Things to do in Montréal in November 2024

As the weather shifts into fall, Montreal festival season doesn’t stop: Montréal’s fall festivals and other major events celebrate artistry, culture, food and the city itself. Explore the many free things to do this fall, which range from outdoor performances to cultural festivals. 

Get your last fill of Halloween with the major Halloween Allnight event at the SAT, a huge hallows eve blowout party that’ll last (you guessed it) all night, until 6 am. Attend if you dare.

Speaking of sweet season, chocolate lovers won’t want to miss the three-day Salon du Chocolat, a meet-up for professionals and fans alike where you and an expected 10,000 attendants of all ages can savour, explore and learn techniques and pairings with workshops and lectures. It all happens in the Grande-Place of Complexe Desjardins from November 8 to 10.

Festivals continue to entertain downtown and throughout the city, starting with the foodie flagship event, MTLàTABLE, which returns for an 12th delicious edition from October 31 to November 17. Read more in the food section below. 

November is the perfect time to cozy up at the cinema, with a plenitude of film festivals on offer: from the French language films presented in English of CINEMANIA from November 6 to 17, to the real-world subjects of the Montréal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) from November 20 to December 1, to Canada’s first LGBTQ+ film  festival Image+Nation from November 20 to 30. Read more in the film section below.

World music festival Mundial Montréal showcases the best in new global music at several great local venues from November 19 to 22, overlapping with indie music festival M for Montréal, back from November 20 to 23. Classical lovers will thrill at the Bach Festival, which presents more than 30 concerts featuring hundreds of incredible musicians, singers and conductors from November 16 to December 8. See more in the live music section below.

The Salon du Livre returns for its 47^th edition introducing you to Montréal’s literary community, featuring author readings, roundtable discussions and plenty of books for sale,  from November 27 to December 1 at the Montréal Convention Centre, Palais des congrès de Montréal. 

Towards the end of the month, prepare for the shining lights that will animate the winter in Place des Festivals courtesy of the incredible interactive art of Lumino. And as we await the official date of the annual Santa Claus Parade, Christmas is definitely already in the air: Montréal’s Christmas Village starts on November 28 at the Atwater Market and will last well into December, while The Great Christmas Market kicks off on November 22 and presents the perfect opportunity for early Holiday shopping at Place des Festivals — but don’t worry if you’re busy, it runs until the end of December.

For a hit of light play, head to the Casino de Montréal to play on life-size arcade games at their ARcade by Moment Factory gaming experience: a fusion of multimedia and video game technology in two play areas that pits teams against each other in six interactive games. Each game combines motion-detection, projection technologies and videogame mechanics. After that, explore the shows at the Cabaret (like Génération 60 / The Sixties, aimed to make you move, get up and dance to the tune of Chubby Checker, The Beatles, The Temptations, Elvis, The Supremes and more).

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. 

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.

Enjoy the last of local harvest season activities, seasonal food and more at public markets like Jean-Talon Market and Atwater Market.

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.

Explore the neighbourhood’s historic sites, as well, including the Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site, the only Victorian interior open to the general public in Montréal, comprised of two neo-classical houses with an adjoining coachway. 

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 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 GaryLine’s double decker bus! Wear layers and enjoy the ambiance and watch as the city’s most vibrant districts come to life after dusk.

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 new murals from the most recent MURAL Festival and others. For an electric bike tour of the murals and more, the first in Montréal, look to Fitz Montréal — their comfortable cycling tours cover anything from downtown Montréal to Jean-Talon Market.

A flagship event of Montréal’s culinary scene, MTLàTABLE — also known as Montréal’s restaurant week — returns for a 12th edition from October 31 to November 17. Discover dishes from around the world, BYOB hot spots, vegetarian delights, delectable desserts, date-night destinations, bodacious brunches (back this year!) and more. See the MTLàTABLE event website for the lowdown and the full list of participating restaurants. Book your meals now, spots are going fast! 

The Raw Wine fair returns to Montréal on November 16 and 17 at the Grand Quay of the Old Port of Montréal, promising stellar pairings to please all palates. Come and discover some of the best wine talent in the world who produce natural or low-intervention organic and biodynamic wines.

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 101 on November 7, Mini-salon dégustation on November 21 and Atelier Découverte vin nature on November 28. The workshops happen in French, but hey — wine is a universal language!

In this season of apple pie, squash soup and pumpkin spice lattes, 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.

