The best summer festivals in Montreal

Although few visitors are brave enough to plan a visit to Montreal in winter, the lazy hazy crazy days of summer are another thing entirely. With temperatures varying between 80 and 100 degrees and incredible sunshine from 6am to 9pm, there’s no denying that Montreal is indeed a reasonably exciting summer destination. And one of the best ways to enjoy this glorious weather is to stay outdoors for as long as possible, enjoying the many terraces, yes, but also lively summer festivals in Montreal.

Here are a few of my personal favourites.

Food Truck Festival

When: May-October

It’s a safe bet to assume that at least a handful of food trucks will be present at any given festival or park (over 30 pre-set locations spanning 15 boroughs) but if you really wish to sample them all in a single night, then you need to head to the monthly “First Fridays” over at the Olympic Stadium. The event, which is complemented by live DJs, gathers all 50 food trucks, making it the largest gathering of its kind in North America.

Piknic Electronik

When: May-October

This weekly, entirely free, waterfront outdoor music event is almost exclusively dedicated to electronic with the Montreal skyline as a backdrop. Piknik electronik welcomes international DJs as well as local sensations in order to keep the program exciting and refreshing, and always a little bit surprising. The perfect excuse to dance the summer away with friends and family at this laid-back and fun festival.

Montreal Fringe Festival

When: early June

Like any of the other Fringe events around the world, anything can happen at the Montreal Fringe Festival. Daring to say the least, provocative for some, forward-thinking for others, the performance festival is particular in the sense that the program is not selected by a jury but by a lottery system in order to keep things fresh and creative. Visitors should expect anything from burlesque to dark comedy, and from off-Broadway dancing to drag-queen acts.

Mural

when: mid-june

Street art aficionados, this one’s for you: Mural is a festival that aims to democratise street art by inviting some of North America’s most promising and creative artists. Visitors are encouraged to witness murals being painted in real time and to participate in guided art walks around the city, punctuated by various installations and exhibitions. Most of the murals are located on either side of boulevard Saint-Laurent on Plateau Mont-Royal, and change every year.

Les FrancoFolies

When mid-June

Welcome to the largest French music festival in the world! Attracting over a million festival-goers over just ten days, the FrancoFolies de Montréal are the perfect place to brush up on your French and mingle with French-speaking locals while discovering new artists. The setting itself is also quite spectacular, right smack in the heart of downtown, by the Place des festivals, with free outdoor events every night.

Montreal Jazz Festival

When: late June

In addition to the largest French music festival, Montreal is also home to the most significant jazz music festival in the world; indeed, two million people will participate in some form or another over the course of two weeks. The Jazz Fest has a mix of both indoor/paid shows as well as daily grand scale, outdoor, free shows by the Place des festivals featuring some of the hottest names in the industry, from household classics to respected up-and-comers.

Montreal Fireworks Competition

When: every Saturday in July

While summer in Montreal is definitely the busiest time of the year in terms of music festivals, fireworks amateurs are not left behind thanks to the Montreal Fireworks Festival, the largest and most prestigious fireworks festival in the world. Going strong since 1985 and remains, to this day, one of this city’s top summer attractions with both locals and visitors. Technically based in the La Ronde amusement park but enjoyable from all over the city, this succession of world-class displays occurs yearly between July and August on Saturday and Wednesday nights. Indeed, Montreal’s sky lights up twice weekly with outstanding 30-minute long fireworks shows created by some of the world’s greatest pyrotechnic artists. Approximately 6,000 fireworks set off during each show! Moreover, the fireworks are synchronised to music, which makes the already awe-inspiring experience a multi-sensorial one.

Fantasia Film Festival

When: mid-July

A staple of the Montreal movie scene since 1996, Fantasia is a horror meets sci-fi meets fantasy meets anime film festival, a leader on the genre film scene and is famous for its eclectic line-up and devoted fanbase. It features movies from over 30 countries, most of which Asian, and attracts over 125,000 movie lovers from across Canada and the United States.

Montréal Complètement Cirque

When: mid-July

What, with Cirque du Soleil’s headquarters being located in Montreal, along with the National Circus School and a handful of acclaimed dance studios, one could easily jump to the conclusion that Montreal is somewhat of a circus capital; they wouldn’t be wrong. The Circus Festival honours that reputation by presenting both free outdoor and paid indoor shows featuring all kinds of death-defying acts.

Just for Laughs

When: late July

Is Montreal the funniest city in the world? Not just about comedy (although there is certainly a lot of that), the legendary Just For Laughs festival in Montreal features plenty of entertaining events including free outdoor performances of everything from circus to street theatre and even a Twins Pride parade. The indoor paid shows gather a dozen accomplished comedians every year and some of the biggest names in comedy, including Jim Gaffigan, Louis CK, and Sarah Silverman.

Osheaga

late July and/or early August

Osheaga is a massive festival dedicated to music and arts taking place every year at the Jean-Drapeau park. It’s one of Montreal’s largest, with roughly 40,000 daily festivalgoers; in short, Osheaga is Montreal’s answer to Coachella. Flower crowns included. The program is a mix of headliners and both local and international up-and-comers. It’s crowded, it’s loud, but it’s a lot of fun.

Gay Pride

When: mid-August

Montreal’s Gay Pride Parade is definitely flamboyant and absolutely not reserved to the LGBTQ community; everyone is welcome, here! The colourful event features dozens of floats which celebrate local LGBTQ-friendly businesses and noteworthy contributions in the community as well as Montreal’s legendary joie de vivre. This year’s theme is “Our Flag, Our Nature: GREEN”.

YUL EAT

when: Labor Day

YUL EAT is a unique culinary event set in the bucolic and historic Old Port of Montreal that welcomes dozens of innovative local chefs and food trucks, thus highlighting the best of what’s currently being done on the Montreal food scene. The festival is a mix of free events and paid culinary classes.