While Montreal is known for being jam-packed with non-stop festivals in late spring and throughout the summer, committing to that many events can be hard on a person's energy levels and wallet. The solution? Pick a smaller selection of must-attend fests you want to add to your bucket list… and make sure they're all totally free.
More Montreal festivals than you'd expect are either completely free or offer some free shows and activities. We've compiled the best ones of 2024 down below.
Porchfest NDG
Price: Free – but any donations collected will go to Women on the Rise, a nonprofit offering programs and services to women and their families
When: May 18 and 19 (May 20 if it rains)
Where: Use the map to locate participating porches around Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG)
Why You Need To Go: Porchfest is one of the city's most unique annual festivals and it returns for its eighth edition this weekend. Wander the streets of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce — or, you know, follow the map if you're one of those people who has their sh*t together — and find dozens of bands performing mini-concerts on neighbourhood porches. From folk to blues to psychedelic jazz, there's music to suit everyone's tastes, and even a porch side comedy show on avenue Mayfair. Name a better day to take a walk around the block!
Accessibility: Mostly accessible depending on your mobility when navigating city streets, driveways, yards and alleys. Expect crowds.
Porchfest NDG website
Festival Eurêka!
Price: Free
When: May 24 to 26
Where: Beside the Biosphere at Parc Jean-Drapeau, 160, chem. du Tour de l'isle
Why You Need To Go: Quebec's biggest science celebration is back with three days of scientific discovery. With over 100 free outdoor activities, including 25+ interactive lectures and shows, 50+ creative hands-on workshops, experiments, street performances, theatre and magic, Eurêka! is fun (and educational) for the whole family.
Accessibility: "All the presentation areas and stages are accessible for people with reduced mobility. A team of dedicated volunteers circulating through the site will be available to help you get around if needed," the Eurêka! team says.
Festival Eurêka! website
Dame Festive
Price: Free
When: May 25 and 26
Where: Rue Notre-Dame between avenues 10e and 14e in Lachine
Why You Need To Go: Inspired by New Orleans street parties, this new festival coming to Lachine combines art, entertainment, games and beer. What more could you ask for? The musical program, which includes 15 free performances in genres ranging from jazz to reggae, will be headlined by The Royal Pickles and Danny Rebel & The KGB so get ready to dance under the spring sky. You'll also be able to taste products from Quebec microbreweries, distilleries and restaurants as well as discover local artisans selling everything from crafts to tattoos, but that part's at your own expense.
Accessibility: "The festival is accessible to people with disabilities and reduced mobility. There will be accessible toilets. The staff and volunteers will make sure to do everything they can to help you enjoy the event," says Dame Festive organizers.
Dame Festive website
MURAL Festival
Price: Free – but block parties are ticketed
When: June 6 to 16
Where: Use the map to discover murals across Montreal (2024 block parties are at the Peel Basin)
Why You Need To Go: Montreal's annual urban art festival transforms the city into a colourful open-air gallery full of massive murals and installations. While you have to pay to attend the block parties, it won't cost you a dime to see world-renowned street artists create masterpieces before your eyes. Plus, there are many other free activities, including performances, planned for the Saint-Laurent Zone.
Accessibility: All areas of the festival are accessible for people with reduced mobility.
MURAL Festival website
Francos de Montréal
Price: Free and paid programming
When: June 14 to 22
Where: Quartier des Spectacles
Why You Need To Go: The biggest music festival in the French-speaking world is always one for the books, and this year should be no exception. The 35th edition features indoor and outdoor concerts in every genre — from folk to hip hop, all in French — including performances by Quebec heavy hitters Galaxie and Karkwa. The best part? Of the 150 shows being presented, a third of them are completely free.
Accessibility: The Bell stage and Loto-Québec stage offer an area dedicated to festival-goers with limited mobility, but you must contact Info-Francos to reserve your place in advance.
Francos de Montreal website
Festival sur le canal
Price: Free – but voluntary contributions are encouraged
When: June 14 to 16
Where: The Centennial Esplanade, on the corner of rue Saint-Patrick and rue Pitt, by the Lachine Canal
Why You Need To Go: The biggest cultural event in the Sud-Ouest is a prime opportunity to connect with community while listening to live music, eating great food and sipping some spirits on the banks of the Lachine Canal. Bring your whole family to bask in the picturesque scenery, as you groove to free performances by Calamine, The Damn Truth, Dawn Tyler Watson and more.
