Montrealers greet the spring by stepping out of semi-hibernation and into a city that’s programmed for play. The surge of festivals that come with warmer weather invite us to enjoy every level of sensory experience, from the big communal vibes and exciting music of the Osheaga (Aug. 1–3), îLESONIQ (Aug. 9–10) and Lasso (Aug. 15–16) music festivals at Parc Jean-Drapeau, the joy and energy of circus fest Montréal Complètement Cirque (July 3–13) and of course the nocturnal splendour of this city’s annual fireworks competition (June 26–July 31).
Adventurous eyes and ears will want to gravitate to MUTEK (Aug. 19–24), a cornucopia of digital art and electronic music. 80+ artists will dazzle crowds at blowout parties at MTELUS, grand performances at Place des Arts and outdoor shows in the Quartier des Spectacles, where the Village Numérique lays out installations for extra excitement.
Dance parties are debauched fun for some, a free-form workout for others and a substitute for church for those devoted to the beat. While our history as a disco town lives on in the music and atmosphere at the Vino Disco wine bar (1192 St-Laurent), dancing is so ingrained in Montreal’s DNA that we can’t help but bust a move during the day: Piknic Électronik is the Sunday afternoon go-to at Parc Jean-Drapeau (May to October), while Croissound pop-up events pack cafés with party people on weekend mornings, serving house music and coffee.
Photo VIVEN GAUMAND.
On Friday nights, Dômesicle is a must-see multisensory party in the Satosphere, a dome with 360-degree projections of delicious eye candy. Located inside the Quartier des Spectacles’s Societé d’art technologiques, these Satosphere happenings are exactly what we thought partying would look like in the future.
Summertime may be travel time for many, but it’s also when Montreal goes ecstatic — why leave? Aside from the city’s fantastic hotels, staycation vibes can be had by luxuriating at Verdun, Jean Doré and Cap Saint-Jacques beaches, hitting the rides at La Ronde and trying your luck at some games at Montreal’s best and brightest arcades: Cineplex’s Rec Room at Royalmount (5050 Côte-de-Liesse #2000), FUNHUB downtown (733 Cathcart #2) and the ARcade by Moment Factory at the Casino de Montréal (1 Avenue Casino) — all are adult-friendly, the latter is of course 18+.
You can’t be a tourist in your own city without documenting the experience on social media, and while Montreal isn’t hurting for Instagramable sites, Le Saint Motel could help you enhance your gallery. The selfie studio in Saint-Henri (4000 St-Ambroise) provides rich, saturated backdrops that are equally inspired by Montreal and inspired by play.
Montreal is a terrific museum town, but the best one for fun is also one of our newest: the mind-bending, all-ages Museum of Illusions (44 St-Antoine W.), offering optical marvels and interactive pieces that will have you shrinking to child-size, standing on ceilings and serving up your own head on a platter. Montreal is also blessed with specialists in immersive experiences — not the recent fad of overpriced exhibitions of fine art on screens, necessarily, but original concepts made to step into. The enveloping light and magic of OASIS immersion (301 St-Antoine W.) and the VR programming at Old Montreal’s multidisciplinary art hub, PHI Centre (407 St-Pierre), are easy picks for visual escapades.
Among PHI Centre’s many bold moves in recent years is co-presenting a series of exhilarating VR experiences in partnership with Felix & Paul Studios (Space Explorers: The Infinite) and Excurio (The Horizon of Khufu), who are also behind the current exhibition Life Chronicles, taking participants on a ride through Earth’s evolution, and deep into the Jurassic era. Combining the latest VR tech with the adventurous thrills of exploring the wonders of the world, these creations will widen your mind and please your inner child.