Monday, May 18, is Victoria Day, and thanks to it, we’ll have three days off with warm, sunny weather in Montreal. Within the limits of Quebec’s spring weather, of course.
It’s a weekend of art, flowers, and the first Picnik Électronik electronic music party of the year. We recommend a drink on a terrace, a walk in nature, and throwing open the windows of our apartments.
Saturday, May 16: Foire Parallèle — independent artists’ fair
A fair that puts independent artists at the center of the art market.
The Foire Parallèle (2nd edition) showcases 44 independent Montreal artists with 200 works on display from May 15 to 17, 2026, in the former Holt Renfrew building. The event also includes 4 talks (16 speakers) and offers early bird tickets for $11.
Saturday, May 16: Jennifer’s Body at Cinéma du Parc
For ten years now, the Cinéma du Parc has been screening midnight movies with themed film series, just like in the good old days when we used to go to the movies every Friday night. Following an initial series of classic midnight movies to celebrate this anniversary, a second film program focuses on “new classics.”
The movies we watch at midnight screenings (not like that French TV show where they’d air Pagnol at 1 a.m.) are the kind that vaguely keep you from sleeping. They’re the kind of movies you hardly feel like discussing afterward, that make your heart race like a shot of coffee, and that make you want to wander the streets afterward or stay up until the wee hours of the morning.
This weekend, we’ll be able to catch Jennifer’s Body (2009) by Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody.
Sunday, May 17: Items Spring Market at Livart
A vase for our bouquet of tulips? A bag for our magazines and journals, to write in the park while wearing a light sweater? A coffee table for the apartment we’ve just cleared out almost entirely in a burst of seasonal spring cleaning?
The weekend of May 16 and 17, 2026, marks Montreal’s coolest market—and the best place to invest in local art this spring.
For nine days, more than 150,000 used books from Montreal library collections will be on sale in a “Big Sale,” along with magazines, DVDs, and CDs. All books (etc.) will be priced between 50 cents and $4.
Every day, new books will be added to the sale bins, and proceeds from the Grand Solde will go to participating Montreal libraries and their community programs—including outreach and cultural mediation activities.
For more information, click here
Adult books: $1.50
Children’s books: $0.50
Journals and magazines: $0.50
Comic Books / Manga: $3.00
CDs / DVDs: $2.00
Art books: $4.00
Sunday, May 17: When Words Become Gentle at the Museum of Fine Arts
How much? $31 for ages 26 and up, $15.50 on Wednesday evenings, free for ages 25 and under, members of Indigenous communities, and people with disabilities and their companions
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which is our favorite museum in the city, is currently showcasing the Torlonia Collection—a collection of Italian marbles—but in addition to this major exhibition, it is also highlighting works by contemporary artists who strike the same mystical chords in our artistic sensibilities.
Until September 20, 2026, you can head up to the 4th floor of the Museum, go to the Art of the World wing, and, between the mosaics of the Alhambra and Egyptian sarcophagi, see a solo exhibition by the Canadian artist of Sikh-Punjabi origin, Keerat Kaur.
Monday, May 18: Piknik Électronik
Every summer, Montrealers take the river shuttle or the metro to go dancing on Île Sainte-Hélène on summer evenings. It’s always electronic music, there are buckets of cocktails that look like those in sandboxes, and the sun is just beginning to set when the music starts. It’s one of the best parties in Montreal, and it’s Piknic Électronik.
In 2026, the parties resume on Sunday, May 17. For the opening party of this edition of Piknik Électronik, the lineup is:
- 4:00 PM (National Bank Stage) / AMPER [NAB B2B PRÏA B2B ZAC MARTEL]
- 4:00 PM (Fizz Stage) / SYANA
- 6 p.m. (Fizz Stage) / Jordan Gardner
- 8:00 PM (Fizz Stage) / MCRDJ [MCR-T B2B MRD B2B TDJ]
And since Monday, May 18, 2026, is a holiday (it’s Victoria Day), there will be a second party—not too late—on Monday.
- 4:00 PM (National Bank Stage) / GENE TELLEM B2B KRIS GUILTY
- 4:00 PM (Fizz Stage) / Napo Lugo
- 6 p.m. (Fizz Stage) / Brunello
- 7:30 PM (Fizz Stage) / Josh Baker
Monday, May 18: Visit to a spring wildlife reserve
May Day is the perfect day to escape into nature and explore the trails and marshes of a wildlife reserve.
Head to the Marguerite d’Youville Wildlife Reserve (480 Boulevard d’Youville, Châteaugay) this spring to breathe in the forest air, observe wildlife, and walk along trails above the marshes. The text also highlights the Île Saint-Bernard Wildlife Refuge as an ideal getaway near Montreal for hiking and photography.
All weekend: Cherry Blossoms
Finally! The cherry blossoms are in bloom in Montreal, and this week is the time to take a long lunch break on a sunny day, pull out that camera you got as a Christmas gift but don’t use enough, and go breathe in the sweet scent of cherry blossoms under a tree near your home.
We’ve waited (too) long for spring, but the end of May 2026 is forecast to be mild and sunny. For the trees, it’s flowering season, and in addition to the cherry trees, keep an eye out for the magnolias and serviceberries.
A map to identify flowering trees near us
Perfect for an adrenaline-fueled experience with friends, family, or colleagues, this new adventure promises 90 minutes of intense teamwork to score as many points as possible.
Prison Island Montreal offers a 90-minute collaborative adventure combining puzzles and physical challenges in over 30 themed cells. An ideal activity for friends, families, or colleagues, it is played in teams of 2 to 5 people.
