Where to see drag shows in Montréal
Montréal has a vibrant drag scene that has been cranking out legendary drag artists for decades. Here are some Montréal nightclubs where drag performers perform regularly.
The origins of drag in Montréal
Long before Montréal drag icon Mado Lamotte came on the scene in 1987, professional drag in Montréal dated back to at least the 1940s, when renowned African-American drag queens Dick Montgomery, Malva Bolda and Billie McAllister performed at famed Montréal Black jazz nightclub Rockhead’s Paradise in Little Burgundy.
French-born Jean Guida – a.k.a. famed Montréal female impersonator Guilda, who got her stage name from the 1946 Rita Hayworth movie Gilda – arrived in Montréal in 1954 and was a mainstream crossover star in Montréal’s nightlife scene for more than 50 years. Guilda was an instant smash at Chez Paree in 1955 and was billed as “Guilda & Sa Troupe – La Reine Des Emmerdeuses” on the marquee of the Casa Loma in 1959.
Montreal nightlife legend Armand Larrivée Monroe made his debut in 1958 in the Tropical Room, a lounge in the fabled Downbeat Club on Peel Street. Going by the stage name La Monroe (for Marilyn), Armand was master of ceremonies who sometimes dressed in drag, impersonating Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich, Lena Horne or Marilyn Monroe. Gay men were first allowed to dance together in Montréal on the night of Aug. 27, 1959, to mark Armand’s 24th birthday.
Performers like Guilda, Lana St-Cyr and La Monroe paved the way for Montréal’s present-day drag scene. Here are some nightclubs where drag performers regularly headline.
Cabaret Mado
Popular with the younger set, Cabaret Mado is one of the busiest nightclubs in the Village and a great place to spot celebrities and drag queens. Named for Montréal drag icon Mado Lamotte, Mado’s statue doubles nicely as the marquee to her drag nightclub. Drag shows nightly.
1115 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Bar Le Cocktail
Legendary Montréal female impersonator Michel Dorion’s classic Bar Le Cocktail in the Village is a fun nightclub to watch nightly drag shows by many of the best drag performers in the city, including Dorion. In summertime, it also has a busy and comfortable street-front patio.
1669 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Complexe Sky
The biggest gay club in Canada, Sky in the Village boasts bars and discos on three floors, plus a hugely popular summertime rooftop patio where sun splashed patrons can also dip into a rooftop pool or jacuzzi! Returning summer 2025, Drag star Emma DéjaVu hosts the free-admission Le Sky Show every Friday at 10 pm.
1478 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Café Cléopatra
A show bar since the 1890s, the Café Cléopatra strip joint the Main is the last remaining hold-out from Montréal’s Sin-City era. Historically a safe space for Montréal’s trans community, strippers ply their trade on the ground floor while the second-floor show bar still semi-regularly hosts drag performances, fetish parties, and burlesque and comedy shows. Cleo’s vintage 1970s décor and disco lights are a mind-blowing time warp.
1230 Saint-Laurent Blvd.
Bernard Cabaret Gourmand
Opened in Spring 2025, the cabaret-style restaurant Bernard Cabaret Gourmand presents Scrambled Legs, an exuberant Drag Brunch hosted Sundays by Canada’s Drag Race star Uma Gahd.
936 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Open city
Montréal’s top burlesque nightclub, The Wiggle Room (3874 Saint-Laurent Boulevard) hosts drag artists from time to time, like drag king Charli Deville.
Other drag events of note: Bar Social Verdun presents monthly drag show Drop Drag Gorgeous with drag hostess Misty Waterfalls, while Uma Gahd and Selma Gahd of the House of Gahd host events throughout the city.
Richard Burnett
Richard “Bugs” Burnett is a Canadian freelance writer, editor, journalist, blogger and columnist for alt-weeklies, mainstream and LGBTQ+ publications. Bugs also knows Montréal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter.