Jingle Bells! Celebrating the holidays in Montréal

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal’s timeless adaptation of Casse-Noisette (a.k.a. The Nutcracker) by Quebec choreographer Fernand Nault returns to Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier for its 60^th year. This two-act ballet based on Hoffmann’s classic tale is set to the music of Tchaikovsky and brings together more than 60 dancers and 100 extras, plus Les Grands Ballets Orchestra under the direction of conductor Dina Gilbert. If you have never seen it, this famed production is a must. The Nutcracker runs from December 12 to 30.

Bach Before Bedtime’s Nutcracker explores Tchaikovsky’s timeless classic in a format ideally suited for children; bringing together dancers, a string quartet, English and French narration, and singalongs, at Le Gesù Ampitheatre (November 24 and 26). In only 45 minutes, children are introduced to the world of classical music and the whimsical story of The Nutcracker in an interactive and relaxed atmosphere.

Ballet Ouest de Montréal’s Nutcracker features 35 professional dancers joined onstage by over 80 children from the Montréal area, at Salle Pierre-Mercure on December 7 and 8.

Featuring a superb cast of singers – including Joe Bocan, Luce Dufault and Joël Legendre – Noël, Une Tradition en Chanson (75% French-language repertoire) returns to the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal on December 4 and 5.

Parapapam returns to the Maison Symphonique from December 26 to 29 with two of Quebec’s biggest voices, Marie-Ève Janvier and Marc Hervieux, singing the greatest masterpieces of the classical repertoire, plus the most beloved Christmas carols, with the FILMharmonique Orchestra conducted by Francis Choinière, along with some 60 choristers.

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents ‘Tis the Season with Kent Nagano with guest vocalist, superstar contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, at the Maison Symphonique on December 10 and 11.

Under the baton of Grammy-winning maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin and vocals by Kim Richardson, Elisabeth St-Gelais, Mélissa Bédard and Michel Rivard, the Orchestre Metropolitain presents Holiday Melodies (December 5 and 6) at the Maison Symphonique.

Then Nézet-Séguin conducts the OM and an all-Canadian cast of soloists in Handel’s Messiah at Notre-Dame Basilica on December 9 and 11.

The Orchestre Classique de Montréal will perform Handel’s Messiah in the crypt of Saint Joseph’s Oratory on December 12.

For their 18^th production of Handel’s Messiah, Les Violons du Roy and Bernard Labadie welcome a quartet of soloists – including Liv Redpath and William Thomas in their Québec debut – at the Maison Symphonique on December 14.

The Ensemble Caprice also perform Handel’s Messiah at the Maison Symphonique on December 22.

Bourgie Hall presents the 10^th edition of their highly-anticipated holiday classic A Charlie Brown Christmas featuring the Taurey Butler Trio. This four-concert series (December 18 and 19 will sell out, so get your tickets early.

Other holiday season shows at Bourgie Hall include Kellylee Evans - Winter Songs (December 12) and A Christmas Tale: Les trois messes basses (December 14).

The glorious and historic Church of St. Andrew and St.Paul – whose Gothic Revival architecture looks like it comes straight out of Robin Hood – have scheduled their hugely popular Carols by Candlelight concerts with the A&P Choir on December 20 and 21. Click here for updates.

Then soul legend Michelle Sweeney headlines her Gospel Brunch concerts at Le Balcon on November 23 and December 28.

If you’re a gospel music fan, NOËL GOSPEL features more than 70 singers backed by a live band when the Jireh Gospel Choir and Montréal Gospel Choir directed by Carol Bernard, headlining three concerts at Salle Pierre-Mercure, November 30 and December 1.

The beloved Québec Issime musical Décembre headlines Salle Pierre-Mercure from December 12 to 29.

For its annual holiday pantomime, Hudson Village Theatre presents Cinderella. With singing, dancing and silly jokes, the Hudson Village Theatre Panto is a hugely entertaining family theatre experience. Runs from December 13 to January 5, 2025. 

The French-language play Le père Noël est une ordure headlines Théâtre Maisonneuve on November 23.

Children will love the French-language Nicolas Noël - Le cristal du temps at Théâtre Jean-Duceppe on December 27 and 28.

The FILMharmonic Orchestra performs the score of Tim Burton’s stop-motion masterpiece Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert for two screenings (in English with French subtitles) at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on November 30 at 3 and 7:30 pm.

More than 400,000 people of all ages are expected to attend Montréal’s 72^ndSanta Claus Parade– including Santa on his sleigh – on November 23 beginning at 11 am. The parade route runs along René-Levesque Boulevard from Bishop Street to Saint Urbain Street.

Click here for all directions and info.

Over at the McCord Stewart Museum, relive the magic of Ogilvy’s mechanical Christmas window displays in the Holidays at the Museum installation from November 30 to January 5, 2025. Visitors of all ages will see The Mill in the Forest outdoors on Victoria Street and The Enchanted Village inside the Museum. These dazzling displays – a holiday tradition that goes back to 1947 and among the last of their kind in North America – feature handmade animals that come to life in a Bavarian setting.

The Montréal Christmas Village at Atwater Market (November 28 to December 22), and The Great Christmas Market (November 22 to December 30) located in Place des Festivals in the Quartier des Spectacles are back this holiday season.

The DDO Fine Arts and Crafts Holiday Market runs from November 9 to 10.

A Drag Queen Christmas hosted by Brooke Lynn Hytes features guest drag stars Plasma, Q, Shea Coulee, Trinity The Tuck, Miz Cracker, Manila Luzon, Venus and Montréal’s very own Gisele Lullaby at the Olympia Theatre on December 7.

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show is back starring “The Queens of Christmas” BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, at the Olympia Theatre on November 28.