Accessibility: Located along a bike path with festivities held on grassy patches.
Festival sur le Canal website
L'International des Feux Loto-Québec
Price: Free from several vantage points (paid tickets for official seats at La Ronde)
When: June 27 to August 1
Where: Recommended lookout points include the Old Port, Mount Royal Park, Clock Tower Beach, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, the Concorde Bridge and Village au Pied-du-Courant
Why You Need To Go: While access to the world's most prestigious fireworks competition isn't technically free — in fact, it costs upwards of $65 to get a seat at La Ronde, where the festival is based — no one can charge us for looking up at the sky. And if we just so happen to witness magical-looking explosions of colourful light, as international pyrotechnic firms battle it out to see which country puts on the most dazzling show, whose fault is that? Certainly not ours.
The Old Port, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, which is closed to vehicular traffic on firework evenings, the Concorde Bridge, and the Mont-Royal Park lookout are some of the top spots to get a full view of the fireworks festival, without spending a penny.
Accessibility: Varies depending on location.
L’International des Feux Loto-Québec website
Montreal International Jazz Festival
Price: Free and paid programming
When: June 27 to July 6
Where: Quartier des Spectacles
Why You Need To Go: The Montreal International Jazz Festival is probably already a fixture on every local's annual summer bucket list — and this 44th edition features massive names like André 3000, Norah Jones, Laufey and Killer Mike. While you shouldn't expect to see headliners without a ticket, Jazz Fest organizers are promising that two-thirds of the 350+ shows will be completely free. That's around 230 concerts your wallet will love as much as your ears do! The festival covers a variety of genres, but jazz lovers, and those looking to explore jazz music for the first time, are sure to be particularly satisfied.
Accessibility: The TD stage and the Rogers stage offer an area dedicated to festival-goers with limited mobility, but you must contact Info-Jazz to reserve your place in advance. "The Esplanade de la Place des Arts (the whole area at the top of the stairs) overlooking Sainte-Catherine Street is accessible via De Maisonneuve Boulevard, east of Jeanne-Mance Street, toward Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier," Montreal Jazz Fest says.
Montreal Jazz Fest website
MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE (Completely Circus)
Price: Free and paid programming
When: July 4 to 14
Where: Various venues in Montreal
Why You Need To Go: "Circus doesn't know impossible" is the tagline for this 15th edition of MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE — and you can expect the festival to prove its theme true through 11 days of stunning circus arts. Indoors and outdoors, digital and in-person, at venues, on the streets, in parks, on sidewalks and on stages, the circus will take over the city with "high-flying performances from here and around the world."
Accessibility: Varies depending on location.
Montreal Complètement Cirque website
Festival international Nuits d'Afrique
Price: Free and paid programming
When: July 9 to 21
Where: Various venues in Montreal
Why You Need To Go: More than 700 artists from 30 countries are expected to come together this year to bring Montreal its cherished African nights, spent grooving to the rhythms of African, Caribbean and Latin American music. The unforgettable cultural festival, now in its 38th year, won't unveil its schedule until May 28. But last year, it included six days of free outdoor programming and this year's event should be similar.
Accessibility: You can find a list of the festival's accessible venues here.
Festival international Nuits d'Afrique website
Fantasia International Film Festival
Price: Free and paid programming
When: July 18 to August 4
Where: Multiple Montreal cinemas
Why You Need To Go: Back for its 28th edition, North America's largest 'genre' film festival bridges the gap between the cutting edge and the mainstream, providing audience members — from industry pros to emerging artists to local fans — with the opportunity to see some of the best productions Canadian cinema has to offer. While many of the 300+ films require tickets, Fantasia also offers free programming each year. In 2023, all family-friendly "My First Fantasia" screenings were free, as were a couple of artist talks, a special screening of Jour de merde and more.
Accessibility: "Concordia’s Hall and J.A. de Sève Cinemas, as well as the Cinémathèque québécoise, Cinéma du Musée, Cinéma du Parc (through the entrance at 3590 Jeanne-Mance Street) and the McCord Museum (through the entrance at 2175 Victoria Street) are wheelchair accessible," Fantasia organizers say.
