Theater/Music

Every year in July, streets are closed in the center of Montreal as it hosts the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, which draws some of the biggest names in jazz and attracts tens of thousands of jazz fans.

Canadians are proud of their French heritage and their music (and not just Celine Dion). For 11 days in the summer, Montreal host FrancoFolies, the largest French-speaking music festival in the world. With over 1,000 artists from a dozen countries, the event draws nearly a million visitors. Tickets are required for some events, but there are plenty of free outdoor concerts to choose from.

Every summer Montreal hosts the Just for Laughs Festival, the world's largest comedy event. Whether it's theater, stand-up, or street entertainment that you prefer, the festival has something for everybody. While you need tickets for the indoor events, more than a thousand outdoor performances are free.

If you're visiting Montreal between May and September, be sure to check out the Tamtam Jam, a musical treat for locals and tourists alike. Hundreds of percussionists gather at the George-Étienne Cartier monument in Parc Mont Royal every Sunday to play, and hundreds of others come to either dance to the beat or just sit back and take it all in.

During the summer, the Théâtre de Verdure in Parc La Fontaine offers free family-friendly outdoor performances—music, theater, and dance—under the stars.