Things to do in Montréal this December 2024

Winter The city
  • L'Esplanade Tranquille Ice Rink
  • Skyline and Old Port of Montréal
Isa Tousignant

Isa Tousignant

Montréal shines throughout December as the city sparkles with holiday celebrations. Stroll and shop at holiday markets, see the illuminated artwork of Lumino, sip hot chocolate in charming Christmas villages, or see amazing shows, concerts and sites. Follow up a day of outdoor sports with a hearty seasonal meal — then relax and warm up at a spa! Here’s how to enjoy everything this winter wonderland has to offer.

Welcome to Montréal!

To enjoy the best the city has to offer during your stay in December, please don't think of yourself as a tourist, but as one of us. Whether you're here for a few days, a few weeks or a few years, we're counting on you to enjoy Montréal in a spirit of respect, responsibility and celebration! Here's an article on our “Promise for a sustainable stay” detailing how you can enjoy your stay.

The Great Christmas Market

Hooray for the holidays

Throughout the city this December, enjoy winter holiday activities like the plenitude of Christmas markets, including the Montréal Christmas Village, The Great Christmas Market outdoors at Quartier des Spectacles and the Indigenous Winter Market,a market out in the Oka National Park that offers a unique showcase for Indigenous art in all its forms, from traditional crafts to contemporary works to song and dance (from December 6 to 8). 

Take in Santa’s Kingdom and the holiday show at Complexe Desjardins, then go ice skating at the nearby Esplanade Tranquille skating rink. You can rent skates or bring your own, learn a few moves from instructors, and on DJ nights go “dancing” on the ice! 

Experience brand new playful illuminated artwork and activities at Lumino along Sainte-Catherine Street, in Place des Festivals and projected on building facades in the Quartiers des spectaclesEnchanted Worlds is an unmissable Christmas classic — the mechanized holiday window displays that enchanted kids for decades are now preserved and free to see both outside and inside the McCord Stewart Museum. Christmas in the Park brings music, hot beverages and Christmas cheer to Place Émilie-Gamelin downtown and in Parc des Compagnons and Parc Lahaie in the Plateau.

Avenue Mont-Royal glitters this month too with the return of free holiday concerts and family activities along the avenue. In Rosemont, visit Santa in his winter cabin and sip free hot chocolate on December 14 and 15, and cider around a massive Christmas tree at Le Chalet du Père Noël sur la Promenade Masson (with a chance to win prizes!). In Old Montréal you can enjoy a Victorian Christmas at the historical house of Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier, from December 7 to 22. In lieu of a Christmas card, make memories with your family with a quick photoshoot in the picturesque backyard set of Maison Pépin.

Winter Montreal - Square Phillips

Holiday shopping

Start checking off everyone on your list with our Montréal gift guide! The holiday markets are also fantastic for one-of-a-kind and locally made items, from home decor and art to jewellery and toys. Don’t miss Salon des métiers d’art at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal from December 12 to 22, packed to the gills with top-notch artisans. 

Throughout the month and into the New Year, check out the pop-up shop Pagne at Home, in the Old Port: it offers an immersion in Afro-descendant fashion, design and culture with a focus on ethical products, plus offers workshops, family events and a warm atmosphere you’re sure to love.

Shop for gifts-to-self as well as others (everyone needs new winter wardrobe staples and dinner-party glam!) in Old Montréal’s boutiques, downtown along Sainte-Catherine Street and in the Underground City malls. Downtown’s Centre Eaton de Montréal and Place Montréal Trust transform in December, with gourmet surprises, a cappella choirs, a carousel ride, art workshops and more. Discover the latest styles there, including Uniqlo, Nike, Aritza, Decathlon and many more boutiques (and remember to ask for a VIP Visitor Card at Guest Services for exclusive discounts only for tourists). 

Keep your eye out for items made by Montréal designers, relaxing self-care staples and plenty of sparkly goods from the coolest Montréal jewellery stores.

