This weekend will be cool after a week of work and sweat, but that won’t stop us from spending it outdoors at the first street festivals of the warm season—with kimonos, skewers, murals, and music.
This is the 14th edition of the MURAL Festival, and this year, mural artists have been invited from all over the world to create works that you can check out using an interactive map available on the MURAL website.
On weekend evenings during the festival, there will be neighborhood parties and free concerts at the MURAL site, and looking at the June weather forecast, we’re hopeful for good weather.
Currently scheduled are:
- Thursday, June 4, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. / Frikiton
- Friday, June 5, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. / Montreality
- Saturday, June 6, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. / Konpa on the Beach
- Sunday, June 7, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. / Laylit
- Thursday, June 11, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. / QUEEN + QUEER
- Friday, June 12, 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM / Mike Shabb + Friends
- Saturday, June 13, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. / HOMEGROWN TALENT
- Sunday, June 14, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. / Bonne Famille
Saturday, June 6: Sutton Farmers’ Market
That’s it! It’s officially springtime in Quebec. In Montreal, the trees are in bloom and we’ve put away our winter boots. All that’s left is to take advantage of nature’s reawakening to make big salads and barbecues with local produce from our most beautiful countryside.
Every Saturday morning, we’ll be able to go to the market in one of the region’s most beautiful mountain villages, Sutton.
At the YATAI Market, there will be Japanese crafts—kimonos, calligraphy, candles, and soy sauces made according to traditional methods. There will also be 27 food and drink stands serving fresh treats—ramen, Ube cheesecake, matcha, and ice cream.
In addition to the market, there’s a special program;
- Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. / Shibalade (walk with Shiba dogs) at the Marché des Éclusiers – walk to Bassin Peel, where the YATAI market is located / free admission for those who come with their Shiba or Akita dog
- Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 3 p.m. / Ghibli Cosplay Contest with prizes to be won / register here
- Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. / Outdoor Ghibli Piano Concert (immediately following the Cosplay contest)
It’s Repentigny’s biggest music festival (1 hour from downtown Montreal by public transit, or 40 minutes by car), and this year’s headliners are Fredz, Josh Ross, and Elderbrook. For more information, click here
After the winter blues and the cold rains that fell on the city following the first day of nice weather, Montreal’s independent cinemas (Cinéma Cinéma) and the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles are teaming up for a week of film screenings exploring all the ugliness in the world. Because, in the end, everything’s okay.
On Saturday, we’ll be able to experience a cathartic moment in the dry by going to see Lars von Trier’s MELANCHOLIA (2011).
Saturday, June 6: SAT’s 30th anniversary, the FUTURS ANTÉRIEURS festival
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the super-cool Société des Arts Technologiques de Montréal, there are two days of partying with the Festival Futurs Antérieurs. It goes all night long, with 30 artists and all three floors of the SAT completely taken over for the party. For tickets, click here
Saturday, June 6: Candlelight: Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald
An intimate candlelit concert to rediscover the classics.
Candlelight Evening on June 7, 2026, at Le 9e restaurant in the Eaton Centre, featuring an intimate reinterpretation of the repertoires of Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald by candlelight, performed by local talent.
June 5–8: NBA House Montreal
During the day, NBA House offers games and activities for all ages, and at nightfall, the experience transforms into an adults-only evening, where sports fans gather to watch the iconic NBA Finals on giant screens…
NBA House Montreal 2026
8 June 2026 19:00
A summer market featuring Montreal creators, designers, and artisans, as well as thrift shops selling selections for the warm season.
All weekend: Montreal Cocktail Fest: the cocktail city
For 5 days, from Wednesday, June 3 to Sunday, June 7, 2026, however, the city of Montreal will cement its reputation as a “cocktail city,” because all the coolest bars, bartenders, and mixologists on the island are participating in the Montreal Cocktail Fest.
In addition to drinks, there will be seminars, pop-ups, brand activations, and parties. We’re going, of course, in cocktail dresses.
