What's new in Montréal

Montréal loves a good market, be it the local mainstays to seasonal pop-ups, each guaranteeing their own sweet surprises.

• The city’s public markets spruce up in their winter best with special events and programming. Don’t miss the holiday fun at Jean-Talon Market, including Christmas tree sellers on the weekends of December 7 to 8, and December 14 to 15, 2024.
• The Place du Marché Atwater transforms into the Montréal Christmas Village with artisanal vendors and surprise performances from November 28 to December 22, 2024.
• Le Marché Vintage MTL hosts a Christmas pop-up edition in Saint-Ambroise Church on November 23, 2024.
• The Great Christmas Market returns to the Quartier des spectacles, bringing all the sights and sounds (not to mention tastes!) of a traditional European market to the heart of the city, November 22 to December 30, 2024.

• The Christmas in the Park Festival kicks off its inaugural edition with a packed lineup of seasonal entertainments in Place Émilie Gamelin in the Village quartier on December 6 to 31, 2024.
• Pop-up Lab hosts a Christmas Market they’re calling “illustrative and playful” with over 30 creative vendors and free outdoor performances of traditional music and family activities on December 7 and 8, 2024. 
• The Collectif Créatif Montréal hosts a Marché des fêtes in the forward-looking Technopôle Angus neighbourhood November 16 to 17 and November 23 to 24, 2024. 
• Meet Santa Claus and sip hot chocolate at the Christmas Village on the Saint-Viateur Church Square in the chic shopping zone Laurier West Avenue on December 16 to 17, 2024. 
• Montréal loves its unique terrasses, and several local favourites—including some rooftop bars with unbeatable views—stay open throughout the winter months. Some of our favourites include the Alpine ski lodge charm of the Belvu Hors-piste, Restaurant Bivouac's Les Refuges du Bivouac domes perched atop the DoubleTree by Hilton Montréal hotel, or Rabaska, nestled in the heart of Hôtel Saint-Sulpice’s Cour Arrière restaurant which takes you on a gustatory journey along the St. Lawrence river, and the Terrasse William Gray on the 8th floor of its namesake hotel overlooking Old Montréal.

It takes more than a little snow to slow down Montréal’s internationally renowned festival calendar, and this year’s lineup is as stacked as ever!

• Le Monastère’s Circus Cabaret marks the group’s eighth anniversary with feats of derring-do self-choreographed by 12 local circus artists from the former church’s 360-degree stage from November 7 to 15, 2024.
• Back for its 72nd edition, the Santa Claus Parade travels down René-Lévesque Boulevard with all new characters, floats and surprises around every corner.
• Igloofest expands its programming to include a special edition of Igloofête on New Year’s Eve on the Quai Jacques-Cartier in Old Montréal with music from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and fireworks at midnight to ring in the first minutes of 2025. And best of all, it’s free!
• Who says an outdoor music festival can’t be in the depths of winter? Igloofest itself returns for its 16th edition January 16 to February 8, 2025, with a lineup of international DJs and revellers in eye-popping costumes dancing the night away.

• One of winter’s glittering high points comes with MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE’s takeover of the heart of the city with installations, performances and a load of family friendly programming. A cornerstone of the season, this year marks its 26th edition sure to be bigger and better than ever from February 27 to March 9, 2025.
• Keep the winter party going with the 22nd edition of Nuit blanche à Montréal on March 1, 2025, when cultural institutions expand their hours late into the night.
• Throughout February, Les Quartiers du Canal host Montréal Boréal—Le Jam du Nord, closing streets to traffic for four weeks in February and March of weekend winter fun.
• Proof that Montréalers love to go hard whatever the season, Apik converts Saint-Denis Street in the Latin Quarter into a ski and snowboard route you’ve got to see to believe.

During the winter months, Montréal transforms into a winter wonderland. From its public art pieces both permanent and temporary to exterior seasonal experiences, winter in Montréal is like living in a sparkling city-sized snow globe.

