What's new in Montréal

When the thermostat rises, so does the fun in Montréal. Here’s just some of the season’s most beloved traditions and new experiences that await this summer.

• The new Montréal Bungee is the highest urban bungee jump in North America. Just follow the happy screaming in the Old Port!
• Mini Putt Montréal’s two courses in the Old Port’s Quai des Convoyeurs cover families and skilled golfers alike, and its morning-to-night opening hours guarantee some sweet summer memories.
• Cirque du Soleil’s jaw dropping classic LUZIA returns to their iconic Big Top in the Old Port May 15 to August 24, 2025.
• Everyone loves a summer birthday, and this year Montréal’s canals celebrate two biggies! The Lachine Canal National Historic Site marks 200 years of gently flowing into the Saint Lawrence while Verdun is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a year’s worth of programming and special events. Happy anniversaries!
• As an island city, Montréal’s connection to the water that surrounds it runs deep. Those looking for an unforgettable dip should head directly to KSF in Lasalle, who’ve coordinated river-riding excursions, paddleboarding and rapids surfing for 30 years.
• Summer is picnic season, and some of the best shopping spots are Montréal’s public markets including Jean-Talon Market, Atwater Market and Maisonneuve Market, each bringing their own twist to the summer months with special events and local products.

Montréal has long been a gourmet’s paradise, filled with local favourites and restaurants feted by those in the know. And this summer, the world-leading Michelin Guide has also joined the action with its first listings in the city.

The venerable Michelin Guide’s first Québec listings were released this spring, and some of Montréal’s finest were awarded highly coveted stars including:

• Europea, featuring local products with French expertise under the guiding hand of chef Jérôme Ferrer
• Mastard, whose chef Simon Mathys pays tribute to Québec’s terroir with each expertly plated dish
• The intimate 14-seat Sabayon, led by chef Patrice Demers and sommelier Marie-Josée Beaudoin, noted for their desserts

Several Bib Gourmands were also awarded to some of Montréal’s long-time local favourites including:

• Annette bar à vin
• Cadet
• Casavant
• Le Petit Alep
• L’Express
• Parapluie
• Rôtisserie La Lune

And to top it all off, Michelin’s list of selected restaurants is full of mouthwatering hot spots no trip would be complete without visiting including Au Pied de Cochon, Beba, Bouillon Bilk, Cabaret l’Enfer, Candide, Damas, Dorsia, Ferreira Café, Foxy, Garde Manger, Hoogan et Beaufort, Île Flottante, Joe Beef, Jun I, La Chronique, Lawrence, Le Club Chasse et Pêche, Le Filet, Le Mousso, Le Serpent, Le St-Urbain, Le Tap Room—Manoir Hovey, Le Vin Papillon, Le Violon, Le Virunga, Leméac, Les Mômes, Maison Boulud, Marcus, Memo, Moccione, Monarque, Mon Lapin, Montréal Plaza, Okay Kyujiro Montréal, Oncle Lee, Othym, Panacée, Park, Place Carmin, Restaurant de l’ITHQ, Salle Climatisée, Schwartz’s Deli, Toqué! and Yokato Yokaba. A Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award was also received by Véronique Dalle of Foxy and Mon Lapin’s Vanya Filipovic received the Michelin Sommelier Award, so you know where your next drinks are best consumed!

New restaurants join Montréal’s dining scene every season, and summer 2025 welcomes a tasty group guaranteeing a gourmet adventure. See our list here.

Each year the Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list also features multiple Montréal hotspots, and the 2025 edition is no different with a quarter of the selected spots right here. See the local establishments who’ve made the list and make your reservations!

And nothing makes it all go down better than a visit to one of Montréal’s award winning bars, this season welcoming Sofitel’s Nini and Buvette du Petit Dep in Griffintown.

As the city turns leafy and green, the summer festival calendar also blooms with unmissable, non-stop fun for all ages.

• The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal celebrates 45 years at the top of the heap of summer festivals with a packed line-up of international stars and up-and-comers, transforming the Quartier des Spectacles and the Place des Festivals into a buzzing hub of music and celebration. The 2025 edition also includes an unmissable 100th anniversary celebration of local jazz legend Oscar Peterson.

For more festival listings and links, check our summer roundup!

In Montréal art is everywhere, from outdoor galleries to sculpture parks. This summer, take in some eye-popping creativity in the great outdoors.

• Art Public Montréal’s website lists more than 25 self-directed walking tours on their website, from the treasures awaiting in Parc Jean-Drapeau to the public artworks on view in the Underground City. Make sure not to miss Spidertag’s neon façade on the corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Mount-Royal Avenue and the newly-installed mirrored ORB at Place des Arts.
• Spade and Palacio’s guided Mural Tour gives the backstory of some of Montréal’s most iconic wall-side artworks.
• Groupe Écorécréo’s Royalmount project expansion plans outline an eco-innovative neighbourhood that’s more than just an upcoming must-have address and shopping destination, but a leafy oasis punctuated with selfie-worthy large-scale public art pieces. Their Public Art Walk features large-scale pieces including installations, photography, sculpture and murals.

The summer schedule brings an exciting list of unmissable world-class exhibitions and cutting edge artistic premieres to Montréal’s world-class arts spaces.

• The Musée des Hospitalières hosts Corpus insolite: Jana Sterbak by the internationally renowned Montréal artist until August 24, 2025, integrating her artworks with some of the museum’s seldom-seen archival pieces.
• The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts (or MMFA for those in the know) hosts the overview Berthe Weill, Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-garde until September 7, 2025, Bad Girls Only: Women and the Seven Deadly Sins, a collection of Dutch and Flemish prints including works by Albrecht Dürer and Hieronymus Wierix to August 10, 2025 and Worlds of Wonder: The Surrealist Journey of Alan Glass until September 28, 2025.
• The McCord Stewart Museum presents Pounding the Pavement: Montréal Street Photography until October 26, 2025, with over 400 images from the 19th century to the present.

For more Montréal museum exhibition listings, click here.

And for some unbeatable indoor adventures, Montréal’s family friendly entertainment centres offer unbeatable fun times for kids of all ages!

Ranging from #FOMO comfort to #YOLO luxury, Montréal’s hotel scene is a constant grower with glow-up renovations and new additions from trusted brands to boutique treasures. Click here for all the latest talk of the town. 

You haven’t seen some of Montréal’s most popular sites until you’ve seen them under the summer sun. From epic viewpoints to immersive experiences, here’s 10 of the city’s de rigeur greatest hits for first-time visitors (perfectly suited for repeat visits too)!