Ah, the Easter long weekend. Four days off means four chances to lean into your best self: Someone who goes to book fairs and brunches, raves until sunrise, eats pizza with DJs, and maybe—just maybe—sheds a tear while watching Mulholland Drive.

Everything’s open, everyone’s out, and your group chat is already fracturing under the weight of too many plans. Whether you’re raising a glass to resurrection, renewal, or just a rare Monday off, this edition’s got you covered with art shows, techno parties, long-table dinners, and exactly one buttery croissant DJ session.

Activities, parties, points of interest, art exhibitions, you name it: These are the weekend events you don't want to miss.

Thursday

🎵 Pavillon hosts Montreal electronic pioneer Soundshaper for an evening of drinks, food, and genre-bending DJ sets designed to keep the dancefloor moving.

🏡 Join the movement at CRCS St-Zotique for an afternoon of food, a photo exhibition, art stations, and updates on the fight for a community-led future of the Malting—button-making, banner-creating, and solidarity in action.

Friday

📸 A sweeping exhibition of over 400 photographs, Pounding the Pavement at McCord Stewart explores Montreal’s streets as sites of protest, identity, architecture, and everyday life through more than a century of street photography.

🎤 Polaris Prize–winning rapper and producer Backxwash debuts her new album Only Dust Remains at Espace SAT, joined by experimental artist Magella and R&B/Soul singer Fernie.

📽️ David Lynch’s iconic dreamlike thriller Mulholland Drive returns to the big screen as part of the “In Our Dreams” retrospective at Cinema du Parc, with Naomi Watts in a career-defining role.

🤖 UnderPulse hosts a night of house, techno, and acid at Tacos Mon Village with DJs Blanket, Juls, Niki, and Amnesiac, blending raw grooves and hypnotic rhythms in an intimate, underground setting.

Saturday

🥐 Croissound returns at Le Ninety, serving buttery croissants, specialty coffee, and house grooves by Flonko & Bisso—don’t miss this breakfast dance party.

📚 The 32nd edition of "Canada’s Smallest Book Fair", the Westmount Antiquarian Book Fair, returns to Centre Greene, where booksellers from Quebec, Ontario, and BC will offer rare and collectible books, maps, ephemera, and more.

🪩 Get ready for an eight-hour rave at Espace SAT with NYC DJs JADALAREIGN and Justin Cudmore headlining alongside local acts.

🇵🇭 Open House and Buboy present Bukás Na Bahay, a vibrant afternoon of music, food, and Filipino hospitality—pink or green outfits required, immaculate vibes only.

👻 The plus-size-focused Marché ThiickWitch returns for its third edition, bringing together over 20 local artists, designers, and curators together.

Sunday

🍓 Sundae Shorties kicks off its weekly R&B day party season at Poubelle Magnifique with DJs Robin Banks, NMK, Scotty Tippin, and residents Fly Lady Di, J-Fro, and DeeClectic—no cover, terrasse and BBQ open.

🎶 Berlin Techno Easter Party: Head to Cabaret Berlin for an industrial-style night of techno with DJs Davide.cdb, Mushin, Bunnyguts and guests—2-for-1 tickets available for a limited time.

🧙 Maleficarum brings a free two-day alternative art market features +30 vendors showcasing queer, gothic, and uncensored creations, flash tattoos, new merch, and more to Saint-Henri.

🍕 Zaza Sundays kicks off at Bar Pamplemousse with Les Bons Vivants and Gavard serving up pizza, wine, and good vibes.

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WHAT TO EAT & DRINK IN AND AROUND MONTREAL

Scope the latest restaurant openings, recommendations on where to eat, plus new menus, old classics, and everything in between.

Aube Café is now open at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, welcoming visitors Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for coffee and pastries.

Caribbean fusion sushi is on the menu this month at Kwizinn, and you don't get to hear about—let alone taste—that every day.

Myers is hosting a laid-back 5 à 7 tonight at 1049 Van Horne—come raise a glass, snack on some cheese, and kick off the long weekend right.

Mitch Deli welcomes Véronique Lemieux to celebrate the arrival of spring with a tasting of her team's natural cuvées tonight.

