Quartier des spectacles

Constantly evolving, the Quartier des spectacles, located in the heart of downtown Montréal, is home to the Grande Bibliothèque, an architectural masterpiece, La Vitrine, a central ticketing office with great last-minute deals, the Cinémathèque québécoise, the Métropolis, several performance halls and venues, including Place des arts. 

Guided tours

To discover the secrets of this neighbourhood, once home to the city’s infamous Red Light district and today serving as a model to the world with its many recent improvements, why not take a guided tour! Simply sign up online. With its Luminous Pathway—winner of several awards—its wealth of festivals, and its choice of show venues both large and small, the Quartier des spectacles reflects Montréal’s intense creativity, particularly in terms of digital art.

Roll out the red carpet 

A distinctive and ecological illuminating signature characterizes the Quartier des spectacles that directs visitors to the city’s cultural spaces. Just follow the red dots to find the various cultural venues. At the heart of this illuminated community is the Place des festivals, the core of the city’s festivities, featuring displays of powerful water jets. Over the years it has hosted key Montréal names on the international scene including Arcade Fire, Les Grands Ballets canadiens and DJ Champion.

Make room for music

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal has a brand-new music hall. Panelled in beech wood from the forests of the Outaouais, the Maison symphonique de Montréal boasts a modern cachet and meets the exacting requirements for perfect acoustics. It’s the new Mecca for music lovers, and is home to the production of numerous musical ensembles.


On top of the latest trends 

The Société des arts technologiques (SAT) was founded in 1996 with the rise of digitization. The Satosphère, whose huge dome houses the SAT, contains the Foodlab, a veritable culinary experimentation lab providing the public with access to its kitchens. On the occasion of the Mutek festival, the Foodlab features several renowned chefs and culinary designers. The SAT’s first Foodlab market was held in the fall of 2011 at Place de la Paix, the former site of the 19th century Marché Saint Laurent. Once a year, Montréal artists have the opportunity to showcase their creations to the public during the souk@sat. Don’t miss it!