Montréal cultural calendar

POP MUSIC

Some highlights of upcoming national and international tours:

October

Canadian pop superstar Shawn Mendes launches the fall calendar with his On The Road Again Tour at the Bell Centre on October 1. Montréalers adore Mendes: at his last Montréal concert, a visibly blown-away Mendes said onstage, “This is by far the loudest crowd in my life!”

Other October gigs: Sam Fender headlines Place Bell (October 1); Blues guitar god Christone "Kingfish" Ingram (October 3) and Stereolab (October 4) at Théâtre Beanfield; World music legend Lorraine Klaasen headlines the Afro Museum on October 4; Québécois pop legend Daniel Lanois at Théâtre Maisonneuve (October 5); American RnB soul diva Lady Wray headlines Bar le Ritz PDB (October 7); Canadian rock superstar Bryan Adams at the Bell Centre (October 8); retro soul man Lee Fields & Monophonics at Théâtre Beanfield (October 9), and guitarist Steve Hackett celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic Genesis album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier (October 9). 

VOYD at Place Bell, Bladee at MTELUS, Jeff Tweedy at Théâtre Beanfield, and Montréal favourite Gipsy Kings at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, all on October 11; pioneer of the newgen Scenecore wave, 6arelyhuman headlines iconic venue Foufounes Électriques (October 15); Mumford & Sons at Bell Centre, JOEY BADA$$ at MTELUS, and folk rockers Kaïn at Club Soda, all on October 17; and legendary Mile End musician Socalled headlines La Sala Rosa (October 18).

Legendary Québec metal band SWORD (formed in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville in 1980) celebrate their 45th anniversary at Club Soda on October 18; Canadian-born, Austin-based rock duo Black Pistol Fire at Fairmount Theatre (October 21); Parcels at Place Bell and Leisure at Théâtre Beanfield, both on October 22; Québec singer-songwriter Ariane Moffatt at MTELUS (October 23); Darius Rucker at Place Bell (October 25); and Canadian pop icon Sarah McLachlan performs two nights at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier (October 29 and 30).

Concert of note: Live Aid 40 Montréal presents Juno Award winner Dawn Tyler Watson, guitarists Shane Murphy and Steve Hill, Jake Clemons of The E Street Band, Jonas, Adam Baldwin, The Alternative All Stars – featuring Howard Bilerman, Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade), Tim Kingsbury (Arcade Fire) and Patrick Stickles (Titus Andronicus) – and others performing some of the most iconic songs from the original LIVE AID concert, to benefit MotherFood International. Seating for just 300 in La Grand Salle at Le 9e on October 30.

November

Formerly with rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, guitarist Tom Morello at Théâtre Beanfield (November 1); legendary Québecois singer-songwriter Paul Piché at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier (November 2); Coeur de Pirate at MTELUS, Boris at Le National and Georgia Harmer at La Sala Rossa, all on November 6; Betty Bonifassi at Théatre Outremont (November 7); celebrated Lebanese operatic crossover tenor Amine Hachem brings his Around The World Tour to Théâtre Maisonneuve on November 9; Matthew Good & I Mother Earth at MTELUS (November 11); John Legend at Place Bell, Canadian 80s rock hitmakers Honeymoon Suite headline Cabaret du Casino at the Casino de Montréal, and Canadian blues legend Harry Manx at Théatre Outremont, all on November 14; and Alicia Moffet performs two nights at Théâtre Beanfield (November 14 and 15).

RnB diva Macy Gray brings her On How Life Is 25th Anniversary Tour to the Olympia Theatre on November 15; Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer and Beatles icon Paul McCartney headlines Bell Centre for two nights (November 17 and 18); Montréal’s very own The Dears at Le National (November 20); The Strumbellas at Théâtre Beanfield (November 21); Legendary Québecois singer-songwriter Plume Latraverse at Théâtre Maisonneuve (November 21); The Franklin Electric at MTELUS (November 22); the Soweto Gospel Choir at Théâtre Maisonneuve (November 22 and 23); Scottish-born Canadian pop-rock legend and Styx frontman Gowan headlines a solo show at MTELUS (November 25); German power metal band Blind Guardian at MTELUS (November 28), and Montréal’s The Barr Brothers bring their Let It Hiss Tour to MTELUS (November 29). 