Find foodstuffs from local artisans as well as imported delicacies at Montréal’s public markets, and shop local and eco-friendly at the most fabulous vintage boutiques in the city. Pick out the perfect new books for friends and family from Montréal’s bookstores, and dive into a wide world of music at Montréal’s excellent vinyl stores.

Forgot to pick up souvenirs? Fear not, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) has got you covered. The focus on local goods in both the domestic and the international zones range from food to goods, including scarves and bags from M0851, yoga gear from Lolë and novels by local authors. Start your foray at Découvrir Montréal

William Gray Terrace

Seasonal food and drink

Indulge in incredible food at Montréal’s variety of restaurants this holiday season. Dozens of restaurants create special holiday menus and decorate for the season, so there’s no shortage of places to eat during the holidays in Montréal, from steaks and lobster to incredible Chinese food. 

In this season of tourtières and mince pies, explore the city’s beautiful public markets, including Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy and Atwater Market in Saint-Henri, for a food-filled trek. Montréal’s smallest market, the Public Market of Lachine in the southwest, offers a scrumptious selection of products year-round.

For a celebratory holiday experience, look no further than the Boulevard Saint-Laurent location of Le Petit Dep, which throughout the month and into the New Year has become a Christmas Tavern decked out in candlelight, twinkling tinsel and trees. The special drinks menu includes the ChocoMauve, an ultra-pretty marshmallow-topped hot chocolate, as well as an emerald concoction called the Grinch.

Le vin dans les voiles is a natural, organic and biodynamic wine agency based in Montréal that offers fascinating wine tasting and educational events, including, this month Atelier Dégustation Express on December 3 and 10, and Atelier Bulles de luxe on December 5. The workshops happen in French, but hey — wine is a universal language!

Explore superb restaurants and cafés along Beaubien Street in the Rosemont-La-Petit-Patrie neighbourhood (also where you’ll find Little Italy). And enjoy dinner and a show at restaurant-cabaret Le Balcon’s Celebration holiday party concert series.

Discover Montréal’s newest restaurants and buvettes, and don’t miss a classic Montréal brunch, whether you’re looking for elegance or comfort food. From some crowdsourced favourites, try Montréalers’ favourite lunch restaurants, from Old Montréal and downtown to Villeray or the South-West. Get a taste of long-time Quebec classics like smoked meatpoutine and Montréal bagels and keep on ticking the boxes on your must-eat list with these other musts for foodies in Montréal.

Bivouac - Bubbles

Get an incredible bird’s eye view on Quartier des Spectacles from within the clear bubbles on the terrasse of Bivouac, where you can taste the best of the terroir. Stop for a bite with a view at Muze lounge & terrace in Hôtel HONEYROSE downtown, or clink oyster shells in your own private holiday seafood celebration at Maestro SVP in the Plateau.

The holidays are also an excellent time to have dinner and see a show at the Casino de Montréal, all decked out for the season. From December 20 to January 4, enjoy a festive lineup of shows, gourmet menus, and an unforgettable New Year's Eve party. Beyond the thrill of games of chance, dive into the immersive ARcade experience for non-stop fun and laughter or indulge in entertaining dinner-shows at the Cabaret

Downtown, explore the wide variety of excellent meals at gourmet food halls  including Time Out MarketMarché ArtisansLe Cathcart and Le Central — or venture out to the de la Savane metro station to explore the new Le Fou Fou in the Royalmount
Get your caffeine fix at Montréal’s indie coffee shops — and fresh-baked doughnuts to go with it! Add more sweetness to your life at Montréal’s best bakeries and pastry shopsbest chocolate shops and candy shops.

Eat plant-based with our ultimate guide to vegan eating in Montréal or join the debate over who makes the best pizza in Montréal — or the best tacos. Warm up with authentic Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho. By night, discover the city’s 34 top cocktail barsinventive Montréal microbreweries and late-night eats. Or mix Montréalesque cocktails at home with gin, vodka, rum and more specialty spirits from these Montréal specialty alcohol and spirit makers — great gift ideas too for the amateur mixologists on your list.

