Montréal Festivals

Montréal Festivals

The Black and Blue Festival (514/875-7026. www.bbcm.org) is a weeklong string of parties hosted by BBCM (Bad Boy Club Montréal) that began in 1991, and is now held annually in October. Proceeds are donated to AIDS support organizations.

Teams from around the world compete in the Concours d'Art International Pyrotechnique (International Fireworks Competition. 514/397-2000; 514/790-1245; 800/361-4595 in Canada; 800/678-5440 in the U.S. www.montrealfeux.com), held in late June and July (mostly on weekends). Their launch site is La Ronde, on Île Ste-Hélène. A ticket includes an amusement-park pass and a reserved seat with a view, but thousands fill the Jacques-Cartier Bridge to watch the show for free, and hundreds more head to the Vieux-Port.

International stars show up for the Festival International des Films du Monde (World Film Festival. 514/848-3883. www.ffm-montreal.org), from late August to early September, which usually screens about 400 films in a dozen venues.

The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (Montréal International Jazz Festival. 514/790-1245; 800/361-4595 in Canada; 800/678-5440 in the U.S. www.montrealjazzfest.com) brings together more than 1,000 musicians for more than 400 concerts over a period of nearly two weeks, from the end of June to the beginning of July. Past stars have included Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Lauryn Hill, Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, and Canada's most famed singer-pianist, Diana Krall. About three-fourths of the concerts are presented free on outdoor stages. You can also hear blues, Latin rhythms, gospel, Cajun, and world music. Contact Bell Info-Jazz (514/871-1881 or 888/515-0515) for information about the festival and travel packages.

FrancoFolies (514/876-8989. www.francofolies.com) celebrates the art of French songwriting. Such major French stars as Isabelle Boulay, Paul Piché, and Michel Rivard play at packed concert halls, while lesser-known artists play free outdoor concerts. More than 1,000 musicians perform in dozens of styles, including rock, hip-hop, jazz, funk, and Latin. The festival usually starts in late July and lasts through early August.

For five days every June, the Mondiale de la Bière (514/722-9640. www.festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca) transforms the glass-roofed concourse of the Gare Windsor into a giant beer garden offering visitors a chance to sample more than 350 ales, lagers, and ciders from nearly 100 microbreweries. Snacks such as grilled meat, kippered herrings, Belgian chocolates, quail eggs, and an almost infinite variety of Québec cheeses are also available.

Montréal en Lumière (Montréal Highlights. 514/288-9955 or 888/477-9955. www.montrealenlumiere.com) brightens the bleak days of February. For every event, experts artfully illuminate a few historic buildings. Such leading chefs as Paul Bocuse of France come to town to give demonstrations and to take over the kitchens of leading restaurants. Concerts, ice-sculpture displays, plays, dance recitals, and other cultural events take place during the festival.