• Several of Montréal’s outdoor squares and plazas convert into prime skating locations once the thermostat dips below freezing. Esplanade Tranquille in the Quartier des spectacles, the Old Port of Montréal skating rink in the glow of the Grande Roue de Montréal (with heated cabins for a viewtastic warm-up), Beaver Lake ice skating rink mid-way up Mount Royal and the Parc Jarry pond are all prime spots. For more, Patinoires Montréal app keeps tabs on the most active rinks throughout the city.
• Montréal’s parks are prime for an invigorating winter walk, either on groomed pathways or off-road with snowshoes. Some favourites include Mount Royal Park, along the Lachine Canal, the islands of Parc Jean-Drapeau and the newest large-scale kid on the block Frédéric-Back Park. 

• Lumino returns for its 15th edition of epic lighting installations in the Place des Festivals from November 28, 2024 to March 9, 2025.
• Art Public Montréal’s website lists over 25 self-directed walking tours on their website, from the treasures awaiting in Parc Jean-Drapeau to the public artworks on view in the Underground City. Make sure to walk past Spidertag’s neon façade on the corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Mount-Royal Avenue, the newly-installed mirrored ORB at Place des Arts and the temporary Cercle Polaire installation at Esplanade PVM by MAD Collectif and Cree artist Jason Carter. 
• Spade and Palacio’s original Mural Tour has long been a favourite for locals and visitors alike, gaining across-the-board kudos in storied outlets like The New York Times. 
• Montréal’s newest shopping destination Royalmount is home to more than just top tier boutiques like Yves Saint-Laurent and Gucci. With six permanent art pieces including a spiral slide (and who doesn’t love that?), the complex’s central urban park is perfectly set for a walk between purchases.

Montréal through the winter months is the epitome of coziness, with a full slate of warming museum exhibitions and ample opportunity for other fun in from the cold.

• The Pointe-à-Callière—Montréal History and Archaeology Complex’s exhibition Witches—Out of the Shadows runs until April 6, 2025, putting witchcraft and its practitioners in the spotlight.
• The McCord Stewart Museum’s winter exhibitions include Michaëlle Sergile’s tribute to the lives of Black women in Montréal between the years 1870 and 1910 To All the Unnamed Women until January 12, 2025 and Costume Balls—Dressing Up History, 1870-1927 from November 14, 2024 to August 17, 2025. The iconic Ogilvy’s mechanical Christmas window displays also charm every passer-by out front of the museum on Sherbrooke Street from November 30, 2024 to January 5, 2025. 

• Several of Montréal’s museum spaces are showcasing Indigenous arts and artists this season including the Montréal Museum of Fine Art’s new ᐆᒻᒪᖁᑎᒃ uummaqutik exhibition of traditional Inuit arts (paired with Indigenous artist Glenn Gear’s ulitsuak | marée montante | rising tide projected nightly on the building’s façade until March 30, 2025 and Manasie Akpaliapik’s retrospective Inuit Universe at the McCord Stewart Museum running until March 9, 2025. The Indigenous art centre daphne also celebrates their recently newly opened location in the Mile End neighbourhood with continued world-class programming, and a series of bronze sculptures by Kahnawà:ke artist MC Snow and Kyra Revenko paying homage to Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen, the Kanien’kehá:ka ceremony of thanks, lines Peel Street downtown (with audio accompaniment available on the Portrait Sonore app).
• Up your selfie game with the 16 settings available at Musée Imaginarium in the heart of Griffintown—all tagged #mtlmoments, of course. 
• The newly opened Pickle Centre offers 14 padded pickleball courts in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, with coaching and contests on the calendar.
• Gamers of all ages will flip for the immersive experiences of Moment Factory’s ARcade at the Casino de Montréal, PLAYBOX Center’s crane and VR games in the Centre Eaton de Montréal mall and laser tag and AR darts at Les Trios Monkeys.

Ranging from #FOMO comfort to #YOLO luxury, Montréal’s hotel scene is a constant grower with glow-up renovations and new additions from trusted brands to boutique treasures. Here’s the latest talk of the town.

You haven’t seen some of Montréal’s most popular sites until you’ve seen them in the winter months. From viewpoints to immersive experiences, here’s a few of the city’s greatest hits.

