Montreal is a city of festivals, a tradition that peaks in early to mid summer but continues year-round. Please see our EVENT LISTING CALENDAR for day-to-day details.
Dates for events in 2012 are being added as they become available.
Are you looking for tech camp events? Try Montreal Tech Watch and Montreal NewTech.
A few festival sites play music automatically on load. I try to take note of this but it can turn up unexpectedly.
Do you have an addition for this page? Please email us.
January
Snow Village, January 6-March 31, 2012
Igloofest Thurs-Fri-Sat, January 12-14, 19-21 and 6-28, 2012
Salon de l'Auto January 13-22, 2012
Fête des neiges January 21-February 5, 2012
February
Black History Month all month, many exhibits and events
Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois February 15-26, 2012
Festival Nouvelles Musiques – next installment in February 2013
Festival Montréal en Lumière February 16-26, 2012
aka High Lights Festival – Nuit Blanche on February 25
Port Symphonies, February 26 and March 4, 2012
March
International Children's Film Festival March 3-11, 2012
Under The Snow indie music fest, March 14-18, 2012
Voix d'Amériques / Voices of the Americas, March 11-18, 2011
188th consecutive annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade March 18, 2012
30th International Film Festival on Art March 15-25, 2012
April
Vue sur la relève performance art festival, April 4-21, 2012
Temps d'images, April 10-29, 2012
La Braderie de mode québécoise, April 14-17, 2011
Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival, April 18-23, 2012
Musique MMM, April 27-May 7, 2011
Vues d’Afrique international film fest, April 27-May 6, 2012
May
Biennale de Montréal next installment in 2013
Elektra digital arts fest, May 2-6, 2012
Montreal Chamber Music Festival May 5-28, 2011
Accès Asie May 6-29, 2011
La Grande Rencontre folk fest, May 12-15, 2011
Sketch Comedy Festival, May 16-22, 2011
Festival musique actuelle Victoriaville May 19-22, 2011
Festivalissimo Latin and Iberian festival May 18-June 18, 2011
Anarchist bookfair May 19-20, 2012
Montreal International Musical Competition May 23-June 3, 2011
Festival TransAmériques May 26-June 11, 2011
Festival des Arts Vivants May 27-June 4, 2011
Montreal Museums Day Sunday, May 27, 2012
Montreal Bike Fest (Féria du vélo) May 27-June 3, 2012
MUTEK digital creativity fest, May 30-June 3, 2012
St-Ambroise Fringe Festival May 30-June 19, 2011
June
Fête Éco-Bio at Tohu, June 3, 4 and 5, 2011
Suoni per il popolo June 6-28, 2011
Le Mondial de la bière/Beer Festival June 6-10, 2012
Nuit blanche sur tableau noir June 9, 2011
Les FrancoFolies June 8-16, 2012
Montreal Grand Prix June 8-10, 2012
International des feux Loto-Québec fireworks fest, June-July 2012
Infringement Festival June 16-26, 2011
Fête nationale June 23 and 24 – parade and events
Montréal Baroque June 23-27, 2011
Montreal International Jazz Festival June 28-July 7, 2012
FIMA – Festival international Montréal en Arts June 29-July 3, 2011
July
Canada Day July 1 – parade and events
Just for laughs/Juste pour rire July 7-31, 2012
International tango festival July 5-10, 2011
International Festival of Circus Arts July 7-24, 2011
Fantasia Film Fest July 14-August 7, 2011 (noisy)
Les Week-ends du Monde July 9-17, 2011
Festival international de Lanaudière July 9-August 7, 2011
Classical music
Dragon Boat Race Festival July 22-23-24, 2011
Divers/Cité Gay and Lesbian Pride days, July 25-31, 2011
Montreal Electronic Groove July 28-31, 2011 (noisy!)
Montreal Highland Games July 30 and 31, 2011
August
August is Archaeology month in Quebec, with various events
Terres En Vue/Land InSights first people’s festival, August 2-9, 2011
Osheaga music & arts festival August 3-5, 2012
Festival Mode & Design August 3-6, 2011
Rogers Cup tennis tournament, August 5-14, 2011
This year: men's tennis
Italian Week August 5-14, 2011
Fierté Montréal Pride August 9-14, 2011
(parade on Sunday, August 14)
FestiBlues August 10-14, 2011
Otakuthon anime festival, August 12-14, 2011
Fête des enfants/Children’s Festival August 13-14, 2011
Matsuri Japon Japanese festival, August 13, 2011
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu Hot Air Balloon Festival August 13-21, 2011
Montreal World Film Festival August 18-28, 2011
NAPA Auto Parts 200, August 19 and 20, 2011
Classic boat festival, August 19-21, 2011
Montreal Reggae Festival August 20-21, 2011
18th-century public market August 27 and 28, 2011
September
OUMF Quartier Latin culture fest, September 1-10, 2011
Escales improbables September 7-11, 2011
Mois de la Photo September 8-October 9, 2011
Art Tattoo Montreal September 9, 10, 11, 2011
La Magie des Lanternes September 9-October 31, 2011
Montreal Comic-Con September 17 and 18, 2011
Festival international de la littérature September 16-25, 2011
Car-Free Week September 19-23, 2011
Pop Montreal September 21-25, 2011
International Black Film Festival September 21-October 2, 2011
Burlesque Festival September 25-28, 2011
Montreal Marathon September 25, 2011
Journées de la culture Quebec-wide culture fest, September 30 and October 1-2, 2011
Orgue et couleurs organ music fest, September 23-October 2, 2011 (music)
October
Con*Cept science fiction convention, October 14-16, 2011
The OFF Festival de Jazz October 7-15, 2011
Festival du nouveau cinéma October 12-23, 2011
Festival du monde arabe October 30-November 13, 2011
Image+Nation LGBT film fest, October 26-November 6, 2011
November
Cinemania French films subtitled in English, November 3-12, 2011
Rencontres internationales du documentaire, November 9-20, 2011
Sephardic Festival November 12-27, 2011
Salon du Livre November 16-21, 2011
M for Montreal music showcase, November 16-19, 2011
Expozine small press fair, November 26-27, 2011
December
Salon des métiers d'art December 2-22, 2011