As Montreal's premiere entertainment district, Quartier des Spectacles is a buzz of activity. Built for concerts, cultural events, festivals and exhibits, the district is home to more than 30 performance halls, hosting over 100 shows a month. Highlights include the legendary Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Just for Laughs comedy fest.
The spacious Place des Festivals anchors the district and has become a focal point for open air events. Restaurants, bars and cafes dot the area and are eternally popular with ticket holders in search of pre or post-show refreshments. For those wanting to see a show, scoring tickets from the iconic La Vitrine box office is a must.
In total, Quartier des Spectacles covers an area of one square kilometre. It sits to the east of downtown Montreal and is easy to access from anywhere in the city. It’s a short 15-minute stroll from Old Montreal and encompasses the city’s trendy Quartier Latin district. Place-des-Artes, Saint-Laurent and Berri-UQAM are the closest metro stations, all located within the Quartier des Spectacles footprint.
While today Quartier des Spectacles an ultra-modern combination of steel and glass, its status as an entertainment hub dates back more than 100 years. In the 19th century, the site was home to the city’s infamous Red Light district, with a string of theatres starting to pop up in the early 1900s. Today, it’s celebrated as Montreal’s cultural heart.