Winter Montreal - Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal - Place d’Armes

Wintery activities, attractions & tours

The easiest way to visit dozens of Montréal attractions, museums and more at a discount is by getting your own key to the city: Passeport MTL, whose special winter edition will help you experience the best of the season.

We hope you make yourself at home in Montréal’s incredible hotels — there’s an accommodation option for everyone, from landmark hotels to family friendly hotels and boutique hotels galore. 

Dive into fandom at Comiccon de Montréal – Holiday Edition, your chance to immerse yourself into gaming and comic culture at Palais des congrès de Montréal on December 7 and 8. 

In Old Montréal, walk the cobblestone streets to the St. Lawrence River and visit the iconic Notre-Dame Basilica — see the gorgeous multimedia Aura Experience, a wonderful way to feel the grandeur of this landmark.

Lachine, history awaits at the Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site of Canada, where interactive installations will inspire you to imagine the bales of pelts, the stacked crates of goods and the barrels full of provisions that would have populated the space at the height of the 19th century fur trade.

The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul - The choir

Downtown holds one of the city’s most lovely churches, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, where you can admire the beautiful stained glass during services or during the regular organ concerts.

In the Old Port of Montréal, after shooting a selfie at the glimmering BONJOUR structure, see views of the city and the river from the Port of Montréal’s Grand Quay, where you’ll find a cruise ship dock, marine history displays, green spaces and a new attraction: the Port of Montréal Tower. Nearby, treat yourself to bird’s-eye views on La Grande Roue de Montréal Observation Wheel.

Have a drink on the Esplanade Place Ville Marie, where the massive art installation The Ring glimmers above you. Or take a break for entertainment and a snack at Esplanade Tranquille at the corner of Clark and Sainte-Catherine Street. 

One of the best ways to discover the city is with expert guides on Montréal tours: bundle up and set your own agenda with private walking tours at your own pace. See the city like a local with MTL Detours, take a day trip outside the city with N-Tours, call upon the experts at Guidatours, or take yourself on self-guided audio tours thanks to TourBird. To enjoy Montréal after dark, head out on the Montréal by Night Loop on GrayLine’s double decker bus! Wear layers and enjoy the ambiance and watch as the city’s most vibrant districts come to life after dusk.  And for an unparalleled taste of the city, savour one of the expert 2 or 3 hour walking tours given by Local Montréal Food Tours — they range from Mile End to Old Montréal.

If you’re wondering why Montréal has so many colourful murals, hear more about them and their artists on a street art tour with Spade & Palacio, including the most recent murals from the last MURAL Festival and others. For an electric bike tour of the murals (weather permitting), the first in Montréal, look to Fitz Montréal — their comfortable cycling tours cover anything from downtown Montréal to Jean-Talon Market.

Montreal Canadiens Hockey Game - Bell Centre

Winter sports and relaxation

Cheer on the Montréal Canadiens as the NHL season gathers full steam with lots of nail-biting matches happening on home turf at the Bell Centre. See the whole month’s schedule here! If you can’t make the games in person, watch all the hockey, soccer, football, basketball, MMA and more at Montréal’s sports bars.

Located downtown, Grand Chelem Baseball Centre invites you to step up to the plate, whether you’re an elite player or a casual hitter, of any age. Grand Chelem also offers baseball and softball training for all levels. 

Wanna play games? Head to the Centre Eaton de Montréal downtown where the PLAYBOX Centre has a game for everyone, from internationally renowned crane games to arcade games, skill games and VR attractions. Montréal Bowling downtown is the perfect spot play a few rounds of bowling, play some pool, watch some sports, play some arcade games and grab some great snacks and cocktails.

If you’re feeling more artsy, Art Chaos is a fantastic family- or group-friendly activity in Mile End, where you can paint crazy creations on rapidly spinning canvases, for a truly interactive experience. And while you’re in the neighbourhood, stop into 3 Wizards Shop on Avenue du Parc — it offers an immersive foray into the magical world of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts sagas, with a selection of official products. You can take your quidditch to the next level.

