Festivals and Events

The Off-Bach is the free side of the Montreal Bach Festival: eight days of discovery concerts, meetings and performances by emerging musicians from November 26 to December 3, 2026. Everything in the Off-Bach is entirely free and no reservation is needed, just drop in. The main festival concerts elsewhere are ticketed and are not part of this listing.

Vieux-Longueuil's big outdoor Christmas market fills Parc St-Mark with artisan chalets, holiday decor and festive activities on weekends from November 27 to December 20, 2026 (Friday 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Entry is free; crafts and food are for sale.

The City of Laval's Christmas market at the Centre de la nature runs two weekends, December 4 to 6 and 11 to 13, 2026 (Friday noon to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), with local artisans and festive activities. Visits with Santa in the Village des arts chapel on December 11 to 13 are free. Crafts, food trucks and drinks cost money.

This long running festival brings free concerts, bonfires, Christmas trees for sale and a cosy holiday vibe to Montreal parks from December 4 to 24, 2026, with the Marché OFF de Noël and its 25 kiosks at Parc La Fontaine. Admission to the shows and sites is free; trees, food, drinks and market items cost money.

Montreal's free New Year's Eve party on the Jacques-Cartier Pier, with live concerts, a midnight countdown and fireworks over the river, on December 31, 2026. Last year the party ran from 7:30 p.m. to about 2 a.m.; check the organiser for this year's hours. General admission is free; a VIP area is paid and not included.

The famous boys' choir sings its traditional Christmas concert with organ in the Basilica of Saint Joseph's Oratory on Sunday, December 13, 2026, in the afternoon, with a live projection on a giant screen. Admission is free; voluntary contributions are welcome. Parking at the Oratory costs money.

A festive winter market on the Place Ville Marie esplanade downtown, part of Montreal's Grand Circuit féerique, open from November 17 to December 13, 2026, with holiday kiosks and the Lutinerie for kids. Admission is free; food, drinks and gifts cost money.

Marché Maisonneuve turns festive on November 28 and 29, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a holiday market on Place Gennevilliers-Laliberté and free family entertainment: an illuminated stilt walking angel, clowns, jugglers, live music and a visit from Santa on Sunday afternoon. The activities are free; market goods cost money.

Jean-Talon Market hosts a holiday market with live music and free family workshops on three weekends, December 4 to 6, 11 to 13 and 18 to 20, 2026 (Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), on the mezzanine and in the second floor Panorama Room. Activities include letter writing workshops with an elf and visits from Santa on Sundays. Food and market goods cost money.

Free outdoor holiday shows presented by the Maison de la culture Maisonneuve: Trio Java sings a cappella Christmas songs on Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 12:15 to 1:00 p.m., and the family circus show Brrr! by Le Gros Orteil, with a juggling snow shoveler, plays Sunday, December 20, at 10:30 a.m. Entry is free (entrée libre) and no ticket is needed.

Two free outdoor holiday performances in Mercier: Trio Java sings a cappella Christmas songs on Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 2:00 to 2:45 p.m., and the family circus show Brrr! by Le Gros Orteil plays Sunday, December 20, at 3:00 p.m. Entry is free (entrée libre), no ticket needed.

Soprano Jacqueline Woodley and Les Boréades, led by Francis Colpron, perform 17th and 18th century French Nativity music in Montreal's oldest church on Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., recorded for Radio-Canada's ICI Musique. The concert is free but requires a ticket, released November 17; picking it up in person is free while online booking adds a $2 fee.