As you know, Montreal is the official summer festival hub, and the chance to soak up some of the top entertainment to be found anywhere on the planet is just too good to pass up. The result: Montreal summers are warm, fun and affordable.
Read on, as the event pros at Happening.ca share their favourite festivals from 2015:
La Cuvée d’été
Unfolding in the newly revamped Jardins Gamelin, La Cuvée was an opportunity to taste, discover and savour. Fashioned after the city’s Festival mondial de la bière, attendees received a cup with which to sample local products at reasonable prices. With its music, dancing, food and loads of fun, La Cuvée is a hit both in summer and winter, and we love to attend every year.
Francofolies
Montrealers can always count on Francofolies to get summer off to a fantastic start, and this year was no exception. From June 10-18, audiences were treated to some of the very best in Quebecoismusic. Not only does Francofolies afford you the chance to sample some of the top acts in the province, but every single show is free! Visitors can also chow down on food until the wee hours of the morning, and the event is always very well organized.
Mural Festival
A highly anticipated event among art lovers, the Mural International Art Festival extended its stay on Montreal’s ultra-fashionable St. Laurent (the “Main”) this year, to a total of 11 days. Showcasing open-air exhibits, guided visits and documentaries in collaboration with Cinéma Excentris, the festival pulled off a gorgeous event while reminding us why the Main remains one of Montreal’s most exciting strips.
Osheaga
What would Montreal be without Osheaga? Maybe a little less noisy, but oh-so-much-less exciting. Thousands of fans from the four corners of the globe converge onto Montreal’s Jean-Drapeau Park each summer to catch the magic of this one-of-a-kind 3-day party. This year’s lineup of musical artists did not disappoint, and only reinforced the Osheaga Festival as one of the must-attend music events anywhere.
Olympic Park Food Trucks
Maybe it’s because Montrealers have been waiting a long time for its food trucks, but people can’t seem to get enough of the mobile gourmet experience. If you’re worried about missing out, the Olympic Park has just the treat for you: the first Friday of each month, from May to October, foodies can check out a whole range of food trucks in one spot. On top of all the delicious food being served, there’s also music and a watering hole for 200. Oh, and did we mention it’s free admission to the Park? One small thing: be prepared to rub shoulders with other enthusiasts looking to get their food truck fill before the summer’s over. There’s still time!
Dîner en Blanc
Picture thousands of people dressed in white for a mass chic picnic in a public space, and you start getting the idea behind the magic of Dîner en Blanc (literally meaning, “White Lunch”). Known for keeping its location secret until the very last moment, the Dîner didn’t fail to surprise again this year, when its hundreds of participants poured into Montreal’s Entertainment District on August 13th to enjoy a sumptuous lunch against a glamorous backdrop. An event that never settles for anything less than big, Dîner en blanc is a truly unique summer highlight.
Fashion & Design Festival
It’s always fun to watch Montreal be transformed into a mega catwalk for the annual Fashion & Design Festival. A combined celebration of culture, beauty and trends, the festival showcases the creations of hundreds of Canadian designers. This year’s exceptional program (once again) won the hearts of the industry as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors, with many already counting down the days until next year’s edition.
So there you have it. Some of the very best summer festivities that Montreal has to offer, complete with flawless organization and exciting programming. Our city’s appetite for the very best in entertainment means bigger expectations every year. The amazing teams behind our festivals are already hard at work on 2016, and we at Happening.ca are confident that nobody will be disappointed. Whatever your plans are for next summer, remember to pencil some of Montreal into your calendar!