Concert of note: The Jireh Gospel Choir and the Montreal Gospel Choir under the direction of Carol Bernard bring their cherished annual Noël Gospel to Salle Pierre-Mercure for three shows (November 29 to 30).

December

What a week at MTELUS! Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez (December 2), The Tea Party (December 3) Damiano David (December 4), PUP (December 5), Ben Bankas (December 6), Mac DeMarco (December 7) and Shawn Desman (December 9) all headline MTELUS.

Papa Roach at Place Bell (December 8), mgk at Bell Centre (December 10), Canadian rock legends Moist perform two nights at Théâtre Beanfield (December 11 and 12); Grandson at MTELUS (December 13); and Nigerian Afro-fusion superstar Burna Boy at Bell Centre (December 15).

Local soul, jazz and hip hop

For those looking for dinner and a show under one roof, the city’s top soul and RnB musicians headline Le Balcon music hall and restaurant year-round. Regular headliners include Montréal music legends Freddie James, Kim Richardson, Dawn Tyler Watson, and Michelle Sweeney.

Montréal’s premiere musicians and entertainers also headline live-music nightclubs Diese Onze and Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill, both ranked by DownBeat magazine as two of the top jazz nightclubs on the planet. Montréal’s top jazz, soul and blues divas headline both venues which also have dinner menus.

Soul legend Michelle Sweeney and her band headline Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill on December 13 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Le Cypher X organizes the city’s premiere hip hop concerts every Thursday at O Patro Vys while GrowveMTL presents jams featuring the city’s top musicians playing everything from disco to hip hop each Wednesday at Turbo Haüs.

Hillbilly Night each Monday at the legendary Wheel Club in NDG is the longest-running open mic night in Montréal.

CITY OF FESTIVALS

Montréal hosts many star-studded festivals each autumn:

THEATRE

The venerable Centaur Theatre Company in Old Montréal presents the English-language premiere of Kisses Deep by Québecois literary icon Michel Marc Bouchard, and translated by Linda Gaboriau. This long-awaited premiere tells the story of the transformational relationship between a troubled, gifted young man and his complex and inspiring mother. Directed by Eda Holmes, the cast includes Lyndz Dantiste, Yves Jacques, Leni Parker, Alice Pascual and Kevin Raymond. Runs November 26 to December 14.

The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts in the west end presents the Canadian premiere of the Tony-winning Kimberly Akimbo led by theatre legend Louise Pitre – who originated the role of Fantine in the Canadian premiere of Les Misérables, Donna in the North American and Broadway premieres of Mamma Mia!, and Edith Piaf in The Angel and the Sparrow at the Segal – in this moving and funny musical about a teenager with a rare condition as she navigates family dysfunction, first love, and potential felony charges! Runs November 23 to December 21.

The oldest professional Black theatre company in Canada, Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) launches their 55th season with the Montréal premiere of our place by Kanika Ambrose, a powerful and humourous play that unveils the complexities of Canada’s immigration system and the demanding costs of survival: Andrea and Niesha are two young women recently arrived from the Caribbean, working under the table at Jerk Pork Castle restaurant to send money home to family, and flirting with a visa expiration deadline while they explore ways to stay in the country. Runs at the Segal Centre Studio from November 19 to 30.

Click here for more English theatre in Montréal.

Over at La TOHU, the Off-Broadway smash Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors makes its French-language world premiere as Dracula, une comédie des horreurs. Runs  to November 1.

One of the most-buzzed-about productions of the season is the French-language Corps fantôme at Théatre Duceppe, co-produced by Montréal theatre company La Messe Basse who say their queer Québécois story “echoes” Angels in America. Inspired by reali-life events, the play tells the tale of three friends who mobilize in the early 1990s when Montréal’s LGBTQ community was under siege, battling AIDS, police repression, anti-LGBTQ murders and violence. Runs October 22 to November 22.

