Updated 11 February 2018
Montreal is a city of festivals, a tradition that peaks in early to mid summer but continues year-round.
Many 2017 dates remain in the calendar as reminders. I will update this list from time to time in 2018.
Festival sites occasionally play music automatically on load. We try to take note of this but it can turn up unexpectedly.
Do you have an addition for this page? Please email us.
If you maintain a website for a recurring festival, please do yourself and all of us a favour: include the year with any event dates on the front page.
Ongoing
Just for laughs/Juste pour rire produces events year-round, but with a street festival in June. This festival lost support after a scandal in 2017 and is likely to be smaller in 2018.
Festival Nuits d’Afrique likewise produces events that don’t fit neatly into a festival schedule.
The Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Suoni per il Popolo and Pop Montreal schedule music performances around the calendar.
January
Wildside Festival January 4-13, 2018
Festival Barbegazi January 13-14 and 20-21, 2018
Igloofest weekends January 18-February 3, 2018
Salon de l’Auto January 18-28, 2018
Fête des neiges weekends January 20-February 11, 2018
February
Black History Month all month, exhibits and events
Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois February 21-March 3, 2018
Festival Montréal en Lumière aka High Lights Festival
February 22-March 4, 2018
Montréal Joue spring break activities, February 24-March 11, 2018
Port Symphony, February 25, 2018
Festival Nouvelles Musiques February 22-March 4, 2018
March
Nuit Blanche March 3, 2018
Art souterrain March 4-26, 2017
International Children’s Film Festival March 4-12, 2017
Under The Snow indie music fest March 18-19, 2017
The International Film Festival on Art March 23-April 2, 2017
194th annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade March 19, 2017
Bal en blanc March 27, 2016
April
La Braderie de mode québécoise April 6-9, 2017
Vues d’Afrique international film fest, April 14-23, 2017
Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival, April 24-30, 2017
May
Montreal International Musical Competition May 2-12, 2017
La Grande Rencontre folk fest, May 4-7, 2016
Accès Asie May 5-29, 2016
Jane’s Walks May 5-6-7, 2017
Puces Pop Spring Edition May 5-7, 2017
Croissant festival May 6, 2017
Vue sur la relève performance art festival, May 9-20, 2017
24 Hours of Science May 12 and 13, 2017
NDG Porchfest May 7 and 8, 2016
Festival musique actuelle Victoriaville May 18-21, 2017
Festival TransAmériques May 25-June 8, 2017
Montreal International Classical Guitar Festival and Competition May 26-28, 2017
Anarchist bookfair May 27-28, 2017
Montreal Museums Day Sunday, May 28, 2017
Festival Go Vélo Montreal May 29-June 5, 2017
(includes the Tour de l’Île and other cycling events)
St-Ambroise Fringe Festival May 30-June-19, 2017
Festival des Arts Vivants OFFTA, May 30-June 8, 2016
June
Le Mondial de la bière/Beer Festival June 14-18, 2017
Les FrancoFolies June 8-18, 2017
Festival Mural public art fest June 9-19, 2016
Montreal Grand Prix June 9-10-11, 2017
Grain de ciel kite festival, June 11-12, 2016
Montreal Folk Fest on the Canal June 14-18, 2017
Fête nationale Saint-Jean June 23 concert, June 24 parade
Montréal Baroque June 22-25, 2017
Montreal International Jazz Festival June 28-July 8, 2017
Mtl en Arts June 28-July 2, 2017
July
Canada Day July 1 – parade and events
Festival international de Lanaudière July 1-August 6, 2017
Carifiesta parade July 2, 2016 – Plays VERY LOUD audio
International percussion festival July 2-10, 2016
International des feux Loto-Québec fireworks fest, July 1‑August 5, 2017
International Festival of Circus Arts July 6-16, 2017
Montreal Comic-Con July 7-9, 2017
Les Week-ends du Monde July 2017
Kahnawake Pow-Wow July 9-10, 2016
Dragon Boat Race Challenge July 8-9, 2017
Fantasia Film Fest July 13-August 2, 2017
Montreal Electronic Groove July 21-31, 2016
Haïti en Folie July 24-30, 2017
HeavyMTL metal festival, next edition July 28 and 29, 2018
August
August is Archaeology month in Quebec, with various events
Rogers Cup tennis tournament, August 4-13, 2017
This year: men’s tennis
Osheaga music & arts festival August 4-6, 2017
Montreal Highland Games August 6, 2017
Terres En Vue/Land InSights first people’s festival, August 2‑9, 2016
Île Soniq August 10-12, 2017
Otakuthon anime convention, August 5-7, 2016
Italian Week August 5-14, 2016
International tango festival August 9-14, 2016
Orientalys August 11-14, 2016
Matsuri Japon Japanese festival, August 12, 2017
Under Pressure August 10-14, 2017
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu Hot Air Balloon FestivalAugust 12‑20, 2017
Fierté Montréal Pride parade, August 20, 2017
MUTEK digital creativity fest, August 23-27, 2017
Montreal World Film Festival August 25-September 5, 2016
Nuit blanche sur tableau noir August 25-28, 2016
Montreal Reggae Festival August 26-28, 2016
18th-century public market August 27-28, 2016
September
Jardins de lumière September-October
YUL Eat September 2-3-4, 2017
Quartiers Danses September 6-17, 2016
OUMF Quartier Latin culture fest, September 7-10, 2016
Mois de la Photo September 7-October 14, 2017
Art Tattoo Montreal September 8-10, 2017
Montreal Marathon September 23-24, 2017
Festival international de la littératureSeptember 23‑October 2, 2016
International Black Film Festival September 27-October 1, 2017
Journées de la culture Quebec-wide culture fest, September 30‑October 2, 2016
October
The OFF Festival de Jazz October 1-10, 2016
Festival du nouveau cinéma October 5-16, 2016
International organ competition October 9-21, 2017
Festival Phénomena October 13-20, 2017
Burlesque Festival October 19-21, 2017
Montreal Biennale next edition 2018
La Braderie de mode québécoise October 20-23, 2016
Festival du monde arabe October 28-November 13, 2016
November
La Grande Dégustation booze fest, November 2-3-4, 2017
Cinemania French films subtitled in English, November 2-12, 2017
Coup de cœur francophone November 2-12, 2017
MTL Ŕ TABLE November 3-13, 2016
Rencontres internationales du documentaire, November 10‑20, 2016
Expozine small press fair, November 12-13, 2016
M for Montreal music showcase, November 16-19, 2016
Salon du Livre November 15-20, 2017
Bach festival November 17-December 3, 2017
Santa Claus parade on Ste-Catherine, November 19
December
See our list of Christmas season events
Salon des métiers d’art December 8-18, 2016