September is a month of weather contradictions in Quebec—as hot as summer for a few days in the middle of the month, cooler at times, and a bit stormy. The sweet corn is sweet, Montreal thrift stores are stacking reclaimed tartan on their shelves, and *Cahiers Canada* magazines smell like the start of the school year. But we’re still spending our weekends at the cottage, sitting by the lake, sweating—and feeling a little queasy after the kilo of s’mores from the night before.
The kids are heading back to school, the Pilates girls are pulling out their leggings again, and those who took a vacation are heading back to work—but in Montreal, on the weekends, it’ll still feel a bit like summer until the end of the month. And, of course, apple season is just beginning.
August 29–September 13: Ruelle Arts Festival
For those who’ve just arrived in Montreal, it’s a pretty perfect way to go for a stroll through the city’s beautiful and distinctive alleys, green in summer and white in winter.
There will be short artistic performances, parades, and evenings when the alleys turn into cabarets…
September 2–October 3: 24 POSES (PORTRAITS) by Serge Boucher at Duceppe
To kick off the new school year, the Théâtre Duceppe presents a play by Serge Boucher, a cult favorite since its debut in 1999. Starring Émilie Bibeau, Marc Beaupré, Frédéric Blanchette, Gabriel Favreau, Myriam Fournier, and Benoit Mauffette.
SUMMARY
Today, Richard turns 40. The entire Dubé family has gathered in the backyard of his bungalow to celebrate. We admire the new lawn mower, rehash the same old stories, get hung up on trivial details, and fetch the Kodak to capture the moment (with the mower, of course). Nicole has laid out the plastic tablecloth and brought out the chips; André is repeating his corny jokes that no one gets; Carole is strutting around in her new dress; and everyone is laughing at the parents, who once again tripped while walking uphill in Old Quebec. Everyone is talking nonstop and all at once. But beneath this cheerful buzz, a drama is unfolding, almost invisible for now… And amid this comic-tragic chaos emerges the portrait of a Quebec family like so many others, with its unspoken truths, its innuendos… and its “things left completely unsaid.”
September 5: ABBA in a classical candlelit concert
To enjoy a softer take on ABBA, we’re heading to a Candlelight concert—entirely lit by candlelight. A very chic groove, full of violins and oboes, to kick off our cultural season.
Candlelight: Tribute to ABBA
28 November 2026 20:30 + more dates
Église Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs
September 4: A GATHERING FOR THE COSMOS at the Galerie de l’UQAM
To mark the start of the school year, the Galerie de l’UQAM is presenting an exhibition based on an imagined space colonization. Cosmogony parallel to the colonization of Turtle Island, ancestral knowledge, planetary sensibilities.
For a stroll through a parallel world, we’ll stop by the exhibition between two days that are all too grounded in reality. Featuring works by Marcela Armas & Gilberto Esparza, Tabita Rezaire, Skawennati, Suzanne Treister & Patricia Domínguez, and Jesse Tungilik. Curated by Antoine Bertron.
September 4–13: MONTREAL STREET PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL
Street photography is sometimes a bit overlooked, relegated to Instagram and tabloids like US Weekly. But it’s one of the most important art forms for capturing the zeitgeist, for sharing, and for documenting the coolest, most beautiful, and most tragic aspects of the city we live in.
During the festival, presented by Fujifilm, there will be several exhibitions, workshops, discussions, and walks (camera in hand).
September 5: Roller Skating at the Esplanade Tranquille
The Esplanade Tranquille ice rink is opening earlier this year, and with a slightly funkier twist than usual—it’ll be a “roller rink” (roulathèque) until the end of October.
The opening night on September 11 will kick off the roller skating season with a Boogie Night: a throwback to the roller disco era.
*Inline skate rentals, helmets, and protective gear available on-site at Patin Patin
September 5–6: Late-Summer TOTAL MARKET
A vintage market to put together our back-to-school looks, featuring artisan vendors and thrift store booths to boot.
September 10: Haitian Vinyl Night at SYSTÈME
The best of Haitian music from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, for one night only at the super-cool SYSTÈME club.
19–20: BACK 2 SCHOOL VINTAGE POP-UP at WIP
In addition to thrifting our back-to-school looks, there’ll be tattoos, skincare, matcha, music, and plenty of atmosphere at the Turquoise Treasures pop-up—one of our favorite Montreal vintage spots.
Featuring;
@turquoisestreasures @grwppp @perlita.querida @nuagevintagemontreal @whiskematcha @douceurvintage @theamontreal @lico.jewelry @y2gstudio @la_fee_melisse @maison_cuillere_patisserie @midnightreverie.atelier @tiaras.thrifted @nura.latelier @eternaldecada @crystal.letter.studio @desinvolt.vintage @ruhismehndi @turquoisestreasuresmtl
FESTILUMI – GARDEN OF LIGHTS
The sun is setting earlier and earlier, and to go for a stroll in a garden—but amid the deepening darkness of the approaching fall—we’re heading to FESTILUMI.
Festilumi
6 November 2026 16:45 + more dates
Marché Central
September 21–27: Montreal Fashion Week
Montreal is known for its bagels, its summer festivals, its lattes with foam on top, and its residents—some of the best-dressed in the world, ranging from minimalist chic to post-punk, athleisure to alternative eco-style. Some of the hottest new designers of the moment are working and creating in Montreal.
This year, during Fashion Week, Montreal designers are opening their studios, and we’re putting fashion at the center of the city’s contemporary art scene.
September 22: FALL EQUINOX
In the ancient calendars (Mesopotamian, Celtic, Mayan) of the Northern Hemisphere, the year is always divided into two parts. The year is split between the season of light and the season of shadow. This division occurs twice a year, when the alignment of the sun and the Earth creates an equivalence between day and night. Twice a year, there is an equinox.
The fall equinox, which occurs every year between September 21 and 24 in the Northern Hemisphere, falls on September 22, 2026, in Montreal.
September 26: Harvest Moon
The Harvest Moon will be high in the Montreal sky on September 26, and it will appear yellower and larger than usual.
September 26: Chiharu Shiota: The Tremors of the Soul at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The exhibition—an exceptional Canadian premiere—is dedicated to the work of Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota and her monumental installations woven from red, black, or white threads.
