Find your local Fête nationale programming here. In Montreal, the traditional parade begins at 1:30pm at St-Joseph E and Molson, and arrives at Maisonneuve Park at 3pm. The green space plays host to activities through teh afternoon, with the big concert starting at 8pm. Helmed by DJ and media personality Pierre-Yves Lord, the lineup includes performers like Isabelle Boulay, Garou, Marjo, Jay Jay and Fouki. Nearby, the Olympic Park will have 132 Quebec flags on display, to mark not only the Fete Nationale but also the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the fleur-de-lys.
The St Jean party in Laval will unroll at 8:30pm at the Centre de la nature Laval, with drag queen Rita Baga helming a series of performances and speeches by the likes of Ariane Roy, Martha Wainwright, Pierre Kwenders, Marie-Gold and more. Check out circus and folk dance performances earlier in the day.
Indigenous Peoples Day was on Wednesday, but take time to see the McCord Stewart Museum’s excellent and informative Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience. The 11 Indigenous nations living within the borders of Quebec, like the Innu, Kanienʼkehá꞉ka and Cree, are profiled in this exhibit, with testimonies and carefully curated objects. The exhibit was curated by Elisabeth Kaine, a Huron-Wendat contributor to the museum who also gathered hundreds of stories, before her passing in 2022.
The plucky animals of Paw Patrol bring the action in PAW Patrol Live! Heroes Unite. There are shows in French and English, at various times Friday to Sunday, at Place Bell in Laval.
Cheer on the athletes competing in the Montreal stop on the World Triathlon Championship Series - the only North American date on the tour! At the Grand Quai du Port de Montréal, 110 athletes are set to represent 20 countries in competition. The elite women’s and men’s races are Saturday. Mixed four-member teams compete on Sunday (this format just debuted at the Tokyo Olympic Games). There is also a treasure hunt and orienteering challenge open to the public on Friday.
The Planetarium marks the summer solstice with educational activities and craft stations for kids, and (weather-permitting) nighttime observations! Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
The Jean-Doré beach opens its season at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saturday, 10am.
The Biosphere is hosting an interactive arts exhibit in honour of painter Jean Paul Riopelle’s centenary. Riopelle: A Bird Wild and Free is inspired by the artist’s studio in L’Île-aux-Oies, France. A never-before-seen Riopelle piece will be shown with digital depictions of his works. Soak in the visuals while listening to symphonic music recorded by the MSO, along with educational vignettes. Now for the birds: a second exhibit, Migrations, references Riopelle’s life in the Quebec archipelago of L’Isle-aux-Grues, a popular spot for bird-watching. This show’s main theme is the migratory paths of birds and humans, but it also spotlights art by young people.
Music festival Suoni per il Popolo winds down with a family-friendly park-style party Friday 5 -10pm, at Entrepôt 77 in the Plateau, with dance and music performances, capped off with DJ sets at 8pm. At Casa del popolo, there is a guitar workshop at 5pm and a concert by Wendy Eisenberg at 8pm. Across the street at La Sala Rossa, Matana Roberts presents the fourth part of the Coin Coin series, with an extensive list of special guests.
Progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me hit up Club Soda with Rivers of Nihil and Thank You Scientist, Saturday, 7:30pm.
Bar le Ritz PDB hosts Bleako’s Nuclear Disco, Saturday 7:30pm.
Psychedelic-garage rock band The Oh Sees at Club Soda, Sunday 8pm, with openers Tha Retails Simps and Hot Garbage.
Dan St. Germain (Conan, Comedy Central, Late Night) headlines at the Comedy Nest with support from Abdul Butt, Carly Baker, Heather Hurst and more. Friday and Saturday, 8:30 and 10pm.
Get cozy at Hurley’s Bar on Crescent with The World's Smallest Comedy Night. Friday, 8pm.
At Montreal Improv in St Henri, a celebration of franglais in Parce Que Why Not? Friday at 6:30pm.
You can mark Pride Month at home when Montreal’s film festival image+nation hosts the 4th edition of its online short film festival. Choose from 31 films from seven countries (several which were made in Montreal), including a program produced by Ukrainian filmmakers. Stream the Queer Short Film Fest here, until Sunday. Pay-what-you can.
Energy is the theme this weekend at The Wiggle Room. On the bill, BonBon Bombay, Tristan Ginger, Jolie Lolita and Miss Kinky Karma, with hosting from host-performer Frenchy Jones. Friday and Saturday at 9pm.
Galerie Simon Blais hosts a show for artist Francoise Sullivan on the occasion of her centenary. The Montrealer has worked in sculpture, dance and photography, but this show is focused on her colouful pastels created later on in her career. At 5420 St Laurent, until July 15. (Closed Sundays and Mondays.)
The 3-D art show Lasting Impressions returns for one final extension! The show wraps you up in various iconic scenes painted by the artists both in and adjacent to the Impressionist movement. Get cozy with Renoir’s luncheon guests and idle with Georges Seurat’s park-goers, while enveloped in a French soundtrack ranging from Debussy to Piaf to Aznavour. At Espace St-Denis until June 30.
Lighting designer Paul Chambers creates a fascinating experience with Phosphos. The installation invites you into a darkened room, with a long strip on the floor coated with specialized paint. You are invited to interact with the space: create a doodle with a laser pointer or leave an imprint with your body and hair. At the MAI Tuesday to Saturday, 12 to 6pm, until June 29
Over at the Botanical Gardens, the clematis and daylilies are beginning to bloom, while the irises are coming to a close. See which other flowers are in bloom this week.
SOS Vortex is the ‘little brother’ to the SOS Labyrinth in the Old Port. Enter the vibrant time vortex of a mad scientist while learning about ecology and climate change. The structure is made of recycled containers, with eye-catching colours and Pop Art esthetic. At the the CF Carrefour Laval parking lot (corner of Daniel-Johnon and Le Carrefour) until October 29.
The Infinite virtual reality experience returns to Montreal at a different location, with new, immersive footage shot from the International Space Station. Over the course of an hour, the exhibit puts you shoulder-to-shoulder with astronauts like David Saint-Jacques, taking you through their day orbiting the Earth. A jaw-dropping V-R treat! At 2 de la Commune Street West in the Old Port, until July 3.
Cirque du soleil has just launched their 20th “big top” show, Echo. Fifty-one artists bring this ode to nature and creativity to life, with thrilling acrobatic acts, controsion and animal-masked antics. Echo is a bit of an esthetic departure from the visual over-the-topness you might have come to expect from a Cirque production. Visually, the bowler hats and blue skies brought Belgian surrealist René Magritte to mind. The stage is dominated by a large, white cube that moves and interacts with performers - with a super-sized, unexpected transformation before intermission. I adored the banquine and human cradle acts with Color Paper People, and the soaring 'fireflies' - a duo that are lifted into the air by their hair. Until August 20 in the Old Port.
Pointe-à-Callière Museum in Old Montreal just launched Egypt: Three Millennia on the Nile. This exhibit traces life both ordinary and royal on the legendary river, dating from the start of human settlement to the Roman conquest. Some 320 items will be displayed in an exclusive agreement with the Museo Egizio in Turin, including jewelry, statues, tools, sarcophagi and more! Until October 15.
Get your hockey fix down at the Montreal Science Centre, where they have just launched Hockey: Faster Than Ever, an action-packed exploration of the science and culture, technology and triumph of the sport. Experience what it is like to be in an NHL locker room and the corridor that leads to the ice, test your slapshot and get acquainted with some of the legendary stars of the Canadiens franchise. Until September 10.