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

November is also an excellent month to have dinner and see a show at the Casino de Montréal: live music and cabaret shows will entertain you and your date while you enjoy incredible seafood and more on the grill at Le Montréal, a gourmet buffet at Pavillon 67, and quick delicious eats at L’Instant. 

Downtown, explore the wide variety of excellent meals at gourmet food halls  including Time Out Market, Marché Artisans, Le Cathcart and Le Central — or venture out to the Sauvé 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 shops, best 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 30 top cocktail bars, inventive Montréal microbreweries and late-night eats. Bon appétit!

Gamers unite: The esports world is converging in the city for the prestigious BLAST R6 Montréal Major, a cornerstone event in the annual esports calendar. It’s more than just a competition: presented by Ubisoft, this world championship of the hit game Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is a chance for the community to gather in person to watch the final playoffs live, from November 15 to 17 at the iconic Verdun Auditorium. 

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? Head to the Eaton Centre 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 Boutique des 3 Sorciers 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.

As fall crisps up, don your puffer jacket and visit Montréal’s parks for some gorgeous strolls. At the Espace pour la vie museums, enjoy the last of the season on the Montréal Botanical Garden grounds and the rainforest environment of the sprawling tropical greenhouse. 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.

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 November.

Among the many free things to do this fall, 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-Montréal, Avie Spa & Coiffure, Rainspa and Strøm Nordic Spa.

Shop for some sweater weather wardrobe staples in Old Montréal’s boutiques, downtown along Sainte-Catherine Street and in the underground city malls. Discover the latest styles at Montréal Eaton Centre and Place Montréal Trust, including Uniqlo, Nike, Aritzia, Décathlon 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. 

Duel Reality is a circus show that interprets Romeo and Juliet by pitting the star-crossed lovers and their rivalling clans in a literal sporting arena, with the audience positioned face to face on either side of the action. Circus unlike anything you’ve seen! See it until November 17 at TOHU.

Speaking of circus, Kintsugi by the Quebec company Machine de Cirque is an inspiring , poetic show about the art of sublimating imperfections, featuring major acrobatic prowess. At Théâtre Maisonneuve on November 15.

The Place des Arts features many other amazing stage shows throughout the month, starting with a play about Mono-Pause: it tells the story of a middle-aged Lebanese woman in the grips of an existential crisis. Following months of sold-out performances across the Middle East, this humorous and poignant play makes its highly anticipated North American premiere.

At Centaur Theatre from November 5 to 24, three generations of Chinese-Canadian women come together to resolve a bloody situation in Three Women of Swatow, a darkly comedic drama from Chloé Hung, one of the rising stars of Canadian theatre. 

When the music of Céline Dion makes sweet Canadian love with the 11-time Oscar-winning blockbuster film Titanic, you get Titanique, off-Broadway’s most award-winning splash hit, which turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical musical fantasia. Catch it at Segal Centre for the Performing Arts until November 24.

In opera, relish the drama of Hamlet at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, from November 16 to 24 — the anguish and tragic spiral of resentment that plagues the victims of a corrupt system (just us, or does that ring a bell?) is masterfully interpreted in Ambroise Thomas’s adaptation.

In dance, catch Far from the Norm by the award-winning BLKDOG as the troupe explodes with rebellious energy in a dance that questions our capacity for resilience. At Théâtre Maisonneuve from November 6 to 9. Dancers of Damelahamid is a vibrant tribute to Margaret Harris, an Indigenous elder who devoted her life to keeping her culture alive, presented at Cinquième Salle from November 12 to 16.

The Castro Romero flamenco dynasty honours Montréal with a visit at L’Olympia on November 10 with their Esencia Flamenca tour, a mesmerizing production full of raw emotion and fiery, rhythmic intensity.

The Social Tango Project comes to Théâtre Maisonneuve on November 13 to present a love story with Argentine roots, featuring ten dancers, four musicians and a singer. Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Asia’s leading contemporary dance company, takes us on a dizzying sensory journey inspired by a mysterious lunar phenomenon at Théâtre Maisonneuve from November 28 to 30.

Between November 21 and 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. 

The fall cultural season is in hyperdrive in museums and galleries around town, so get the full low-down in our overview. 

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, 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. Coded Dreams also runs at Phi until November 3; the exhibition encourages you to explore the frontiers of AI and unlock the doors of the imagination through two unique and captivating narratives. Become part of the works by influencing the stories that will be unveiled to you. 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.