Ecomuseum Zoo

The West Island’s Ecomuseum Zoo is a wonderful place to glimpse local wildlife in their natural outdoor habitats and even have breakfast with some of them throughout December.

As winter chills the air, don your puffer jacket and visit Montréal’s parks for some gorgeous snow-blanketed strolls. At the Espace pour la vie museums, enjoy the Montréal Botanical Garden’s sprawling tropical greenhouse environments. Experience several wild ecosystems at the Biodôme (there are penguins, otters, monkeys and more), explore the mysteries of the universe at the Planétarium, and learn about the thousands of butterflies, moths and other insects at the Insectarium. Visit the gift shops too — they’re full of unique gifts for the holidays!

For some fresh-air sports, take the cobblestone streets of Old Montréal down to the Old Port of Montréal ice skating rink, where you can rent skates and glide next to the St. Lawrence River under twinkling lights. There are more great ice skating options in city parks throughout the city, and even indoors at Atrium Le 1000 downtown, decorated for the season and playing holiday tunes.

Among the many free things to do this season, see incredible city views from Mount Royal Park: head for a walk through the park and up the stairs to the lookout or bus or drive up to Beaver Lake. Stroll around Parc La Fontaine, cross the river to Parc Jean-Drapeau for a riverside walk and a different view of the city. (While there, visit the Biosphère, too, for environment-focused exhibitions and more.) 

For the ultimate relaxation session after a day of trekking (or just because you deserve it), visit Bota Bota, spa sur l’eau, a unique spa in a moored boat on the St. Lawrence River in the Old Port, and other world-class spas like Scandinave Spa Vieux-MontréalAvie Spa & CoiffureRainspa and Strøm Nordic Spa.

TO GET AROUND TOWN

To get where you’re going hassle-free, public transportation is the way to go. The STM has special offers on fares and a handy tool to plan your trip quickly and efficiently. You can also download the Transit and Chrono apps for up-to-the minute bus schedules. 

The Nutcracker - Les Grands Ballets Canadiens

Onstage this December

Montréal’s cultural calendar is packed this season, with entertainment for everyone on the city’s many stages. Among the holiday performances, see the glorious Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal production of The Nutcracker from December 12 to 30 at Place des Arts.

OVO is a circus show by the great Cirque du Soleil inspired by the world of insects and presented at the Bell Centre from December 27 and into the New Year. A magnificent ladybug captures the eye of an awkward, unusual insect who has just moved into this lively neighborhood, and the two instantly fall in love — acrobatically.

Speaking of circus, HA HA HA starts on December 18 at TOHU and continues well into the New Year. Watch two ludicrous characters as they fumble and bumble their way through the show, which nods to traditional clowning tomfoolery while hitting an unexpectedly poetic note and displaying unrivalled acrobatic technique.

Starting on December 4, the Place des Arts will feature Pub Royal at Théâtre Maisonneuve, a rousing stage production from La Tribu and Les 7 Doigts featuring the unforgettable music of Les Cowboys Fringnants. Watch as a cast of seven actor-singers, seven dancers and six circus artists combine talents to wow audiences in the craziest, high-flying bar in all of Québec. 

The Cast of the Secret Chord

Starting on December 8 and running throughout the month, the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts presents The Secret Chord: A Leonard Cohen Experience, a tribute to one of Canada’s most beloved artists that has known several sold out engagements in Toronto. Watch as the extraordinary life, music, and poetry of one of Montréal’s most famous citizens is celebrated by a remarkable company of artists.

In dance, catch a skilful fusion of dance, industrial design and queer aesthetics: Andrea Peña & Artists’ BOGOTÁ opened the 17th Venice Biennale and it’s now Montréal’s chance to see the radical and innovative large-scale work. Catch it from December 11 to 14.
Until December 31, Québec Issime takes over Espace St-Denis’s Studio-Cabaret with a dazzling holiday season dinner show featuring some 15 singers, dancers and musicians performing more than 100 songs. 

