Montréal turns the fun dial all the way up this week for comedy fest Just For Laughs, games fest Mondial des Jeux, two nights of fireworks, numerous outdoor activities and sports in the sun, new films and live music – we’ve even got Pokémon GO covered!
// 16 juilletComedy gold
Laugh out loud for days during comedy festival Just For Laughs, bringing headliners Nathan Lane, Sarah Silverman, Jeff Goldblum, Aziz Ansari, Julie Louis-Dreyfus, Russell Peters, Hannibal Buress and more comedy stars to Montréal until August 1. JFL’s free street festival outside Place des Arts entertains day and night – don’t miss the Twins Parade on July 23 and the Vintage Car exhibition on July 24, kid-focused V8energy labyrinth, puppeteer Jacques Boutin and dancer-clown Fifi Bric-à-Brac, nightly musical Jukebox and an array of food trucks.
See new editions of The Ethnic Show hosted by Rachid Badouri and The Nasty Show, a seriously dirty good time hosted by Mike Ward. JFL’s “underground” program OFF-JFL features Janeane Garofalo, Tom Green, Scott Thompson, The Lucas Bros and more. Add to all that Zoofest, dedicated to wild indie humour and a fab drag show or two, and Oh My Fest!, celebrating a breadth of local YouTuber talent. And there’s comedy, music and more entertainment at the Casino de Montréal all summer.
Game on!
Try your hand at board games, video games and physical games for all ages during outdoor games festival Mondial des Jeux along de Maisonneuve Boulevard downtown to July 30 – plus discover 10 uniquely Montréal sights while playing Pokémon GO. The best women’s tennis players in the world, including none other than Serena Williams, play hard at the Rogers Cup, July 22 to 31 at Uniprix Stadium in Jarry Park, just blocks away from Jean-Talon Market.
Kids can show off their backhand at the Mini Rogers Cup at l’Esplanade Financière Sun Life at Olympic Stadium July 22-24, while thousands of young athletes compete at the 51st Finale des Jeux du Québec, alongside sports demos, interactive events and music on the Esplanade Financière Sun Life to July 24. And our Minor League Soccer team the Montréal Impact play Philadelphia Union on July 23.
Une photo publiée par Phil Hebert (@philhebs) le
Outdoor activities
See the skies light up twice this week with world-class fireworks displays for the 32nd L’International des Feux Loto-Québec competition – on Saturday, July 23 see Spain’s pyromusical show Cinemagia and on July 27 it’s Sweden’s entry The Joy of Life – watch from a great vantage point at these 8 places to watch the fireworks. For classical music enthusiasts of all ages, Festival de Lanaudière is a must: located at an outdoor amphitheatre a short drive or shuttle bus ride from the city, the festival runs until August 7.
All kinds of activities and music can be found at outdoor markets and eateries Jardins Gamelin, Village au Pied-du-Courant and Pop Montréal’s Marché des Possibles. While the sun shines, take a guided tour, public art tours and guided bike tours. And see our guide to fun with kids this summer in Montréal for even more ideas, like Parc Jean-Drapeau’s Swimmer’s Christmas beach party on July 25.
Film, food and art
The excellent Fantasia International Film Festival features hundreds of feature films and shorts to August 3, including films by Takashe Miike, Shinsuke Sato, Kevin Smith and Guillermo Del Toro. The Phi Centre offers film, art and food all in one place: pick up a gourmet Park Lunch Box and visit the Virtual Reality Garden and Sensory Stories interactive exhibitions. Bouffons MTL turns a downtown square into a food-lovers outdoor feast. Relax, eat and drink on one of Montréal’s favourite terrasses, while Montréal’s best hotel restaurants serve up stylish fare, African restaurants turn up the heat and the city’s Portuguese chicken can’t be beat. Check out our tips on how to explore Montréal while still being budget-savvy – find places to stay, things to do and where to eat when you want amazing food that won’t break the bank. For more on festivals, see our 2016 summer festival guide and list of summer music festivals.
Live musicThe Festival International Nuits d’Afrique free outdoor program brings high-energy music and dance to Place des Festivals all day to July 24 – don’t miss Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars on Friday night and Orquesta Aragón on Saturday. The MEG festival highlights international and local indie-rock, electro and hip hop artists: on Friday, dance at the SAT to Superpoze, Club Cheval and Frame, while Wake Island, Syngja and Syzzors play Divan Orange; bring the kids to Divan Orange on Saturday afternoon for the free Mini MEG, and stay up late with Robert Robert, La Fine Équipe and more Le Belmont; on Sunday afternoon MEG programs outdoor dance party Piknic Électronik; and on July 28, go to MEG’s official Osheaga Pre-Party with Tibe, Wyln and Ryan Playground at Le Belmont.
Meanwhile, on Friday, July 22, Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas roll their Future Now tour into town with opener Mike Posner at the Bell Centre, underground house and techno DJ Lee Foss is an electro must at New City Gas, and Atlanta-based progressive folk band Little Tybee plays Bar le Ritz P.D.B. On Saturday, New York indie musician Mitski tours her new album, Puberty 2, at Bar le Ritz P.D.B. and Bixel Boys & Hunter Siegel tear up the dance floor at New City Gas. Fast forward to Thursday, July 28: indie darlings Beirut and captivating singer-songwriter Little Scream make a lovely night of it.
Up next: Your 2016 Osheaga survival guide
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