Your guide to Montréal’s amazing fall festivals

Gardens of Light

• When: Annually in the fall until the end of October, 2026
• Where: Jardin Botanique in the Olympic district
• What: Hundreds of colourful silk lanterns create evenings of pure enchantment during this extremely popular annual fall spectacle at the Jardin Botanique. Much more than an illuminated path, Gardens of Light is an authentic gateway into three inspiring cultures: Chinese, Indigenous and Japanese.

Montreal Ukrainian Festival

• When: August 29, September 12, 13, 19 and 20, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: The Montreal Ukrainian Festival features performances by Ukrainian, Canadian and local Québec artists, singers, dancers, comedians and choirs. The festival also keeps festival-goers busy with a variety of kiosks featuring Ukrainian cuisine, folk art and crafts, local businesses and information booths. To keep the young ones entertained, the festival offers a supervised children’s area with games, face painting and other fun activities. The grand opening is at Parc Maisonneuve on August 29.

JOAT Festival international de street dance

• When: September 1 to 7, 2026
• Where: Various venues
• What: The JOAT Festival celebrates street dance as a cultural and social factor. Welcoming over 250 street dance artists, JOAT spotlights breaking, popping, hip-hop, krump and other styles through workshops, classes from introductory to master levels and must-see battles at all levels of competition and age groups.

Martinique Gourmande Festival

• When: September 8 to 19, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: Indulge your Caribbean dreams at the Martinique Gourmande Festival, which unites chefs, mixologists, caterers and artisans from Martinique (the “island of flowers”) and Québec for a rich, multi-sensory culinary and cultural experience celebrating the flavours of the island. Musical events in select restaurants and bars will complement the gastronomic experience.     

Montréal International Film Festival (MTLIFF)           

• When: September 4 to 7, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: A non-profit organization focusing on the power of cinema’s impact, the Montréal International Film Festival (MTLIFF) pairs its screenings with Q&A and workshop sessions, unmissable parties and a film market where filmmakers from around the globe can present their latest work.

Festival Quartiers Danses (FQD)

• When: September 10 to 20, 2026
• Where: Place des Arts
• What: Martha and the Vandellas’ Dancing in the Street sets the theme for the Festival Quartiers Danses, which takes Martha’s idea to a whole new level. The FQD’s mission is to bring contemporary dance to spaces where it’s not normally found: streets, parks, public markets, museums, daycares and community organizations. 

Jackalope

• When: September 11 to 13, 2026
• Where: Jacques-Cartier Pier, Old Port of Montréal
• What: The annual Jackalope action sports festival invites some of the most daring athletes from around the world to display their mad skills at bouldering, skateboarding, BASE jumping and a what’s-what of action sports. In addition, peruse the pop-up shops, feed as you need at the food trucks, attend concerts and more.

TEMPÉO, Dance and Music Festival

• When: September 16 to 20, 2026
• Where: Place des Arts Esplanade, Quartiers des Spectacles
• What: TEMPÉO invites you to a lively, beginning-of-fall celebration outdoors on the Esplanade of Place des Arts. TEMPÉO features evenings of dancing that introduce you to various dance styles with the assistance of professional dancers and musicians. Show up for five free dance nights featuring funk, Eastern pop, country music, Afro-pop and salsa outside on the Esplanade of Place des Arts.

Festival Shérif

• When: Annually in September
• Where: TBD
• What: The Festival Shérif offers total immersion in Southern U.S. cuisine including smoked meats, Cajun-style shrimp, crispy fried chicken, grilled corn, spicy chili and, of course, loads of BBQ. Attendees can enjoy live country music and DJs, themed games, giant inflatables, a mechanical bull and line dancing lessons.

MAPP_MTL, Festival international de projection mapping

• When: September 29 to October 3, 2026            
• Where: Various locations
• What: Montréal’s international projection mapping festival, MAPP_MTL, takes mapping (a projection technique in which video is mapped onto surfaces such as buildings) to a whole new level. The fest functions as an open laboratory that showcases local talent at mostly free indoor and outdoor events. 

POP Montréal International Music Festival 

• When: September 23 to 27, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: The last major music fest before the cold weather rolls in, the POP Montréal International Music Festival is a wide-ranging exploration of indie rock, folk, electro, hip-hop, punk, R&B and new music that defies genres. With venues ranging from classic theatres to intimate local bars, and from rooftops to after-hours haunts, the festival, which features more than 400 artists, celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year.

Montreal International Black Film Festival 

• When: September 24 to October 4, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: North America’s only bilingual Black cinema festival, the Montreal International Black Film Festival is Canada's largest film event dedicated entirely to Black cinema. It offers a fresh new look at Black cinema from all four corners of the globe, and showcases many of the world’s finest film productions.

Festival international de la littérature (FIL) 

• When: September 23 to October 3, 2026
• Where: Théâtre Outremont
• What: Nearly 200 authors and artists from all disciplines and from all around the world gather in Montréal every year for the Festival international de la littérature (FIL). The jam-packed annual festival includes readings, dance performances, musical events, roundtable discussions and art exhibitions.

