Music
The Montréal summer ends on the big outdoor stages, and many newcomers assume musical life stops there. The opposite is true: September opens the venue season — the one where you see the same artists a metre away, for the price of a meal.
The season of small venues
From September to April, music moves indoors. Neighbourhood venues programme almost every night, and tickets often cost less than twenty-five dollars. This is where you discover the artists who will fill the outdoor stages next summer — and where you can actually talk to them after the show.
The reflexes that lower the bill
- The student rate, rarely advertised, almost always available: ask at the box office.
- Pay-what-you-can nights, common early in the week.
- Showcases — several artists in one evening, for the price of one.
- Library and maison de la culture concerts, free and widely overlooked.
The best month to start playing
If you play an instrument, September is when collectives, choirs and workshops recruit for the season. Several public libraries lend instruments and rehearsal rooms. Our piece on making music when you have just arrived covers where to start.
Our current selection
The PremiereMinistar playlist is refreshed at the start of each month: what we listen to while preparing files, waiting for the bus, taming a new city. You will find it on the Music page — and if a track belongs there, write to us.