At Centaur Theatre, kick off the holiday season at the Holiday House Party @ Centaur, on December 5 and 6, featuring the talents of 16 students from McGill’s Jazz Performance program, who will reinvent holiday classics with a fresh, jazzy twist led by the legendary jazz vocalist Ranee Lee herself. 

Mutek

December art and exhibitions

The winter cultural season is in hyperdrive in museums and galleries around town, so get the full low-down in our overview. At Fonderie Darling in Griffintown, catch Déliquescence, a group exhibition on the theme of entropy, exploring the beauty of disorder and transformation through bold works that capture decay and mutation.

 If you want to start the month with a creative act of resistance, make it Amnesty International’s Grand marathon d’écriture on December 7, a writing marathon organized as part of the Écrire, ça libère! campaign. It takes place on the ground floor of the Maison du développement durable and in the entrance area of CENTRAL, the food court next door. 

Enter a realm of enchantment running throughout the month with Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens, an augmented reality storybook book that draws from advancements in AR to transport you to the heart of a timeless tale narrated by award-winning author Neil Gaiman. Taking place at Place des Arts throughout the month of December and beyond, it combines the magic of the fairy tale classic and cutting-edge technology, creating a spellbinding experience that transcends traditional storytelling.

At Phi Centre, running throughout the month, Oma-je by Laure Prouvostis an immersive presentation that celebrates Prouvost’s relationship to family, friends and their loved ones, as well as inspirational thinkers, activists, chosen kin and artistic predecessors. Her are intertwines and celebrates love, touch and teachings. While you’re there you can also enjoy the monthly offerings of performance art in the Embodied Space series, inspired by the intimacy, vulnerability and a moment of contemplation that live performance has the capacity to deliver in facing the void of our impermanence.

Visit the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts to enjoy the Museum’s Gift of the Holidays: Free access to the museum from December 24 to 31. It’s a great chance to see the Canadian premiere of Ravel Ravel Interval, an immersive video installation by world-renowned French-Albanian artist Anri Sala in its Contemporary Art Square. Sala trains his lens on the left hands of the two performers, Montréal pianist Louis Lortie and French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, who play Ravel with varying levels of synchronicity.

At the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, explore the work of the groundbreaking Indigenous documentary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin throughout the month. The retrospective seeks to explain how Obomsawin achieved what she did and what it has meant for her to do so.  

Montréal Science Centre - Interactive Exhibition Banquet

Among the Montréal museum exhibitions this season, go to Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex in Old Montréal to board the good ship D’Iberville to embark on an immersive and interactive seafaring adventure taking place in the days of New France, with their permanent exhibition Come Aboard! Pirates or Privateers? You’ll also be near the kid-friendly Montréal Science Centre, where you can explore interactive exhibitions that investigate the scientific world. This month don’t miss the Banquet, a multi-sensory interactive experience that teaches about the omnipresence of science in cooking and gastronomy in five zones.

The McCord Stewart Museum bridges past and present in its exhibitions, which in November includes To All the Unnamed Women, an exhibition by Michaëlle Sergile as part of their artist-in-residence program. It makes a tribute to the lives of Black women in Montréal between the years 1870 and 1910. Throughout December, you can also enjoy the work of Manasie Akpaliapik, a contemporary artist from Ikpiarjuk (Arctic Bay) on Baffin Island, Nunavut, as well as the Costume Balls exhibition, a fun and eye-popping show featuring outfits from extravagant costume balls and skating carnivals that were the pinnacle of society entertainments in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

At the Montréal Planétarium, tickets to any of the shows gets you access to Rouge 2100: A Martian Adventure, an exhibition that offers a journey in five chapters and as many rooms, where we realistically imagine the first steps of a rare humans in 2100 on the fascinating red planet. A fantastic world that also questions the place of humans in our universe and the fragile balance that must be maintained if all species are to prosper.

MEM - Centre des mémoires montréalaises

Visit MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises, a cutting-edge museum dedicated to the voices of Montrealers presiding over the corner of Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Sainte-Catherine. 