Journées de la Culture Montréal

• When: September 25 to 27, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: Over the course of three days, an incredible range of artists, artisans and cultural workers invite you to more than 2,000 free activities throughout the province of Québec at the annual Journées de la Culture. On their 30^th anniversary, discover a fascinating array of arts and culture through experimentation, observation and exchange.

Phénomena

• When: October 3 to 222, 2026
• Where: La Sala Rossa

What: Phénomena is a no-holds-barred interdisciplinary and bilingual festival created to give voice to unclassifiable, innovative and atypical artists. The fest hosts cabarets, theatrical and whimsical performances, puppeteering, artistic happenings, dance, installation art and more by both emerging and established artists.

Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montréal

• When: October 7 to 188, 2026
• Where: Cinémathèque québécoise
• What: Lively, bold and innovative are just a few of the words that describe this very popular annual event that has been giving cinephiles an eyeful for 55 years now. Every year, the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma screens over 200 works from 60 different countries, treating audiences to works of diversity and originality by emerging and major filmmakers. This year their focus is on the new: new creators, new approaches and new technologies.

Montréal Burlesque Festival

• When: October 15 to 17, 2026
• Where: Club Soda
• What: Bringing back the glitz and glam of bygone, Prohibition-era cabarets, the Montréal Burlesque Festival features two days and nights of razzle-dazzle sensuality, sugar and spice at the downtown Club Soda in the Quartier des Spectacles. A roster of top performers from around the world take you on a bedazzled journey of romance and seduction, showing off their best assets along the way.

Ramen Ramen Fes

• When: October 12 to 25, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: If you guessed that Ramen Ramen Fes is a festival dedicated to celebrating this iconic noodle dish from Japan, you’d be correct! During the growing, flavour-filled event, ramen shops and pop-ups will be invited to showcase their own original ramen creations, and festivalgoers as well as a professional jury can vote for their favourites.

MTL connect

• When: October 13 to 16, 2026
• Where: Society for Arts and Technology (SAT)

What: Innovative ideas are in full bloom during this showcase of digital installations, exhibitions and trends. MTL connect together industry players who want to understand the challenges and issues of the digital revolution, while presenting the opportunities and providing solutions to take advantage of them. It’s also an opportunity for entrepreneurs, researchers, industry players and artists to expand their networks and collaborate.

CINEMANIA Francophone Film Festival

• When: November 4 to 15, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: Go crazy for French film at CINEMANIA. This must-attend event screens the best of this year’s francophone cinema complete with English subtitles. Each edition includes feature fiction films, several documentaries, short films, masterclasses, conferences and special events.

La Grande Dégustation de Montréal

• When: November 5 to 7, 2026
• Where: Grand Quai, Old Port of Montréal

What: It’s tippling time! This three-day tasting event is a unique gathering where wine producers, distillers and brewers come together to share their passion with wine, beer and spirit lovers and connoisseurs. La Grande Dégustation de Montréal offers a rare opportunity to meet producers from all around the world and discover a vast array of great products.

Festival International Bach Montréal

• When: November 4 to December 9, 2026
• Where: Various locations

What: Lose yourself in the works of this musical giant in some of Montréal’s most prestigious venues when the Bach Festival presents a dozen concerts, a choir night and concerts for children for their 20^th anniversary. Over a three-week period, the fest will attract more than 20,000 local and international festival-goers.

Mundial Montréal

• When: November 17 to 21, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: The world is your (musical) oyster at the annual Mundial Montréal, which showcases the best in new global music. Known as North America's World Music Summit, the annual music industry gathering features one-of-a-kind concerts, public rehearsals, a conference and networking events while shining a spotlight on dozens of gifted musicians from every corner of the world.

Salon du Livre de Montréal

• When: November 25 to 29, 2026
• Where: Palais des congrès de Montréal
• What: A real page-turner, Montréal’s literary event calendar reaches its climactic conclusion with the Salon du Livre, which presents the largest collection of French-language books in North America. Come and meet your favourite authors and discover new ones during the salon’s many events, including roundtable discussions, literary debates and public readings.

image + nation

• When: November 19 to 29, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: Canada’s first LGBT2SQ+ film festival is an annual celebration of international LGBT2SQ+ cinema, image + nation that unveils big hits and hidden gems while striving to encourage connection and reflection, nurture queer storytellers and promote queer culture both locally and internationally.

Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM)

• When: November 19 to 29, 2026
• Where: Cinémathèque québécoise
• What: One of North America’s leading documentary film festivals, the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) presents approximately 100 Canadian and international documentaries that illuminate every corner of our world, pose thoughtful questions and mine reality’s emotional depths. The program is for filmmakers and audiences alike, featuring groundbreaking films, retrospectives, discussions, new technologies and special events.

MTLàTABLE

• When: October 29 to November 15, 2026
• Where: Various locations
• What: Tourisme Montréal is thrilled to announce the return of its popular restaurant week MTLàTABLE for a 14th edition this year. Several restaurants across the city are offering tables d'hôte for the evening menu or for brunch. You won’t want to miss this flagship event of Montréal’s culinary scene, so follow MTLàTABLE on social media, or keep an eye on the event website, to see when the list of participating restaurants is revealed. More info to come!