Click here for more French-language theatre in Montréal.

DANCE

New York’s famed all-male Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo returns with a wickedly funny new program for their 50th anniversary.The company will also lovingly skewer such audience favourites as Swan Lake, The Dying Swan and Paquita, at Théâtre Maisonneuve on October 16.

The 2025-2026 Les Grands Ballets Canadiens season continues with the contemporary ballet Snow White & the Mirror in which choreographer Étienne Béchardy combines classical and contemporary dance to offer a fresh interpretation of Snow White. With Les Grands Ballets Orchestra at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier from October 22 to 26.

Then Les Grands’ timeless adaptation of Casse-Noisette (a.k.a. The Nutcracker) by Quebec choreographer Fernand Nault returns to Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier for its 61st year. This two-act ballet based on Hoffmann’s classic tale is set to the music of Tchaikovsky and brings together more than 60 dancers and 100 extras, plus Les Grands Ballets Orchestra under the direction of conductor Dina Gilbert. If you have never seen it, this famed production is a must. The Nutcracker runs from December 12 to 30.

Choreographer Gerard X Reyes stars in the sex-positive PUBLIC/PRIVATE PART at Usine C (November 27 to 29).

Agora de la danse presents Black Lights, a show-series-manifesto inspired by true events. Performed by eight performers, it documents violence committed against women. Renowned French choreographer Mathilde Monnier brings feminine rage and anger to life. Runs October 22 to 25.

Agora de la danse then presents Show Gone, Torontonian Ame Henderson and Croatian Matija Ferlin’s final chapter of a triptych of duets that began over 15 years ago: a story of creative friendship and a choreographic relay through time. Runs November 5 to 7.

Montréal’s prestigious Danse Danse series programs a wide range of daring contemporary dance performances. Highlights this autumn include:

Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève performing Ihsane with some 20 performers, a vocal duo and an instrumental ensemble, at the crossroads of the Middle East and the West, at Théâtre Maisonneuve (October 1 to 4); 

The Hofesh Shechter Company performing Theatre of Dreams, a dizzying dive into a fantasy world where dreams and reality collide, at Théâtre Maisonneuve  (November 4 to 8);

And fresh from collaborating with theatre legend Robert Lepage, choreographer Guillaume Côté and Côté Danse light up the stage with nine performers in Burn Baby, Burn which tackles climate change and the need for collective awareness, at Théâtre Maisonneuve (November 25 to 29).

CLASSICAL STAGE

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents Mahler’s Swan Song which continues the Mahler cycle that Grammy-winning OSM music director Rafael Payare launched in 2022 with Symphony No. 9 (October 15 and 16).

To celebrate Halloween, OSM guest maestro Dina Gilbert conducts Rachmaninoff’s Isle of the Dead, accompanied by van Woerkum’s film of the same name (October 30); while the OSM presents organist Jason Roberts providing musical accompaniment during a screening of the 1925 film classic The Phantom of the Opera (October 31). 

Lead by guest conductor Lucie Leguay, the OSM presents Véronique Gens and the French Mélodie with French operatic soprano Véronique Gens, one of today’s foremost interpreters of French melodies (November 12 and 13).

Lead by guest conductor Anja Bihlmaier the OSM presents Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” Symphony (November 26 and 27).

Maestro Rafael Payare conducts the OSM with brilliant guest Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma in Echoes of Europe in Hollywood (December 3). 

The OSM performs one of Handel’s greatest masterpieces under the baton of Rafael Payare, The Messiah: Hallelujah! with soprano Lucy Crowe, alto Luciana Mancini, tenor Levy Segkapane, bass Roderick William, and the OSM Chorus with choirmaster Andrew Megill (December 10 and 11).

All OSM concerts presented at the Maison Symphonique at Place des Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles. 

