Montréal celebrates Black History Month
Leisure activities Music Festivals and events The city
February 2026 marks the 35th anniversary of Black History Month in Montréal. This year’s edition features a full slate of theatre, film screenings, musical concerts and other cultural events.
What is Black History Month?
Montréal’s Black History Month Roundtable invites the general public to discover the contributions of Black communities here and elsewhere, via a diverse program of events. This year’s theme is “Let’s raise our voices together” (Élevons nos voix ensemble), and this year’s poster – designed by Williamson Dulcé – pays tribute to the historical and cultural richness of Black communities while inviting reflection on resistance and impact. Also, click here for this year’s 12 Black History Month laureates.
What special events are happening during Black History Month?
Scroll down for a brief overview of some of the many Black History Month events being held in venues throughout the city:
Music concerts
Montréal’s iconic Club Balattou presents concerts year-round. Their Black History Month programming includes concerts by the Reggae Uprising Band (February 7) and Benkadi (February 21).
The city’s top soul and RnB musicians headline Le Balcon music hall and restaurant year-round. Their Black History Month programming includes The Freddie James Project (February 7), soulman Leslie Snooky Alston (February 12), a Gospel Brunch with the JAMVP Choir led by choir director Jennifer Meade (February 14), Motown and disco revue with Dawn Tyler Watson (February 21), and a much-anticipated SoulFest benefit concert by The Brooks (February 26).
The Project Sly Collective presents the all-star Tribute to Sly and The Family Stone at Le Ministère on February 21. The Sly Stone tribute features Montréal soul music legends Alan Prater of The Brooks, Danny Blanco, Coco Thompson and Wayne Tennant, alongside the dynamic harmonies of Perpetual Praise Ministries, under the direction of musical maestro Ben Comeau.
Le Cypher X organizes the city’s premiere hip hop concerts every Thursday at O Patro Vys while GrowveMTL presents jams featuring the city’s top musicians playing everything from disco to hip hop each Wednesday at Turbo Haüs.
Classical
Founded in 1939, Canada’s renowned Orchestre Classique de Montréal presents soprano Marie-Josée Lord at the OCM lead by conductor Kalena Bovell for a Black History Month program of works by composers of African descent at Salle Pierre-Mercure on February 5.
Black history
Few people know there were African, Afro-descendant, and Indigenous people enslaved in New France and under British rule until the early 19th century. Aly Ndiaye – a.k.a. author, rapper and historian Webster – sheds light on this overlooked chapter of history in Québec History X in which he examines the presence of people of African descent, whether captive or free, since the beginnings of the colony. February 8 at the Bibliothèque du Plateau-Mont-Royal.
Black literature
In Conversation with Civil Rights Activist Fred Anderson presents the civil rights activist, author and legendary community leader whose memoir Eyes Have Seen: From Mississippi to Montreal was published in 2025. At Concordia University on February 9.
Lectures LOGOS Readings is a series of monthly multicultural readings hosted by award-winning author H. Nigel Thomas and renowned human rights advocate Maguy Métellus at the UNIA Hall (2741 Notre-Dame West) in Little Burgundy.
Live theatre
The French-language comedy musical Fantasia headlines the Teatro Mirella & Lino Saputo at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre on February 28.
Exhibitions
Triomphe: The Story of Gloria Clarke Baylis highlights the inspiring journey of a pioneer whose courage transformed the Canadian history of civil rights: in 1964, Gloria Clarke Baylis, a Black nurse from Barbados, filed the first legally recognized complaint of racial employment discrimination in Québec and Canada, paving the way for significant social and legal progress. Curated by Aly Ndiaye – a.k.a. author, rapper and historian Webster – the exhibition offers an intimate look at her life through archives, photos, illustrations, and personal effects. Runs at the Centre Saanaq January 29 to March 8.
The Body in Ritual photographic exhibition explores African masks, at the contemporary art gallery ÉCLATS 521 in the Belgo Building from February 14 to 27.
Dance
Nuits d’Afrique presents iconic dance company Les Ballets Africains from Guinea at Théâtre Maisonneuve on February 22.
Tangente Danse presents Dulce which at the intersection of ballroom, myth and Black queer futurity explores how communities reconstruct themselves after their world is upended. Runs February 19 to 22 in the Wilder Building.
At the movies
The Festival Fondu au Noir presents Being Black in Montréal and Canada, a selection of five Francophone and Anglophone documentary short films (subtitled in English and French) from the 2024 edition of the Being Black in Canada program by the Fabienne Colas Foundation. Screens at the Maison de la culture Notre-Dame-de-Grâce – Pavillon Botrel on February 5.
Black comics
The 14th edition of Canada’s only all-Black comedy tour, The Underground Comedy Railroad Tour, headlines The Comedy Nest on March 1with co-headliners Tamara Shevon, Daniel Woodrow, Keesha Brownie, and Montréal’s very own Rodney Ramsey.
Beyond Black History Month
The 42nd annual Festival international de cinéma Vues d’Afrique runs from April 2 to 11. The festival screens international features, documentaries and shorts by filmmakers from across Africa and the African diaspora.
The Gala Dynastie marks its 10th anniversary at Théatre Maisonneuve on April 11. For the past decade, it has spotlighted inspiring creators and leading figures from Black communities who stand out in the fields of arts, culture and media. Click here for more info.
Check out the complete Black History Month schedule at www.moishistoiredesnoirs.com.
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.