• If you only take one picture on your visit to Montréal, Tourisme Montréal’s Bonjour Montréal sign on the Grand Quay of the Port of Montréal offers the ultimate backdrop with the city’s skyline soaring behind it. Say fromage!
• The Port of Montréal Tower (also on the Grand Quay, so two birds with one stone!) gives soaring 360-degree vistas over the Saint Lawrence River and city, which looks particularly charming under a blanket of snow.
• Canada’s largest natural sciences complex in Canada, Espace pour la vie is home to the Botanical Gardens, Planétarium, Insectarium, Biodôme and Biosphere, each with intriguing winter programming.

• Telling the stories of Montréalers in their own voices, the MEM—Centre des mémoires montréalaises combines memories via extensive interviews and artefacts including glowing neon signs from long-gone businesses into an unforgettable tribute to the city by those who know it best.
• Minds are regularly blown at OASIS immersion in the Montréal Convention Centre, via the latest in immersive projection technology. Check their website for the most up-to-date programming calendar.
• The Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal comes to life through jaw-dropping projection mapping with The AURA Experience, just as breathtaking as the church’s soaring archways and spires. And outside, the Place-d’Armes is lit up with massive twinkling stars throughout the winter.

Montréal is on the move, with a roster of major enhancement projects changing the face of the city—and we’re ready for our close-up!  

Renovations have begun on the city’s legendary Théâtre St-Denis which, along with other performance spaces and restaurants, will become the brand-new Espace St-Denis, opening in 2025. Situated in the Latin Quarter, the complex will not only pay homage to the area’s rich entertainment history, but also unveil new, cutting-edge experiences for those in attendance with the incorporation of artificial intelligence. While the complex gets its makeover, you can still enjoy shows at its Studio-Cabaret, taste of Paris brasserie Le Molière and chic rooftop piano bar Le Marie-Louise—clearly the new it place to be. 

A new centre for food and culture constructed out of Montréal’s original and iconic MR-63 métro (or subway) cars from 1966 is under construction in Place William Dow in the heart of Griffintown. In partnership with Montréal’s creative community, the MR-63 Pavilion will offer an array of products and services in addition to artistic, design and culinary programming featuring 100% local talent rotated every season. Get ready to board in 2025!

Also under construction is the epic new home of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal  (or MAC for short, set for opening in 2028), but  that  doesn’t mean the museum’s programming has stopped for the duration. See the Arts section above for this fall’s’s MAC offerings. 

Long a reminder of Montréal’s Old Port past, a rejuvenating overhaul of the epic Silo No. 5 site will break ground in 2024. With plans for an observation deck, public market, living spaces, hotel, museum space and upscale restaurants, this long-closed memento of the city’s industrious past is certain to become one of Montréal’s most sought-after addresses.

The island oasis Parc Jean-Drapeau is undergoing a transformation featuring a re-greening of park space including spaces dedicated to wetlands, a riverside promenade, ferry access, waterfront public squares and a High Line-inspired bridge linking the park’s two islands. And embracing the park’s legendary Expo 67 history, the Place des Nations is also on the receiving end of a unique glow-up, restoring its exposition-heights grandeur as an open-air performance space and gathering point at the west end of Île Sainte-Hélène. Read more on this $22-million upgrade here.

The light-rail REM (Réseau express métropolitain) system will directly connect Montréal’s North Shore, South Shore, West Island and YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, with the first self-driving trains now running from Brossard to Gare Centrale in as little as 18 minutes! Future legs are scheduled to open next year.

Groupe Écorécréo’s Royalmount project expansion plans outline an eco-innovative neighbourhood that’s more than just an upcoming must-have address, but also a leafy oasis well-stocked with shops, theatres, hotels and park spaces. A gourmet European-style food hall that promises to act as both a seamless dining experience and a community hub for art and live events, where diners can choose from 12 different cuisines all while basking in the greenery and artworks in an airy and sophisticated 35,000 foot space. The development will also be home to the Aquarium de Montréal, promoting the health of marine and freshwater environments while highlighting the importance of high-quality animal care and conservation actions.

Following an open international architectural competition, the PHI Centre and PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art will consolidate under the same roof as PHI Contemporary, set to open in 2026. Blending pieces of Old Montréal with innovative modern structural add-ons, the PHI Contemporary is sure to bring the most forward-looking creativity to Montréal’s oldest neighbourhood.