Founded in 1981, the internationally-acclaimed Orchestre Métropolitain (OM) and their Grammy-winning artistic director and principal conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin conclude their journey through Sibelius’ work with a performance of the Finnish composer’s last two symphonies, in their Sibelius: Coming Full Circle concert on October 19.

Under the baton of Naomi Woo, the OM presents their Symphonic Spells concert on November 1; the OM gives the floor to two of its favourite stars – conductor Glass Marcano and pianist Tony Siqi Yun – at their New World concert on November 16; and the OM presents guest conductor Léa Moisan-Perrier with pianists Julie Lamontagne and Rousso in Neiges: The OM Celebrates André Gagnon (December 13 and 14).

All OM concerts presented at the Maison Symphoniqueat Place des Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles. 

The OM with Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the helm then present Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal on December 17.

Founded in 1939, Canada’s renowned Orchestre Classique de Montréal (formerly McGill Chamber Orchestra) launches their 86th season with Indigenous Mosaic: St-Gelais, Montour & Derksen at the Maison Symphonique on October 5, featuring three soloists: Innu soprano Élisabeth St-Gelais, Mohawk violinist Tara-Louise Montour, and Cree cellist Cris Derksen.

The OCM then presents An Evening of Vienese Operetta: 200 Years of J. Strauss II at Salle Pierre-Mercure on October 24; as well as their cherished annual holiday season concert Händel’s Messiah, performed in the crypt at Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal on December 11.

Back for its 19th edition, the prestigious Bach Festival has established itself as North America’s leading festival celebrating the musical genius of Johann Sebastian Bach, and presents international headliners at classical music concerts in various venues from November 15 to December 7. Renowned Swiss composer and conductor Rudolf Lutz will offer his interpretation of the St. John Passion for a majestic finale with orchestra and choir at the Maison Symphonique on December 7.

The Opéra de Montréal presents Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier (September 27 to October 5); and renowned Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan takes the helm for the OdeM production of Janáček’s Jenůfa, with Montréaler Nicole Paiement conducting the Orchestre Métropolitain, at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier (November 22 to 30).

Under the artistic leadership of pianist Katarzyna Musiał, the 10th edition of the Stella Musica Festival highlights women’s achievements in music and the arts. Their Grand Concert at Cinquième Salle on October 17 spotlights Les Voix Boréales, Fuego Flamenco, and soprano Élisabeth St-Gelais.

The 15th season of Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts features more than 100 concerts, with half of its programming showcasing Québec and Canadian artists. 

Highlights include Kristian Bezuidenhout, fortepiano & Consone Quartet - Classicism and Chamber Music on October 15; Intensely Schubert! with the Musicians of the OSM on October 24; baritone Wolfgang Holzmair and pianist Olivier Godin will perform the iconic Winterreise on October 30, billed as the baritone’s last-ever concert in Canada; Vivaldi: L'Estro armonico with Les Violons du Roy on November 22; and The Taurey Butler Trio performing their beloved annual A Charlie Brown Christmas concerts, with guest vocalist soul diva Kim Richardson, for four concerts on December 17 and 18. 

Click here for the full Bourgie Hall program.

MUSEUMS

The bilingual Titanic: An Immersive Voyage exhibition at Place Bonaventure blends archives, immersive devices and virtual reality. In addition to some 300 artefacts from the iconic ocean liner and its sister ships Olympic and Britannic, a brand-new virtual-reality experience allows visitors to move about freely and explore the ship as it was on the day of its departure, as well as in its resting place today. Runs to November 28.

Also, click here for your Titanic walking tour of Montréal whose history is interwoven with the story of the Titanic.

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

DISNEY ON ICE: Road Trip Adventures headlines Place Bell for multiple performances from December 18 to 21.

Children of all ages can discover new worlds at Montréal Espace pour la vie, the largest natural-sciences museum complex in Canada which comprises the Jardin botanique, Planetarium, Biosphere, famed Biodôme and Insectarium. Purchasing fixed-time tickets online is highly recommended.

The Montréal Science Centre’s  IMAX cinema screens films for all ages.

