Canada's 'Party Capital' was just crowned and Montreal was left in the dust
We're gonna need a drink after this one. 🍸
Montreal by night.
Montreal may be known for its epic nightlife, but the latest data shows the city might not actually be leading the party scene in 2024. In fact, two other cities have just tied for the title of Canada's "Party Capital" — and Montreal was nowhere to be seen.
A new report from financial services platform Square revealed that Toronto and Calgary are dominating the late-night scene in Canada, with 38% of all restaurant, bar and cafe spending happening between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. The company analyzed millions of in-person transactions from April to June to determine which cities are truly keeping the nightlife alive.
Meanwhile, Montreal, often lauded for having one of the best nightlife scenes in the country, lagged way behind at just 26%. To make matters worse, even Winnipeg — yes, Winnipeg — beat out Montreal, with 34% of transactions happening during late-night hours.
And if you think we'd at least have Ottawa — "the city that fun forgot" — beat, think again. The nation's capital came in strong with 37%, right behind Toronto and Calgary. Vancouver also reported 34%, putting it on par with Winnipeg — and solidifying Montreal in dead last.
Square's data also reveals that while Torontonians and Calgarians may be keeping the party alive, overall nighttime spending across Canada has dipped compared to last year. The two newly minted Party Capitals weren't immune either — they both saw slight declines in spending from last year, with Toronto down from 41% and Calgary from 39%.
A survey commissioned by Square backs this up. It found that 43% of Canadians are going out less often than in previous years, and 23% of them say they've cut back "a lot." The rising cost of food was the top reason, with 72% of respondents pointing to higher food prices and 51% blaming expensive drinks for their scaled-back social lives.
So, while Montreal might still have its reputation, this year's numbers show a shift in Canada's nightlife scene — and a few surprising cities are giving Montreal a run for its money.
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