The Montreal Music Scene

Whether you like classical or rock music, or love to watch performers in huge venues or more intimate spaces, Montreal offers a vibrant music scene. Montreal's great music scene is hardly as a surprise seeing that the city has produced famous artists like Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, and Celine Dion. Here's a breakdown of the different types of music in Montreal.

Big Venues

With over 20,000 seats, the Centre Bell is a great place to explore the Montreal music scene. The Centre Bell has hosted musicians ranging from the teen favorite Justin Bieber to legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne. Pop sensations like Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas, alternative groups like Gorillaz and Thievery Corporation, and adult favorites like Michael Bublé and Paul McCartney have all performed at Centre Bell, making the venue a very popular destination.

The Place des Arts contains 6,000 seats in five performance spaces. Its Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier auditorium has held performances by the Montreal Opera. The Place des Arts was also home to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Playing masterpieces from Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Beethoven, and Stravinsky, among other composers, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra is sure to please anyone who loves classical music.

Jazz Clubs

Located in downtown Montreal, the House of Jazz is one of the city's beloved jazz clubs and is a great fixture in the Montreal music scene. The venue features a luxurious dining space with dark wood and red accents, a bar complete with a chandelier, and a performance space with upholstered booths and plenty of tables and chairs.

Just south of the House of Jazz is Upstairs, a restaurant and jazz club. Upstairs' impressive restaurant menu lets you pick from an assortment of tapas, burgers, and salads, the perfect complement to a night of live music. Upstairs has hosted jazz artists Jim Doxas and Jeannette Lambert, who have been playing music since their early teenage years.

DJ Scene

If you prefer listening to DJs, the Montreal music scene has several trendy options.

The Tokyo Bar has a rooftop deck and features DJs that will keep you dancing into the early hours of the morning. Or head over to Koko Restaurant and Bar. After dinner service ends for the night, DJs will continue spinning at this chic establishment. Do you want to leave the bar scene and venture into clubs? For those of you who like to get stay up late dancing to upbeat music at clubs, the Montreal music scene offers several high-energy discos, including the 1234 Club and Club Electric Avenue.

Festivals

Regardless of what genre of music you're into, there's sure to be a Montreal music festival that appeals to you. Do you like indie music? Try the Under the Snow festival. What about electronic music? Then the MUTEK festival is for you. Do you prefer classical music? Make plans to see the Montreal Baroque music festival.

Montreal's famous International Jazz Festival has featured musicians like Ray Charles Prince, and Norah Jones, while the Osheaga festival has hosted artists like The Black Keys and Jack Johnson. POP Montreal brings over 400 artists to the city and even includes performances for young children. Montreal music festivals are a dynamic part of the Montreal music scene and provide you with an excellent way to get outdoors and mingle with locals and visitors while seeing the musicians you love.

Tourists and locals can agree that Montreal's music scene offers something for everyone. From the dimly-lit spaces of jazz clubs to the crowded auditoriums that hold 20,000 people, from Beethoven to The Black Eyed Peas, Montreal's music scene makes the city a go-to destination.

Check out other Montreal events.