CIRCUS ARTS

CINÉMA

The 54th edition of the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma screens more than 200 films from 60 different countries, by emerging and major filmmakers. Runs October 8 to 19. The FNC will world premiere the hotly-anticipated Netflix documentary Who Killed the Montreal Expos? at the Cinéma du Musée on October 9. The investigation features archival footage and new interviews with Felipe Alou, Vladimir Guerrero, Pedro Martinez, David Samson, Larry Walker, Claude Brochu, Rodger Brulotte and others. The doc will then be available on Netflix beginning October 21.

The 19th edition of the Montréal Brazilian Film Festival runs at Cinéma du Parc from October 24 to 30.

Montréal premiere screening of the award-winning documentary Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between about the genre-defying singer/songwriter, directed and produced by his wife Claire Jeffreys. During the film, we learn Garland Jeffreys is now in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease (his last-ever concert was opening for Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul at the Olympia Theatre in Montréal in July 2019).  October 23 at BBAM! Gallery on a giant 12“ x 9“ screen. Limited to 40 people. Click here for tickets.

Montréal’s annual Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball is the largest Rocky Horror Picture Show event in the world! The 2025 edition also celebrates 50 years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with the ONLY Montréal event presenting the original cult film on screen, a shadow cast on stage and massive audience participation. 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. nightly at the Rialto Theatre on October 29 and 30, and at the Decarie Theatre on October 31 and November 1. Click here for info and tickets.

The 31st edition of CINEMANIA screens the best of this year’s Francophone cinéma. Runs November 4 to 16.

The 38th edition of the trailblazing and influential image + nation queer film festival screens more than 100 queer features and documentaries from around the world from November 20 to 30. Among the must-see films this year includes the much-anticipated Plainclothes starring Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey. Click here for a peak at I+N programming.

One of North America’s leading documentary film festivals, the 28th edition of the Montréal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) screens more than 100 Canadian and international documentaries from around the world, with guest filmmakers, retrospectives and panels. Opening film Letters from Wolf Street by filmmaker Arjun Talwar paints a tender and nuanced portrait of a Warsaw neighbourhood, while the closing film The Blueberry Blues (Les blues du bleuet) by filmmaker Andrés Livov focuses on a community gathered around the iconic fruit during the summer season in the Lac-Saint-Jean region. RIDM’s complete program will be unveiled on October 29. The fest runs November 20 to 30.

The PARC AT MIDNIGHT cycle at the Cinéma du Parc offers nocturnal screenings in the great tradition of the famous rep-house “midnight movies” of the 70s. 

The Montreal Cinéclub Film Society screens classic movies at various venues every second week. Click here for the full program.

The IMAX cinema at the Montréal Science Centre in the Old Port screens films for all ages.

LITERATURE

Fascinating relaunch of the book and album, Dark Sky Preserve: A Literary and Musical Enquiry, by the late Montréal poet and musician Ian Ferrier, musician Louise Campbell, and artist Sarah Beth Goncarova, at the Bellevue Observatory located at the Morgan Arboretum, McGill University, in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, on October 4.

Concordia University’s annual EPIC Used Book Fair returns October 7 (from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and October 8 (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) in the downtown J.W. McConnell Building Atrium.

The Atwater Library Lunchtime Series features once-a-week presentations by leading writers including author Donna Nebenzahl who on October 9 will discuss her new book To Linger With You: A Memoir of Sunshine and Longing in conversation with writer Mark Abley. Free admission.

Westmount Library presents a lecture with author and journalist Carol Off at Victoria Hall on October 9.

At the downtown Paragraphe Bookstore, authors Danila Botha (A Place for People Like Us), Michael Carin (Edisson and Jeremiah), and Rebecca Papucaru (As Good a Place as Any) sign and discuss their respective works on October 12. Free admission. Other upcoming Paragraphe Bookstore author events include philosopher Quill R Kukla author talk and signing for their latest book Sex Beyond “Yes” on October 16; and Gillian Sze’s An Orange, A Syllable book launch on November 2.

