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Montreal festival season is upon us.

Week after week during the summer months, you can count on the Montreal streets to come alive with music and art. Even though comedy fest Just For Laughs is taking a one-year break to sort out its financial woes, there’s still plenty to do and see in town and beyond this summer, from mainstays to new offerings.

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The regulars

Fuego Fuego, May 25-26: The Latin music festival returns for a third edition at Olympic Park. As with the previous two, the fest has secured a couple of major international headliners. This time around, it’s Colombian crossover act Maluma and Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Rauw Alejandro.

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St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival, May 27-June 16: Hundreds of theatre, musical and dance performances (and more) will descend upon nooks and crannies across the Plateau, with Mainline Theatre as its epicentre.

Mural Festival, June 6-16: Rapper Rick Ross will leave the Port of Miami for the Peel Basin as the big-name headliner for the music portion of this year’s street art and music party, which hits the usual confines of St-Laurent Blvd. and the less familiar ones at the Basin.

Suoni Per Il Popolo, June 13-23: The experimental and avant garde music festival never compromises when it comes to bringing unique and compelling artists to home venues Casa del Popolo, Sala Rossa and La Sotterenea. Anthony Braxton and Irreversible Entanglements are among the critically acclaimed acts playing the fest this year.

Les Francos de Montréal, Juen 14-22: The Quartier des Spectacles will see its usual mix of free and paid shows celebrating francophone music. A pair of French stars, Francis Cabrel and Eddy De Pretto, will perform their respective headline shows at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. In terms of contemporary local acts, indie rock act Karkwa and rapper Souldia will star on the outdoor Bell Stage.

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Montreal International Jazz Festival, June 27-July 6: André 3000 from celebrated Southern rap duo Outkast and his flute headline the 44th edition of the jazz fest. Norah Jones, Killer Mike, Freddie Gibbs (with El Michels Affair) and Hiatus Kaiyote are also set to perform.

Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, July 9-12: The 38th edition will take place in multiple venues in the city. The lineup has yet to be announced.

Fantasia International Film Festival, July 18-Aug. 4: Fans of sci-fi, horror and fantasy movies know to mark their calendars every year. The genre film fest is famous for its expertly curated lineups and devotion to the cult classic filmmakers.

Fierté Montréal, Aug. 1-11: While most of the world celebrates Pride in June, Montreal goes all out later in the summer in August. The parade will take place on Aug. 11, while the rest of the lineup, which usually features major music and drag stars, will be announced at a later date.

Osheaga, Aug. 2-4: SZA, Noah Kahan and Green Day kick off Evenko’s trio of music festivals at Jean-Drapeau Park.

IleSoniq, Aug. 10-11: Tiësto and DJ Snake headline the electro-centric music fest.

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Lasso, Aug. 16-17: The newer country music festival finishes the busy stretch with Eric Church and Sam Hunt.

MUTEK, Aug. 20-24: The electronic music festival celebrates its 25th anniversary with a predictably eclectic lineup. Catch a rare glimpse of U.K. acts Evian Christ and Factory Floor, or enjoy hard-hitting, internationally renowned locals like Colin Stetson and Kara-Lis Coverdale.

What’s new

L’Appel Montréal, May 30: Montreal group Half Moon Run have performed at countless local events before, and now they’re starting up a brand-new one of their own at Olympic Park. is a one-day outdoor fest that also features Quebec acts Men I Trust and Gabrielle Shonk, as well as American artist Nick Hakim.

Concerts du Podium, June 7-8: Formula 1 weekend in Montreal is already a pretty big party, but this year it’s about to get even bigger and louder with this concert series at Jean-Drapeau Park that’s bringing some pretty big music acts to the festivities. The Chainsmokers perform on June 7 and Pitbull takes the stage the following evening.

ComediHa! Salue Montréal, July 18-25: Quebec City’s comedy fest is filling the hole left by JFL, setting up a special festival in Montreal with indoor and outdoor shows as part of its 25th anniversary. Acts have yet to be announced.

What’s a short drive away

Festival d’été de Québec, July 4-14: Every year, the FEQ manages to nab a few exclusives that leave Montrealers no choice but to hit Highway 40 for a trip to La Vieille Capitale. This year, it has Post Malone, Jonas Brothers, J Balvin, 50 Cent, Nickelback and more.

International de montgolfières de St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Aug. 9-18: The hot-air balloon festival always attracts a few big family-friendly pop acts, and this year is no exception with Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams, Charlotte Cardin and Simple Plan set to take the main stage.

Festival de la Poutine, Aug. 22-24: Hit the home of Quebec’s most decorated dish in Drummondville for this fest, which always features a pretty robust music lineup. This year, check out reunited hip-hop trio Loud Lary Ajust and singer-songwriter Daniel Belanger.

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