Festivals and Events

A day of free activities for the whole family to open the holidays at the McCord Stewart Museum: Ogilvy's mechanical Christmas windows and Santa figurines, a hide and seek game, the exhibitions Carrie Allison: askōhtēskanohwē and Indigenous Voices of Today with a family booklet, storytelling with Eric Michaud, choirs, French and English storytimes, face painting and a drop in workshop on native Quebec plants. Saturday, November 14, 2026, 9 AM to 5 PM. Free, reservation required.

Important: free, but you need a free ticket to get in. An after work concert pairing the folk band Borrkia i Matti, rooted in the Italian music tradition, with rock'n'roll singer Julian Corradini, leader of Terapia Latina, who adds a Latin American touch. Thursday, November 12, 2026, from 5:15 to 7:00 p.m. Tickets available since October 29.

Important: free, but you need a free ticket to get in. An immersive and poignant play about the grotesque imagination of a child placed under youth protection (DPJ) who tries to build a life despite trauma and fear, with testimonies from young adults who recently left the placement system. Wednesday, November 11, 2026, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets available since October 28.

The final round of the 2026 to 2027 Wirth Vocal Prize at the Schulich School of Music, held in Pollack Concert Hall at McGill and also webcast on the school's YouTube channel. Sunday, December 13, 2026, 2 PM to 4 PM. Free admission.

The final round of the 2026 to 2027 Golden Violin Award, a Schulich School of Music competition, held in Pollack Concert Hall at McGill and also webcast on the school's YouTube channel. Saturday, December 12, 2026, 7 PM to 9 PM. Free admission.

Presented by the Trottier Space Institute at McGill, harpist Valérie Milot performs a solo show of music, storytelling and astronomical imagery that travels the cosmos from ancient myths to modern discoveries. It is followed by a Q&A with PhD student Nicole Ford about James Webb Space Telescope milestones. Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 6 PM to 8:30 PM, in English with volunteers on site to help French speakers. Free, registration required.

Free afternoon piano concerts presented by the Schulich School of Music, coordinated by Marina Mdivani, in Clara Lichtenstein Hall of the Strathcona Music Building at McGill. Tuesdays November 10, 17 and 24, 2026, from 2:30 PM to 4 PM. Free admission.

Free lunchtime organ concerts by Schulich School of Music organists in Redpath Hall at McGill University, coordinated by Isabelle Demers. Upcoming Fridays at 12:30 PM: November 13 and November 20, 2026, and January 29, 2027. Free admission.

Important: free, but you need a free ticket to get in. Duo Aster takes listeners on a musical journey inspired by the Mediterranean and the Orient, highlighting the classical saxophone in dialogue with the piano, with works by Pedro Iturralde, Claude Debussy and Fazıl Say. Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m.

Important: free, but you need a free ticket to get in. Émilie Porry's documentary looks at the lives of second generation immigrant youth through Sarah, a sporty and ambitious young Quebecer nearing 20 who is torn between family expectations and her need for independence. Thursday, December 10, 2026, from 7:00 to 8:20 p.m. Passes are released 14 days before (online or at 514 872 6131).

Important: free, but you need a free ticket to get in. Les Chambristes du Grand Montréal and the Rozan Trio blend a string quartet and a jazz trio to recreate the holiday mood of Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas, in a concert for children and adults alike. Sunday, November 29, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., in Saint-Michel. Passes are released 14 days before (online or at 514 872 6131).

Important: free, but you need a free ticket to get in. A screening of Fanon, a biographical drama (13+) about psychiatrist and anticolonial thinker Frantz Fanon, set at a psychiatric hospital in Blida during the Algerian War, presented by the Maison de la culture de Parc-Extension. Thursday, November 12, 2026, from 7:00 to 9:15 p.m. Passes are released 14 days before (online or at 514 872 6131).