Travel back in time as you tour the rooms of Château Ramezay and visit historical site Château Dufresne near the Olympic Stadium. The Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal marks the bicentennial of Mount Royal Park’s creator, architect Frederick Law Olmsted with the exhibition Our Mountain: Memories of Mount Royal.

Not far from the city, climb aboard railway cars, learn about the history of the railroad and explore miniature railways at the Exporail the Canadian Railway Museum.

Discover the vivid history and present of Québec ceramics at the Musée des métiers d’arts du Québec. And for another slice of Québec history, visit Montréal’s stunning churches and sacred sites.

Experience a massive immersive art experience in surround-sound and laser light at Oasis Immersion, where Root for Nature extrapolates on biodiversity in all its splendour and  Dreaming Asia explores Chinese and Japanese cultures in a big way. You can also dive headfirst into the work of Van Gogh.

And don’t forget Montréal’s plethora of small, independent art galleries, from Bradley Ertaskiran to Hugues CharbonneauGalerie B-312SBC Gallery and Ellephant downtown, Oboro and MAI in the Plateau, Centre Clark and Dazibao in Mile End, Galerie d’Outremont in Outremont and many, many others in every neighbourhood.

Montreal Science Centre - Wings Over Water 3D

Onscreen in December

The Montréal Science Centre’s IMAX cinema puts nature on the giant screen in all its glory — this month you can see the incredible Wings Over Water until December 18 and Australia 3D: The Wild Continent until December 12, where you can discover flora and fauna that have evolved in splendid isolation, explore ancient landscapes sculpted by great geological forces, and learn from traditional custodians of the land.

See independent features, family films, documentaries and more at Montréal’s indie cinemas including Cinéma ModerneCinéma du ParcCinéma du Musée at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, and the iconic Cinémathèque québécoise in the Quartier des Spectacles (the city’s entertainment district). 

Explore the city through cinema in these Hollywood movies made in Montréal

Orchestre Métropolitain - Holiday Melodies

Holiday concerts

Holiday concerts and theatrical events return in abundance this year, starting with Un piano pour Noëlon December 1 at Théâtre Maisonneuve. Come and hear the most beautiful Christmas music collected from André Gagnon’s albums. A celebration of the many talents of one of our greatest Romantic composers of instrumental music.

Gospel fans won’t want to miss NOËL GOSPEL, featuring more than 70 singers backed by a live band at Salle Pierre-Mercure on December 1. 

Holiday Melodies at Maison symphonique, on December 5 and 6, is more than your typical Christmas concert; it’s an opportunity for Québécois, American and European traditions to come together with jazz and classical styles, featuring the Taurey Butler Trio and The Choeur Métropolitain under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Bourgie Hall dives into the holiday spirit on December 12 with a mix of Christmas classics and original songs by singer Kellylee Evans, renowned for her warm and soothing voice.

Candlelight concert

Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul present a festive Carols Sing-along with YAM! on December 13 at 7 pm, and on December 20 and 21 will put on their hugely popular Carols by Candlelight concerts.

On December 8, Vertiges en solos | Des airs de Noël is a pop choral music show presented at Salle Claude-Léveillée, and on December 12 at Maison symphoniqueKent Nagano meets Le Vent du Nord is a meeting of worlds wherein the folk group will perform their own music as well as orchestral versions of traditional songs, reels, jigs and other lively tunes that will swing alongside Tchaikovsky’s scintillating seasonal Nutcracker.

The Lyric Theatre Singers presents Candlelight Christmas 2024 at Concordia University’s Loyola Chapel for four concerts featuring 46 vocalists performing a timeless holiday repertoire, from December 12 to 15. 

Catch Handel’s Messiah with Bernard Labadie at the Maison symphonique on December 14 — for this 40th-anniversary Messiah, expect an outstanding quartet of soloists, including Liv Redpath and William Thomas in their Quebec debuts. On December 22 you can find another take on Handel’s Messiah, also presented at Maison symphonique but performed by Ensemble Caprice

Immerse yourself in the magic of the holiday season with the enchanting vocal duo of Odéi and Marc-Antoine, accompanied on piano by the talented Étienne Génier, for the most beautiful classics of the Christmas repertoire performed in Souvenirs de Noël at Salle Claude-Léveillée on December 18.

Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian – Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion Bourgie Hall Photos

Also on December 18, head to Salle Bourgie for a holiday classic: the 10th edition of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The famous soundtrack by jazzman Vince Guaraldi will be performed by the Taurey Butler Trio.

Celebrate a David Marino Christmas at Salle Claude-Léveillée on December 21— the finalist from Canada’s The Voice will sing Christmas classics, accompanied by some of Montréal’s best jazz musicians. 

And from Boxing Day until December 29, Parapapam at Maison symphonique is a magical and heartwarming holiday show starring two of Quebec’s biggest voices: Marie-Ève Janvier and Marc Hervieux, alongside over 30 musicians from the FILMharmonique Orchestra, plus more than 60 choristers.

Montreal Bach Festival

More live music in December

At Place des Arts this month, the Bach Festival presents more than 30 concerts featuring hundreds of incredible musicians, singers and conductors until December 8. Classical music lovers can expect a month full of other treats too, including Shéhérazade in the Land of Wagner on December 1, featuring the talents of internationally acclaimed soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, recipient of a 2024 Governor General’s Award and a bold artist at the intersection of several styles.

Come spy the Bond Symphonic concert at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier from December 5 to 7, the ultimate fusion of espionage and orchestral mastery featuring the FILMharmonique Orchestra under the direction of Francis Choinière

Head to Salle Claude-Léveillée on December 15 to see Mike Bruzzese Quartet featuring Emilio Modeste, a talented young tenor saxophonist and composer based in New York.

You’ll find all sorts of fun music shows at MTELUS, including Alexander Stewart on December 1, Champion & ses G-strings on December 5, The Dead South on December 6, Saint Levant on December 8, Elisapie on December 11, Daniel Bélanger on December 12, 13 and 19, Suki Waterhouse on December 14 and Orloge Simard on December 20. See full schedule here.

At Théâtre Fairmount, in Mile End, the cool shows this month includeHERA on December 6, a benefit show for LA DAUPHINELLE that features Melissa Auf der Maur, Sam Roberts, Stéphanie Boulay and many more. On December 7 the Death Threat night includes Gigan Animal Thugs, Bruiserweight and Chain Block. Also on December 7, catch Hairitage for his big beard and even bigger bass. On December 13 it’s Kasablanca night. Don’t miss the Fairmount’s bevy of dance parties that’ll make you ache for a night on the town.

New City Gas

The world’s best EDM artists come to New City Gas to get you moving, which in December includes Timmy Trumpet with Cheyenne Giles and Stef Agostino on December 27, and Adventure Club and friends on December 28. On December 29, catch Gordo alongside Wakyin and The Neighbors. 

Groove to live soul, disco, jazz, funk, salsa, Cuban music Fridays and more at Le Balcon, where you can have dinner with a show, go dancing, and enjoy a gospel brunch on weekends. Hear live jazz nightly at Montréal’s amazing jazz and blues clubs, like Diese Onze and Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill. And go out dancing late into the night at Montréal’s dance clubs.

Indie venues Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa have chock-a-block full monthly programs featuring both local and visiting bands, which you can find here. Look here for the many live events at hole-in-the-wall Barfly. Same for Bar Le Ritz PDB, where there’s a show nearly every night. Explore the lineups at Le Ministère and Turbo Haüs, and follow L’Escogriffe on Facebook to stay on top of all their upcoming shows. L’Hémisphère Gauche, up in Little Italy, is packed with music lovers for their nightly shows, as is Quai des Brumes on the Plateau — it never has a night off.

Isa Tousignant

Isa Tousignant

Isa Tousignant is a Montréal-based editor and storyteller with a curiosity that runs deeper than most. She has chatted life philosophies with celebrity chefs, gemologists, arena rockers and furries. (All were transformative.) Her free time is spent designing jewellery and laughing at her husband’s jokes.

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