One of the long-standing jokes amongst citizens of Montreal is that if there is a way to celebrate something, you can be sure that Montreal will organize a festival to do so. This is in reference to the fact that, especially during the summer season it seems as though each passing week brings a new festival to town. While some may grumble about downtown traffic disruptions and hard-to-find parking, Montreal’s festival high season is a great source of fun and culture for everyone from families to cinephiles to music fans to food lovers.
The Stalwarts
Two of Montreal’s biggest and most internationally famous festivals are the Just for Laughs comedy festival and the Montreal Jazz Fest. Just for Laughs (Juste pour Rire in French) has been going strong since 1983, and has outstripped it’s Francophone roots to become one of the premiere gatherings of comedy talent in the world. Taking place in mid-summer, Just for Laughs is considered an important showcase for new comedians looking to attract the attention of television and film producers, who regularly scout the festival for fresh talent.
The Montreal Jazz Fest predates Just for Laughs by 3 years, and was begun by Montreal promoter Alain Simard as a way of both celebrating international jazz performers and bringing thousands of people to visit the city that he loved. After a number of lean years in the 80’s the festival swelled in both attendance and prestige, with over 100 000 people attending the special outdoor events and jazz musicians of every style going out of their way to both promote and attend the festival that had become like a second home to them. The festival is truly one of Montreal’s most interactive events, with many outdoor concerts simultaneously underway on any given night in the city’s downtown area. Streets are closed and stages erected, allowing music to be played into the early hours of the morning.
Not Just Jazz
Montreal also plays host to music festivals focused on genres other than jazz. Pop Montreal is dedicated to bringing independent bands and performers to the city where they share the stage with both Anglo and Francophone artists from Quebec. The Mutek festival explores techno music, and Les Francofolies has been serving the world francophone community for 19 years by organizing the largest gathering of francophone musical performers in the world.
Something For Everyone
If music and comedy isn’t your bag, then Montreal still has you covered. The Fantasia Film festival caters to fans of fantasy, horror and science fiction cinema, while the Montreal World Film Festival is more focused on international auteurs and art house films. If you feel like staying outdoors instead of being cooped up inside a theatre, then you could always check out the completely free International Fireworks Competition. Twice a week, from barges located just off of Île Sainte-Hélène a different country puts on an incredible fireworks display set to music. The Jacques Cartier bridge is closed to traffic to allow the audience to get as close as is safely possible to the action, and excellent viewing can also be made from the Old Port or La Ronde amusement park. Another fun outdoor festival is Divers/Cite, which is a celebration organized by Montreal’s sizeable gay and lesbian community. The festival occurs in and around the gay village to the east of downtown, and draws over a million people to the city.
It’s almost impossible to visit Montreal during the summer without stumbling across a festival that your Montrealer friends might not have even known about. Whether you are interested in music, dancing, beer, theatre, the Caribbean or just one of the many parades winding its way downtown, you can bet that you won’t be disappointed.
Welcome to New To Montreal ! If you are new here, you can learn more about Montreal in subscribing to the RSS feed or via E-mail. Thanks for visiting!