Fantasia International Film Festival website
Fierté Montréal (Montreal Pride)
Price: Free and paid programming
When: August 1 to 11
Where: Various venues in Montreal
Why You Need To Go: While the full 2024 program has yet to be announced, Montreal's annual Pride festival always delivers a plethora of vibrant activities in celebration of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Many of the events are typically free, including the huge parade where the city's streets overflow with music, floats, colour and love, creating an experience far more meaningful — and more memorable — than money could ever buy.
Accessibility: "Spaces for people with limited mobility will be available on the Blvd. Réné-Lévesque: in front of the Miville-Couture Park (between the streets Wolfe and Atateken), and at the North-Est corner of Phillips Square St.," organizers say.
Fierté Montréal website
ItalfestMTL
Price: Free
When: August 2 to 15
Where: Little Italy (boulevard Saint-Laurent) and Esplanade Tranquille (Quartier des Spectacles)
Why You Need To Go: Italian-Quebec culture is on full display at this lively annual event, which typically sees 500,000 festival-goers. Between the concerts, fashion show, opera, film festival, art competition and mouthwatering food galore, there's something for everyone at ItalfestMTL — whether you're of Italian heritage or simply an Italian food and culture enthusiast.
Accessibility: Partially accessible to people with a disability, according to Bonjour Quebec.
ItalfestMTL website
Montreal First Peoples Festival
Price: Free and paid programming
When: August 6 to 15
Where: Place des Festivals, Quartier des Spectacles
Why You Need To Go: Through a ten-day multidisciplinary program of various art forms — musical concerts, traditional dancing, poetry, a film competition and more — the Montreal First Peoples Festival brings together Indigenous communities to honour and celebrate the rich cultural roots that, in the words of Indigenous Tourism Quebec, "are still alive and still significant on the ancestral territory where they flourish." The 2024 program is expected to be revealed soon, which is where you can find out which events will be on offer for free this year.
Accessibility: According to Tourisme Montréal, there will be "access for persons with restricted physical ability."
First Peoples' Festival website
MUTEK Montreal
Price: Free shows at the outdoor Expérience stage
When: August 20 to 25
Where: Quartier des Spectacles
Why You Need To Go: If you love electronic music, this festival is for you. The 25th anniversary edition of MUTEK aims to unite music lovers and music makers from across the globe for a six-day immersive sound and visual art experience. Over 120 artists from 24 countries are set to perform, including Switzerland's Aïsha Devi and Italy's Andrea. "Every day from 5pm, the free outdoor stage on esplanade Tranquille accompanies Montréalers and tourists alike in a festive and eclectic mix of musical styles. Note that several surprises will be unveiled this summer for a pleasure that extends into time and space," reads the MUTEK website.
Accessibility: While MUTEK has yet to update its accessibility details for 2024, the information on the 2023 venues page should give you a good idea of what to expect.
MUTEK website
M.A.D. Festival
Price: Free
When: August 20 to 25
Where: Quartier des Spectacles
Why You Need To Go: Combining fashion (la Mode), art (les Arts) and entertainment (le Divertissement), which is where the M.A.D. acronym comes from, this annual event, formerly the Fashion & Design Festival, is all about celebrating creativity, innovation and diversity in downtown Montreal. From DJ sets to fashion shows to art installations, we think it's MAD that M.A.D. is totally free. The cherry on top is that the free shows and events leave you with a few extra bucks to spend at the festival food trucks or at the pop-up market, where you can support Quebec artisans.
Accessibility: "All areas of the festival are accessible for people with reduced mobility, except for the M.A.D. terrace (VIP section)," the M.A.D. team says.
MAD Festival website
AfroMonde Festival
Price: Free
When: August 15 to September 15
Where: Clock Tower Pier, 1, rue Quai de l'Horloge
Why You Need To Go: The 15th AfroMonde festival welcomes thousands of festival-goers each year who gather to celebrate Afro-descendant communities through arts, shows, urban music, gastronomy, humour, fashion and technology. The famous Carnaval — a costumed and drummed parade with traditional songs and music representing all the cultural communities of the festival — is set to take place on August 20, 2024. "Festival participants express pride of their ancestry and the 'living together of the Quebec and Canadian people,'" the website says. With a month of free shows and activities to discover, AfroMonde is the perfect way to cap-off your summer.
Accessibility: According to Tourisme Montréal, there will be "access for persons with restricted physical ability."
AfroMonde Festival website
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
A quintet performs as audience members look on at a previous edition of Polski Piknik at Au Pied du Courant.Courtesy of Polski Piknik