Montréal illustrator-artist-author Raymond Biesinger launches his book 9 Times My Work has been Ripped Off at Librairie D&Q on October 22.

An evening with author, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Poland Lech Walesa at the Palais des congrès de Montréal convention centre on October 24.

An emblematic figure of modern Quebec literature, Le Gesù presents a three-part event to honour the 100th birthday of Québécois poet and playwright Claude Gauvreau: L’Asile de la pureté on October 30, Pleins feux Gauvreau! on November 2, and Cabaret Gauvreau! on November 4.

British Columbia author Michael V. Smith reimagines the book launch with karaoke + poetry party for Soundtrack at Casa del Popolo on November 10, to launch his new book Soundtrack: A Lyric Memoir. Free admission, but register here in advance.

One of the world’s leading figures in contemporary French-language literature, Yasmina Khadra will talk about his life and work at Théâtre Saint-Denis on November 22.

The 48th edition of the Salon du Livre de Montréal presents author readings and booksignings, literary debates, panels and roundtable discussions at the Palais des congrès de Montréal convention centre from November 19 to 23.

Founded in 2015 by the Association of English-Language Publishers of Québec and the Atwater Writers Exhibition, the 10th edition of the Read Quebec Book Fair returns to Casa d’Italia on December 6 and 7. This annual celebration of Québec’s English-language literature presents a full program of panels, performances and author signings. 

Lectures LOGOS Readings is a series of monthly multicultural readings hosted by award-winning author H. Nigel Thomas and renowned human rights advocate Maguy Métellus at the UNIA Hall in Little Burgundy.

DRAG SHOWS

Mona de Grenoble – who walked away with the most coveted prize at the 2025 Olivier Gala, the Olivier de l’année – presents her show De la poudre aux yeux at the Studio-Cabaret at Espace St-Denis on October 18. 

Canada’s top female impersonator Jimmy Moore pays tribute to Taylor Swift at Le Studio TD on October 24 and 25.

The Queens of Christmas BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon return to Montréal with their 8th annual blockbuster tour The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show at the Olympia Theatre on November 23.

Montréal is one of the drag capitals of the world. Located in The Village, drag icon Mado Lamotte’s Cabaret Mado and Michel Dorion’s classic Bar Le Cocktail both book the best drag performers in the city nightly. Both venues are also two of the most popular nightclubs in The Village.

COMEDY

Montréal’s local comedy scene is enjoying a renaissance with flourishing comedy nights in clubs throughout the city, and touring national and international comedians selling out large venues.

A mix of sketch comedy, audience participation and improvisation, Irish sketch comedy troupe Foil Arms and Hog at the Olympia Theatre on October 16.

Bored Teachers bring their all-new The Struggle is Real! Comedy Tour to the Olympia on October 25.

Canadian comedian and podcaster Noel Miller headlines the Olympia on November 6.

Entertaining Canadians on the airwaves for 20 years, The Debaters presents a live show with host Steve Patterson at the Olympia on November 11.

French-Canadian stand up Anthony Kavanagh at the Olympia on November 14 (French-language show).

Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder brings his Self-Loving Jew Tour to the Olympia on November 16.

Comedian John Achkar at the Olympia (show presented in Arabic) at the Olympia on November 26.

As seen on Netflix and NBC, Randy Feltface headlines Beanfield Theatre on November 30.

Comedian Justin Willman brings his One for the Ages Tour to the Olympia on December 4. 

Canadian comic Tom Green brings his Stompin’ Comedy Tour to the Olympia on December 5.

Comedian and global YouTube sensation Kurtis Conner brings his Goodfellow World Tour to the Olympia on December 12.

American comedy superstar Matt Rife headlines Bell Centre (December 29).

Check out English-language stand-up comics at Comedyville located behind the Deli Planet in Central Train Station, with shows Thursday to Saturday. Click here for show descriptions.

Support local, national and international comics at Montréal’s legendary The Comedy Nest nightclub located in the historic Montréal Forum. Click here for full programming.