Must-see entertainment in Québec

  • Casa del Popolo

    Montréal

    One of Montréal’s most charming live venues, the ‘House of the People’ has talented DJs and is a venue for art-house films and spoken-word performances…

  • Cirque du Soleil

    Old Montréal

    Globally famous Cirque du Soleil, one of the city’s most famous exports, puts on a new production of acrobats and music in this marvelous tent complex…

  • Place des Arts, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Place des Arts

    Montréal

    Montréal’s premier music venue, the storied Place des Arts is at the heart of the growing Quartier des Spectacles.

  • Grand Théâtre de Québec

    Québec City

    Designed by the Polish-Canadian architect Victor Prus in 1971, the 'Great Theater' is Québec City’s main performing-arts center, with a steady diet of top…

  • Aura Basilica

    Old Montréal

    A unique immersive multimedia show where the interior of the Basilique Notre-Dame becomes the canvas for a light show set to surging orchestral music. The…

  • Palais Montcalm

    Québec City

    Just outside the walls of the Old Upper Town, this art-deco theater subtitled 'La Maison de la Musique' (The House of Music) hosts a stellar lineup of…

  • Les Voûtes de Napoléon

    Québec City

    At this jubilant boîte à chanson (folk-music club), it will likely be just you and the locals. There’s lively Québécois music nightly, usually of the …

  • Scanner Bistro

    Québec City

    Ask any local between the ages of 18 and 35 to suggest a cool place for a drink and this is where they might send you. DJs and live bands serve up a…

  • Fou-Bar

    Québec City

    Laid-back and offering an eclectic mix of bands, this bar is one of the town’s classics for good live music. It’s also popular for its reasonably priced…

  • Opéra de Québec

    Québec City

    Under the artistic direction of Grégoire Legendre, this world-class company presents classics like Aida, Pagliacci, Madame Butterfly, La Traviata, Carmen,…

  • Pape Georges

    Québec City

    With live music from 10pm on Friday and Saturday night at the very minimum (more in the summer), this charming bar located in a 400-year-old house also…

  • Neon sign at Bistro a JoJo in Latin Quarter.

    Bistro à Jojo

    Montréal

    This brash venue on lively Rue St-Denis has been going strong since 1975. It’s the nightly place for down 'n' dirty French- and English-language blues and…

  • The DJ and dancing crowd in Piknic Electronik a summer music festival in Saint Helen's Island.

    Piknic Électronik

    Montréal

    It’s near the sculpture L'Homme that the fantastic Piknic Électronik takes place. DJs mix techno and electronic music while you can dance or lounge on the…

  • Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

    Montréal

    This internationally renowned orchestra plays to packed audiences in its Place des Arts base, the Maison Symphonique de Montréal, a venue with spectacular…

  • Monument National

    Montréal

    Québec's oldest theater still in use, the grand Monument National opened in 1893, and has been showing a wide range of cultural fare ever since. Shows…

  • Orchestre Symphonique de Québec

    Québec City

    Founded in 1902 and boasting the accolade of being the oldest active symphony orchestra in Canada, the internationally recognized Orchestre Symphonique de…

  • Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal

    Montréal

    You can be assured of a treat if you see Québec’s leading ballet troupe. As well as staging six shows per season annually in Montréal at various venues …

  • Le Théâtre Capitole

    Québec City

    Québec City's first theater when it opened as the Auditorium de Québec in 1903, this historic and now renovated theater-restaurant offers cabaret and…

  • Foufounes Électriques

    Montréal

    A one-time bastion of the alternafreak, this cavernous quintessential punk venue still stages some wild music nights (retro Tuesdays, hip-hop Thursdays,…

  • Casino du Lac Leamy

    Québec

    This posh gambling hall has docking facilities and a helipad – in case you were thinking about bringing your yacht or helicopter. Dress up to visit this…

  • Théâtre de la Vieille Forge

    Gaspé Peninsula

    A major cultural landmark in this corner of the peninsula, the theater showcases musical performances and shows from across the world, with a focus on…

  • Dièse Onze

    Montréal

    This downstairs jazz club has just the right vibe – with an intimate small stage so you can get close to the musicians. There are shows most nights, with…

  • Les Gros Becs

    Québec City

    Devoted to children and young people, this brilliantly creative French-language theater company mounts some 10 shows annually, primarily between September…

  • L’Astral

    Montréal

    The century-old Blumenthal Building is a polished venue of Montréal’s jazz fest as part of the Quartier des Spectacles. With more than 300 seats and…

  • La Rotonde

    Québec City

    This contemporary-dance center has performances by both international touring companies and local dancers, such as those of the influential Maison pour la…

  • Théâtre St-Denis

    Montréal

    This Montréal landmark and historic movie house hosts touring Broadway productions, rock concerts and various theatrical and musical performances. Its two…

  • Bateau de Nuit

    Québec City

    We really love it when our dive bars come with a heavy dose of live music, which is exactly the case at this sweet little upstairs venue in the heart of…

  • Théâtre Ste-Catherine

    Montréal

    From film to theater, stand-up comedy to music concerts, this venue presents a variety of shows: Oscar Wilde one night, burlesque dance the next. Its…

  • Cabaret Mado

    Montréal

    Mado is a flamboyant celebrity who has been featured in Fugues, the gay entertainment mag. Her cabaret is a local institution, with drag shows featuring…

  • Gesù

    Montréal

    This small live-music and events venue in the basement of a church is blessed with character. Its Greek-theater acoustics means you can see and hear well…

  • Théâtre Rialto

    Montréal

    This grand 1920s theater was inspired by the Paris Opera house and, since 2010, has undergone restoration to its former glory following years of neglect…

  • Le 4e Mur

    Montréal

    This bar is literally behind an unmarked door – look for a big intimidating bouncer or the beautiful folks walking past him. Follow on, into a basement…

  • Bar Les Yeux Bleus

    Québec City

    One of the city's better boîtes á chanson (live, informal singer-songwriter clubs), this is the place to catch newcomers, the occasional big-name…

  • Théâtre Petit-Champlain

    Québec City

    This theater and 'maison de la chanson' (music house) near the base of the funicular in the Old Lower Town is a great place to see and hear Québec’s most…

  • Centaur Theatre

    Old Montréal

    Montréal’s chief English-language theater presents everything from Shakespearean classics to works by experimental Canadian playwrights. It occupies…

  • Agora de la Danse

    Montréal

    One of Montréal's most important names in the contemporary-dance world, Agora de la Danse explores modern and experimental forms, staging both homegrown…

  • Cinémathèque Québécoise

    Montréal

    This is a university-flavored venue noted for showing Canadian, Québécois and international avant-garde films. In the lobby there’s a permanent exhibition…

  • Théâtre de la Bordée

    Québec City

    Founded in 1976, this lovely theater in St-Roch stages both classical (Shakespeare is a favorite) and contemporary works, often in translation. It's…

  • La Rockette

    Montréal

    Part bar, part concert venue, all grotty as hell, La Rockette is a grand, intimate (read: sometimes loud and cramped) spot to catch a show, and if a show…

  • Maison pour la Danse

    Québec City

    Influential local dance troupe performing experimental and cutting-edge works at La Rotonde in St-Roch.