The power of photography is alive and radiant once again in Old Montreal, as the 18th edition of World Press Photo Montreal opens its doors at Bonsecours Market. From August 27 to October 13, 2025, this annual must-see exhibition invites visitors to step into a world where images transcend borders, emotions, and language.
Few cultural happenings capture the pulse of global storytelling like this one. Every late summer, the city’s most curious minds and creative souls gather in the historic stone halls of Bonsecours Market to witness humanity—its struggles, triumphs, and resilience—through the lens of the world’s finest photojournalists.
This year’s edition, open Sunday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday until midnight, is particularly charged with emotion. From 59,320 submissions by 3,778 photographers across 30 countries, only 42 award-winning images were chosen. The result is an exhibition that feels both global and intimate, challenging and deeply human.
One of the brightest stars of this year’s lineup is Clarens Siffroy, the Haitian photojournalist whose gripping series Crise en Haïti earned the 2025 regional prize for North and Central America. At just 24, Siffroy is already shaping the future of documentary photography. Based in Port-au-Prince, he works for Agence France-Presse, fearlessly chronicling the turmoil and courage of his homeland. Montrealers will have the chance to meet him in person on Thursday, August 28, and Friday, August 29 at 4 p.m., where he’ll share the stories behind his haunting yet hopeful images.
Adding another layer of soul to the experience, this year’s spokesperson Kim Lévesque-Lizotte presents Elles, au cœur du Québec, a deeply moving tribute to Quebec’s women of influence. Her carte blanche exhibition revisits powerful portraits by Antoine Desilets, the father of Quebec photojournalism.
Captured in the 1970s, these striking images of icons such as Clémence DesRochers, Diane Dufresne, Janette Bertrand, and Pauline Julien are paired with Lévesque-Lizotte’s modern reflections—an intergenerational dialogue that radiates empathy, strength, and beauty.
The tribute to Desilets doesn’t stop there. The exhibition Antoine en trois temps offers a triple homage to the legendary photographer, featuring his famed Ça grève les yeux (World Press Photo 1967).
It was alongside Fragments d’histoire, a free open-air installation on Rue de la Commune running until June 2026. These collections weave together Quebec’s collective memory, reminding visitors that history is often written through a single frame.
Beyond the global laureates, World Press Photo Montreal 2025 also champions local visionaries. Highlights include Décrypteurs, an interactive Radio-Canada installation that demystifies fake news in the digital age, Regards sur la pauvreté au Québec, a sociological journey by Normand Landry of Université TÉLUQ, and Regards essentiels by La Presse photojournalists on social issues shaping today’s world.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the World Press Photo Foundation, a stunning visual mosaic—the Wall of 70 Laureates—unfolds across the mezzanine, tracing seven decades of world-changing images. “We live in an era where it’s easy to look away,” notes foundation director Joumana El Zein Khoury, who is in Montreal until August 31. “But these photographs refuse to let us. They confront us, invite reflection, and awaken our shared humanity.”
Tickets are available on site, priced at $16 (regular), $13 for students and seniors, and free for children under 10. Group rates and early morning school tours make the event accessible to all, ensuring the next generation experiences the transformative power of truth captured in a click.
As the city’s cultural calendar fills with art fairs, film festivals, and soirées, World Press Photo Montreal remains a cornerstone—a reminder that style and substance can coexist beautifully. Step inside Bonsecours Market, linger under the soft lights, and let each photograph whisper its truth. You’ll leave not only inspired but profoundly awake.
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