Updated April 20, 2024
Recent history: Most festivals were cancelled throughout 2020 and 2021 and into 2022. In March 2022, festivals started to go live again for the most part, but the pattern of festivals, especially the smaller ones, may have been changed for good, and some things remain online.
Some entities, like Nuits d’Afrique and Just For Laughs, are now producing shows all year, so don’t really count as festivals any more.
Festivals 2024
Will be updated as I find the current data
January
Igloofest, January 18-February 10.
Salon de l’auto, January 19-28.
February
February is Black History Month
Montréal en Lumière aka the High Lights festival, February 29-March 10.
Nuit Blanche, March 2
March
FIFA festival of films on art, March 14-24
St Patrick’s parade, March 17.
April
Vues d’Afrique film festival, April 11-21
Festival des technologies vertes April 19-21
Blue Metropolis April 25-28
May
Jane’s Walks May 3-4-5
Montreal History Festival May 10-12
Pouzza Fest May 17-19
Festival MetroMetro on pause for 2024
Festival TransAmériques May 22-June 5
Festival BD de Montréal May 24-25
Festival Go Vélo May 26-June 2 – Tour la nuit, Tour de l’Île and other cycling events
St-Ambroise Fringe Festival May 29-June 18
June
Grand Prix weekend June 7-9
Suoni Per Il Popolo June 13-23
Mural Festival June 6-16
Francos June 14-22
Festival sur le canal (used to be Folk Fest) June 14-16
Fête nationale Saint-Jean June 24
Jazz festival June 27-July 6
NOT YET UPDATED FROM HERE
July
Canada Day July 1
Tohu circus festival July 6-16
Carimas, Caribbean style parade, part of a new festival, July 6
Kahnawake Pow-Wow July 8, 9
Montreal Comiccon July 14-16
Fantasia film festival July 20-August 9
August
Osheaga August 4-6
Festival Lasso country and western music, August 17-19
September
Marathon Beneva September 22-24