts headline the intimate nightclub regularly.
1627 Saint-Denis Street
Modavie
The Modavie French bistro and wine bar in Old Montréal features live jazz, blues, and R&B nightly. The bistro has flair and character and is popular with locals and tourists alike.
1 Saint-Paul Street West
Dièse Onze
Jazz hotspot Dièse Onze in the hip Plateau district features live music every night and menus to suit all tastes. Dièse Onze has been ranked by Downbeat Magazine as one of the Top 100 jazz clubs in the world. Reservations strongly recommended.
4115-A Saint-Denis Street
Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill
Close to the major hotels and popular with tourists, downtown’s Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill has been ranked by Downbeat Magazine as one of the Top 100 jazz clubs in the world nightly and is closed on Mondays. Reservations by phone only, call 514-931-6808 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
1254 Mackay Street
the city’s jazz scene is as lively as ever.
Nacarat
The Nacarat bar and terrace at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel downtown presents their Sounds of Nacarat, featuring Latin Jazz on Wednesdays and Big Band Jazz on Thursdays, showcasing some of Montréal’s finest musicians.
900 René-Lévesque Boulevard West
Sora 45
Located on the 45th floor of Montréal’s iconic Place Ville Marie skyscraper – famed for its rotating beacon – the Sora 45 restaurant presents their live jazz series each Tuesday night from 8 to 11 p.m.
1 Place Ville Marie, 45eme
Cabaret Jazz L’Entracte
Le Cabaret Jazz L’Entracte located downtown is a nonprofit performance venue dedicated to supporting emerging local jazz artists alongside established performers.
1112 Saint-Catherine Street West
Lovebird
Lovebird is an Old Montréal cocktail bar that presents live jazz, soul and acoustic performances nightly, Wednesday to Saturday.
101, de la Capitale Street
Jardin Nelson
Enjoy live jazz pop performances by professional musicians during lunch and dinner on the terrace of the Jardin Nelson in the heart of Old Montréal, daily from early May to Thanksgiving.
407, Place Jacques-Cartier
House of Jazz
The House of Jazz in Laval presents some of the city’s finest jazz, soul, Latin, and R&B performers with live shows every evening, Wednesday to Sunday.
1639, de L’Avenir Boulevard
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
The city’s live jazz and blues clubs are especially busy during the famed Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, which each year features several hundred musicians performing ticketed indoor concerts and free shows on several outdoor stages. The 10-day festival begins the last week of June.
West Island Blues Festival
The West Island Blues Festival hosts concert events with well-known artists each summer to benefit local charities.
Richard Burnett
Richard “Bugs” Burnett is a Canadian freelance writer, editor, journalist, blogger and columnist for alt-weeklies, mainstream and LGBTQ+ publications. Bugs also knows Montréal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter.