The weather is warming up and the days are getting longer which means summer is almost here! And if you’re worried about not getting the most out of the season, don’t worry this post will cover some of the summer festivals and events in Montreal to attend this year.

After the long winter we had (it snowed two weeks ago!!), the warmth and heat are more than welcome, that all of the fun events that occur in the city during the summer. While the last couple of years have been a bit meh due to the pandemic, with many festivals being postponed or cancelled, this year it seems like they are all back and ready to party!

The idea for this post came to me when I was planning my summer (as one does) and I realized that there were many events that I had heard of but never actually gone to. So I decided to write this post as a guide to festivals and events for both you and me.

With food fairs, music festivals and so much more, you will want to do everything on this list!

Summer Festivals in Montreal

food fairs

Yatai MTL

With the goal to showcase Japanese street food, Yatai MTL is quite a popular summer event. With dozens of food vendors and stores, this is the Japanese festival to go to!

I’ve heard about this event and was planning to attend in 2020 but then you-know-what happened and so I’m super excited to go this year.

To note: Japanese Week is early-June so if you can’t make it to this festival some restaurants across the city will be offering exceptional street food and deals. For more details check out the Yatai MTL site.

June 10-12, 2022

ItalFest

Hosted in Montreal’s Petite Italie, ItalFest MTL is a festival that celebrates Montreal’s Italian history and culture. Doing so through music, arts, and, of course, food, this event is not to be missed!

To quote their website, “ItalfestMTL aims to promote and bring to life Italian culture through the expressive and artistic forms that characterize it. The festival today offers a variety of free activities and events.”

August 5-22nd, 2022

Les Premiere Vendredis

The largest food truck festival in Canada, Les Premiere Vendredis is a summer event that occurs on the first Friday of each month starting in June and ending in October. There is something for everyone at this festival. From classic Quebecoise to Mexican to Italian and more!

For more details about the place and dates check out their site.

Le Grande PoutineFest

Poutine is the staple in Quebec culture and so it makes sense that there would be a week-long festival that is all about poutine!

With dozens of food trucks with different takes on the classic fries, gravy, and cheese-curds meal, Le Grande PoutineFest will be making its way to Montreal’s Old Port in mid-July and I’ll definitely be going there!

July 13th to 31st, 2022

music festivals

Montreal’s Jazz Festival

Over 300 concerts, most of them free to attend, by world-renown musicians in venues across the city, the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal is a celebrated and highly anticipated festival of the summer season. Plus it’s the largest jazz festival in the world!

If you love music, the outdoors, and free concerts then check out Jazz Festival this July!

June 30th to July 9th, 2022

Nuits d’Afrique

The Festival International Nuits d’Afrique is a week-long event that brings together the Caribbean, Latin American, and, of course, African cultures and music.

With indoor and outdoor concerts, this event is ideal for the person who wants to go out, have fun and listen to music from over 20 different countries and hundreds of artists without having to go far. For more details, including programming, check out the Nuits d’Afrique site.

Osheaga

An indie music festival with big names and lots of heart. Osheaga is one of the most well-known summer festivals in Montreal with 10 of thousands of people attending the event during the last weekend in July.

Although the entry passes are not cheap they are worth it if you love live music and this year’s headliners -Arcade Fire, A$ap Rocky, and Dua Lipa!

Montréal Chamber Music Festival

Founded in 1995, the Chamber Music Festival is an event that celebrates classical music with Canada’s bests musicians along with international gems.

If you follow me on IG or Twitter then you know I love classical music, so this is definitely the type of event I’ll be going to this year!

This year it will run from June 12th to 19th. For more information visit Festival Montreal.

Festival Orientalys

This event is a “free festival fully devoted to meeting Eastern and Western cultures, celebrating a diverse, avant‐garde, and open-minded Montreal”.

For four days in August, Orientalys will feature dozens of events such as learning how to make Lebanese food, Spanish Flamenco lessons, learning the technique of carpet weaving and so much more including music concerts from all over the world.

From Spain to Algeria to India to Japan, this event is perfect for celebrating the diverse cultures found in Montreal.

August 19th-22nd, 2022.

A Taste of the Caribean

With family-friendly events which include food tasting, concerts, and fun activities, The Taste of the Caribbean festival is one that is not to be missed. Who doesn’t enjoy learning about new cultures or countries while eating delicious food or dancing to soulful exciting music?

This festival is actually a once-a-month event held throughout the summer with different locations and themes but with the same Caribbean taste. Check out the Taste of Caribbean site for more information.

art fests

Mural Festival

This event is described as an “eleven-day event celebrating the international urban art movement. Championing live art, music, exhibitions, and artist talks, the Festival is an important gathering of the global artistic community.”

The Mural Festival is honestly very distinct and different from the other art festivals in Montreal mainly due to the open nature of the art exhibited. During this festival, you can see artists paint murals, celebrate with music, and take pictures with urban art!

June 9th-19th, 2022

MTL en Arts

A free and colourful event, the MTL in Arts festival uses the closed of for summer St. Catherine’s Street to showcase the art of over 100 artists. Promoting the various art disciplines along with “connecting the artists with their public”.

June 29-July 3, 2022

Fantasia International Film Festival

One of Canada’s most well-known film festivals, Fantasia Film Festival is the perfect event for film lovers and fans alike. Held for three weeks during the summer, this festival showcase over 100 films and host actors & directors and is as Quentin Tarantino said, “The most important and prestigious film festival on this continent”

This year the event will be held from July 14th to August 3rd, 2022 but for more details about the event and to know when the tickets will be available check out the Fantasia site.

Montreal ComicCon

However, if you’re more of a comic fan or love conventions better then the Montreal ComicCon is the event for you. With 10s of thousands of attendees each year and hundreds of vendors, the Montreal Comic-Con is an event that is hard to overlook.

July 8th-10th, 2022

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So those are some of the best summer festivals and events in Montreal to visit, listen to, or taste this year.

If I missed a festival or special event, please let me know! Summer is an already short season and I’d hate to have missed an event that would make it more enjoyable.

Although the last “what to do in Montreal” post was written back in December, the Best Christmas Markets in Montreal, I’ve enjoyed writing these guides or list posts of places to visit. It’s fun to research and learn what the city and region have to offer both visitors and citizens.

So hopefully I’ll be writing more of these types of posts in the future. In the meantime, I’ll get back to working on my garden, my studies, and untimely my life.

Is there a festival you’d love to go to this summer? Have you been to any of the events listed above?

Like always if you have any questions, concerns, or comments in general please leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.