montreal events

montreal grand prix

Strippers across Montreal are going on strike in the middle of Grand Prix weekend

As Grand Prix parties take over the city and tourists pour in, Montreal's strip clubs are about to be met with pushback from the workers who keep them running.

The Sex Work Autonomous Committee (SWAC), a Montreal-based organizing group, is calling for a general strike on Saturday, May 23, targeting strip clubs and massage parlours across the city. The action is timed deliberately: F1 weekend is the most lucrative period of the year for club owners, and SWAC says that's exactly the point.

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grand prix parties

From FREE to VIP: Where to party in Montreal during the 2026 Grand Prix

It's that time of year again. Formula 1 fever is about to spread across Montreal, and so are the parties.

If this year's Grand Prix festivities feel slightly early, that's because they are. Starting in 2026, Canadian Grand Prix weekend has shifted from mid-June to late May, meaning the city kicks things off a little sooner than usual.

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montreal events

A huge poutine festival is hitting Montreal this month and entry is free

There's never a bad time to chow down on some poutine, but if you were waiting for a moment to satisfy that curd craving, this might be it.

Le Grand PoutineFest is back on the road for its 11th edition, and this year's tour is the biggest in the festival's history. Over 20 cities across Quebec are on the itinerary between April and September, with several stops in and around Montreal — including a run at the Old Port this summer that stretches nearly two weeks.

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parc jean drapeau

Montreal's Disney-like sculpture garden is about to explode into full bloom

Spring is here, which means it's finally time to start enjoying the great outdoors again (comfortably, that is).

If you made it out to Montreal's Parc Jean-Drapeau last summer, you already know what's waiting for you when the warm weather rolls back in. And if you didn't, consider this your heads up.

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things to do in montreal

A magical Harry Potter world hits Montreal this week & it's the first of its kind in Canada

If you've been waiting for your Hogwarts acceptance letter, you can stop checking the mail. Something better is coming to Montreal this week.

First announced back in February, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic opens at Place Bonaventure this Friday, March 27. The experience has already made stops around the world, but Montreal is the first city in the country to get it. It's produced by Warner Bros. Discovery, NEON, and Montreal's own EMM Williams Productions.

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montreal bars

I went to Montreal's only burlesque cabaret and it's like nothing else in the city

Whether it's due to Quebec's low drinking age or last call at 3 a.m., for many out-of-towners, Montreal is the kind of city you come to for a wild weekend. That reputation is nothing new.

Back in the 1920s, when the United States introduced Prohibition, Americans flocked north to Montreal — dubbed 'Sin City' at the time — to do their drinking and their partying. A century later, the "Red-Light District" at the corner of Saint-Laurent and Sainte-Catherine still stands among the country's top nightlife spots, despite many businesses coming and going.

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montreal events

An immersive Harry Potter experience lands in Montreal next month & guests get an actual wand

If you've ever wanted to wave a wand around and feel like a student at Hogwarts, Montreal's about to give you that chance.

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is opening at Place Bonaventure on March 27, and unlike most exhibitions where you simply look at items behind glass, this one allows you to interact with nearly everything.

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cabane a sucre

A FREE sugar shack festival is taking over this Montreal street for 4 days next month

While we're still in the coldest stretch of winter, every Quebecer knows that maple season is just around the corner. Luckily, you don't have to venture too far to find a proper cabane à sucre. In fact, you might stumble across one in the middle of the city.

Cabane Panache is back from March 19 to 22, transforming Verdun's Promenade Wellington into a four-day festival of live Quebec music, maple-infused treats, and all the sugar shack staples you'd expect. The sweetest part? It's completely free.

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parc jean drapeau

This Montreal park with Disney vibes has transformed into an ethereal winter wonderland

You don't need to catch a flight to experience something straight out of a Disney movie — Montreal has its very own enchanted garden, and right now it's transformed into an ethereal winter wonderland that looks like it's been pulled from one of Frozen or Moana's most magical scenes.

Last year, Parc Jean-Drapeau unveiled a spectacular new attraction to mark the 25th anniversary of the Mosaïcultures internationales de Montréal, and while these living sculptures dazzled visitors all summer, they've taken on an entirely new personality under January's blanket of snow.

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montreal events

A massive FREE New Year's Eve party with fireworks & live music is coming to Montreal

If you think you need to hop on a plane to Times Square to ring in the New Year properly, think again. Montreal is going big this December 31, and it's doing it without charging you a cent.

A brand-new outdoor celebration called Grand Minuit is taking over the Old Port for New Year's Eve, turning the waterfront into one giant open-air dance floor. The event promises live performances, art installations, a huge communal countdown, and a fireworks show to launch 2026 in style.

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skating rinks in montreal

Montreal's illuminated skating rink is open & it's 2x as big as the one at Rockefeller Center

If you're downtown and wondering how to glide into winter (without tripping on an icy sidewalk), the Esplanade Tranquille rink is ready for the season. Located in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, the city-run refrigerated outdoor rink spans roughly 1,500 m² and accommodates up to 400 skaters at once.

To put that size in context: the iconic rink at New York’s Rockefeller Center covers just around 669 m², which means the Esplanade Tranquille surface is more than double the size.

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coca-cola caravan

The Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan is rolling into Montreal this week & it's free to check out

If the first snowfall didn't already put you in holiday mode, the Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan should do the trick. The iconic, glowing red truck is touring across Canada again this year, with several Montreal-area stops scheduled over the next few weeks.

Just like the CPKC holiday train rolling through town this month, the festive caravan is hard to miss. It includes lights, music, colourful displays, a full holiday photo setup, and free drinks. Meanwhile, Santa Claus himself — the Coca-Cola version — is also making appearances throughout the tour.

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