Montréal en Lumière is back again this year for its 19th celebration, and once again, its program does not fail to excite and delight. For those of you who are new to the scene, Montréal en Lumière is an annual wintertime celebration here in the city that boasts a week-long program featuring Montreal’s gourmet scene, performing arts, and a free outdoor site. The week ends with a bang with the “Most Awaited Night of the Year”, Nuit Blanche, an all-night event that assembles night roamers from all over the city who have a taste for urban adventure.
This year, the festival runs from February 22nd to March 4th, with Nuit blanche falling on the night of March 3rd. Some of the highlights this year include the fine-dining program which includes various workshops, tastings, collaborations with guest chefs, as well as a conference and tasting event for potatoes on March 1st. You can find the complete fine-dining program and schedule here. Shows and concerts taking place during Montréal en Lumière feature both local artists and artists from abroad. There are performances in theatre, dance, circus arts, as well as musical performances of all genres. You can find more information about them here.
The outdoor site is located at Place des Festivals in downtown Montreal. It’s very easy to access, and there are a ton of things to do there (take it from someone who lives a block away — the site looks like so much fun). You should definitely pick an evening to visit with a group of friends. Unfortunately, it’s closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so make sure to plan your visits for the end of the week. The ever-so-popular zip-line is back, and so is the urban slide and Ferris wheel (and they’re all free!). Also expect there to be food trucks, open fire pits, and live performances.
Additionally, back for its second year is Illuminart, the ambitious outdoor project that fuses light, technology, and artistic creativity. This was the highlight of my Montréal en Lumière experience last year, with its innovative and dazzling installations which were scattered all over the Quartier des Spectacles. The projects last year ranged from larger-than-life illuminated humanoid figures, to an outdoor piano that triggers a colourful display of lights strung across a park, to on-the-wall projections of dancing figures complete with its own soundtrack. This year’s Illuminart has an entirely new set of projects on display, and they’re more localized to the area around the Place des Festivals. Find out more about the 2018 circuit here.
As if that wasn’t already enough, there is another set of unique and entertaining activities planned for Nuit blanche. On this much-awaited night, you can attend various guided tours around Montreal (including a flashlight tour of the Redpath Museum), there will be even more workshops (cue, ceramic painting), presentations, and even night-time skating at the Olympic Stadium! The metro will remain open all night long to help you get from place to place during Nuit blanche too. Start planning your most exciting all-nighter by checking out the full list of activities here.
Photo credits
Cover image from http://montrealenlumiere.com/en-CA
Body image from http://experienceilluminart.com/en-CA/Projets?projet=4