For all the details, click here
Every summer, Montrealers take the river shuttle or the metro to go dancing on Île Sainte-Hélène on Sunday evenings.
It’s still electronic music, there are buckets of cocktails that look like 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 addition to the Piknic lineup, there will also be OFF events—DJ sets and side parties—and special family afternoons to dance with the kids.
Paola Pivi’s exhibition, presented by PHI and guest curator Kanika Anand of Calgary Contemporary, is half fairy tale and half satirical installation of the modern world.
The exhibition is barely explained, and you can wander through Paola Pivi’s semi-plastic world as if in a 1990s conceptual pop art exhibition. It brings to mind fairy tales, the satirical tirades of characters from Don DeLillo’s novels, 24-hour TV channels, social media trolls, and vacation postcards. You might also just wonder: what is this sculpture doing to my reptilian brain?
For more information, visit the PHI website – here
This year, the BACA is curated by Armando Perla & Michael Patten and will feature the works of some twenty Indigenous artists from around the world.
For more information, click here
Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s “other worlds” consist of six major works created by the artist over the past ten years. The Danish artist prepares each of his works with in-depth ecological research, and each of his virtual “worlds” is rooted in a changing environment: Bora Bora, volcanic seabeds, geothermal springs.
The artist’s sound and video installations use the jerky movements of video games; visitors can wander through unreal worlds in virtual reality or by sitting in front of reanimated videos. The underwater scenes are digitized.
For more information, visit the PHI website – hereA boat ride / Montreal River Shuttles
River shuttles resume service on May 22, 2026, running between the Old Port, the islands, and the banks of the St. Lawrence River.
Montreal’s river shuttle service begins on May 22, 2026, and connects the Old Port, Île Sainte-Hélène, Longueuil, Pointe-aux-Trembles, Repentigny, and other riverbanks. Several routes (N1 to N6) are operated by Croisières AML and NAVARK; the routes are accessible to cyclists, and certain OPUS passes allow access at no additional cost.
In true Montreal tradition, the lawns in front of the Olympic Village were almost entirely covered with half-dressed people, eyes closed and turned toward the warm summer sun, during the 1976 Olympics. The photos scrolling across a screen feature the vibrant colors of the Olympic rainbow and come from the vast archival collection of the McCord Stewart Museum. One would give almost anything to spend a week (or a month) poring over them…
In the meantime, we can’t help but be fascinated by the exceptionally cool graphics, vintage photos, the very biting caricatures of Jean Drapeau, and the magazines created by artists for the 1976 Summer Olympics, held for the first time and with great fanfare in Montreal.
Take a virtual reality journey to the heart of the Roman Republic and Caesar
This odyssey redefines the way we experience history, offering a total immersion where you become a witness—or even a participant—in the events.
The ROME experience, following in Caesar’s footsteps, transports you 2,000 years back in time thanks to cutting-edge immersive technology. Discover the end of the Roman Republic, the intrigues of the Senate, and key moments in the life of Julius Caesar in a free and interactive virtual reality experience. Created by Studio Shaman, this odyssey redefines the way we experience history, offering total immersion where you become a witness—or even a participant—in the events.
Step into a living episode of Black Mirror where every choice you make has consequences. For the first time, a BLACK MIRROR story comes to life in a 60-minute immersive experience where you are the main character. The event begins on May 21, 2026, at Experiences Infinity and welcomes groups of up to 6 people (ages 12 and up).
The Black Mirror Experience™
8 June 2026 11:00 + more dates
Admire Montreal from a unique perspective from Canada’s tallest Ferris wheel
The Montreal Ferris Wheel, Canada’s tallest Ferris wheel, invites you to an unforgettable experience with its 360° panoramic views of the Old Port and the city. From a height of 60 meters, enjoy the comfort of your private cabin—air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter—and take in the St. Lawrence River and downtown. For a touch of luxury, opt for the VIP experience with its glass floor, offering an even more breathtaking view. A ride lasting about 15 to 20 minutes that will delight young and old alike, especially in the evening with Montreal’s twinkling lights.