The Horizon of Khufu is an immersive journey into Ancient Egypt on the Old Port of Montréal. Until November 15 you can explore the archaeological treasure of the Giza Pyramid, constructed over 4,500 years ago. The experience allows players to physically move and interact within a shared virtual reality space.

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.  

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.

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. Staring on November 14, you can also enjoy 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 19^th and early 20^th 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.

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 Charbonneau, Galerie B-312, SBC 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.

Start with an international buffet of French-language films (with English subtitles), conferences and more at the CINEMANIA film festival from November 6 to 17. Then take a deep dive into real-world subjects at the Montréal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), with over 150 new documentaries from around the world, from November 20 to December 1. And Canada’s first LGBTQ+ film festival Image+Nation continues into its 37th edition with over 100 features, docs and short films from around the world, from November 20 to 30.

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 and Australia 3D: The Wild Continent, 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 Moderne, Cinéma du Parc (don’t miss the late-night cult classics presented in the Parc at Midnight series of screenings), Cinéma 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. 

After international success, Candlelight Concerts is gracing Montréal with a series of superb concerts in a handful of Montréal’s most beautiful churches, including Christ Church Cathedral, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church and Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel. Enjoy live music — like A Night at the Cinema on November 6 — by the glimmer of a thousand candles.

World music festival Mundial Montréal showcases the best in new global music at several great local venues from November 19 to 22, while indie music festival M for Montréal — an essential catalyst for the Québec music industry for both emerging local artists as well as those developing their careers beyond the province — is back in various downtown spaces from November 20 to 23. 

On November 23, the St. Laurent Sessions present Ensemble Urbain alongside local artists for a concert featuring the greatest songs by Montréal pop artists and singer-songwriters — all reimagined for string ensemble. It happens at 7 pm at Café aux Angles Ronds.

At Place des Arts this month, November 1 brings Engelbert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz - Farewell Tour at Théâtre Maisonneuve, a chance to enjoy this consummate global entertainer’s talent — a rare example of unequaled style and sophistication.

Enjoy musical after-work interludes at the Salon Urbain with the 5 à 7 musicaux, running throughout the season and into spring. From November 20 to 22 it’s Special Mundial Montréal Edition.

Maii Waleed plays Salle Claude-Léveillée on November 2, then it’s Sweet Rebellion! on November 5, Refugee in the Sea on November 7, Chaabi Nights on November 8 and DenDana, Amidst the Dunes of Paris on November 14. 

In addition to the Bach Festival, which presents more than 30 concerts featuring hundreds of incredible musicians, singers and conductors from November 16 to December 8, classical music lovers can expect a month full of treats at Place des Arts. After A Latin American Escapade with Rafael Payare, on November 6, and Colours of Latin America with the OSM on November 7, Maison symphonique presents Richard Strauss’ Towering Alpine Symphony on November 13 and 14, Beethoven Symphony No. 5 and Requiem by Mozart on November 15 and 16 and a musical exploration of The Little Prince story on November 17. From November 20 to 30 you can enjoy Patrick Watson and the Orchestre FILMharmonique — a mix of music and film — while on November 26 it’s Eternal Orlando, and the another musical film night with The Three Musketeers in Cine-concert on November 27.

Catch the FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH Orchestra World Tour at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on November 29 and Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on November 30, there’s Violins of Hope at Théâtre Maisonneuve on November 10 and Strings of Fire | Symphonic Poem for the Faceless at Théâtre Maisonneuve on November 17 — plus so much more. See the complete Place des Arts programming for the month here.

At the Bell Centre this month, see Fally Ipupa on November 8, Don Toliver on November 13, Chayanne on November 15, Sebastian Maniscalo on November 21 and Creed on November 25.

You’ll find all sorts of fun music shows at MTELUS, including King Diamond on November 2, Infected Mushroom on November 9, Tinashe on November 10, La Femme on November 11, W.A.S.P. on November 13, Marianas Trench on November 20, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor on November 25 and 26. See full schedule here.

At Théâtre Fairmount, in Mile End, the cool shows this month include Tora on November 8, Destroy Boys on November 12, Isaac Délusion on November 15, Better Lovers on November 16, Fakear on November 20 and many more — plus a bevy of dance parties like a Charli Parti and Broadway Rave (a musical theatre party) that’ll make you ache for a night on the town.

The world’s best EDM artists come to New City Gas to get you moving, which in November includes Maddix on November 1, DVBBS on November 2, Steve Aoki on November 8, Mathame on November 9, and Joel Corry and Sidepiece on November 15.

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.