Nanana’s first pop-up is happening April 20, with a pre-order-only box of six playful desserts available for pickup at Ratafia’s balcony from 10AM to 4PM.

On April 20, Bonafide opens early at 3 p.m. for a special late lunch/early dinner featuring a 7-course menu by chef Ed Cooper, with guest appearances.

La Panzeria throws down its 5th annual Pasquetta party this Easter Monday, April 21—expect food, fun, and DJ Cris Bell spinning from 1PM onward.

San Gennaro celebrates its 10-year anniversary on April 22 with free Margherita pizza, prosecco, and DJ Jojo Flores on the decks—everyone’s invited.

Mitch Deli celebrates five years—and three on Beaubien—with its biggest party yet on April 25 with smash burgers, natural wine, beer from Messorem, and a festive takeover of a back alley.

Le Central hosts a cocktail-style evening of snow crab bites and wine pairings on April 25, with a DJ and the option to buy wines by the glass or bottle.

Octo teams up with the import agency L’eau et le riz for a sake tasting night on April 26, featuring three dim sum paired with three sake cuvées for $63 plus more options.

Mon Lapin hosts chef Joe Otway of Higher Ground (UK) for a special four-course snow crab lunch on April 27, reuniting with co-chef Jessica Noël for a one-day collaborative menu.

The St. George’s Day Double-Decker Bus Extravaganza returns on April 27 with breakfast, cocktails, pub stops, and pints across four British Montreal bars—tickets include food, drinks, and transportation.

Distillerie de Montréal and La Part des Anges are teaming up on April 27 for the launch of TiKiBô rum, featuring tastings, snacks, a cocktail workshop, live DJ, and an exclusive prize draw.

On April 28, chef Carlos Melgar takes over HENI for a one-night-only five-course pan–Latin American dinner ($75), with optional wine and mezcal pairings ($65).

MTL Aperitivo Club returns April 29 at Birbante for an Italian-style evening of snacks, sips, and Campari clinks—limited RSVPs available.

Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from entertainment to current affairs and more.

Read up on the latest profile of Yves 'Apache' Trudeau, known as Canada's deadliest assassin who killed 43 people for the Hells Angels (and other local gangs). Read more.

Willie’s Clubhouse reimagines the classic pool hall with martinis, moody design, and a dark room for darts—all inside the Montreal Forum. Read more.

Design lovers, you need to check this out: Byron and Dexter Peart, the founders of WANT Les Essentiels, have chosen Westmount for their design curation company GOODEE's flagship retail spot. Read more.

From killing time at an office job to a national cult following, John Batt’s @canada.gov.ca is reframing Canadian identity one weird, regional deep cut at a time. Read more.

Ain't that the most Canadian thing: Montreal’s playoff hopes just bumped Canada’s French-language leaders’ debate—because in Quebec, hockey still outranks politics. Read more.

As Quebec scraps plans to renovate Montreal’s FACE school, critics say the government’s austerity betrays both cultural heritage and public education. Read more.

Driven by students and sustainability, Montreal’s thrift economy is reshaping how a new generation shops, works, and defines value. Read more.

In Montreal’s most reliably red riding, Israel, Gaza, and America—not Canada—have taken centre stage in a federal campaign turned identity referendum. Read more.

Montreal is walking back its pedestrian-only plans for sections of Ste-Catherine Street West. Read more.

Montreal’s Groupe Dynamite is closing up to 10 Canadian stores while opening 20 more in the U.S.—a retail retreat at home, expansion abroad. Read more.

Montreal will cut century-old poplars in La Fontaine Park due to rot and safety risks—saying goodbye to towering trees that shaped the city’s green heart. Read more.

Frank And Oak is closing seven Quebec locations as part of a nationwide downsizing—its Montreal roots won’t spare it from a retail reckoning. Read more.

Move over hockey, says columnist Shawn Micallef—Toronto and Montreal’s real rivalry should be over who can build the better, fairer, and more livable city. Read more.

Nas, Ayra Starr, and Oscar Peterson tributes lead a genre-blending lineup at this year’s Jazz Fest, where legacy meets what’s next. Read more.

Montreal greenlights a contested container yard in Hochelaga, with 1,000 trucks a day expected—despite a decade of pushback from residents and City Hall. Read more.

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And that wraps yet another weekly bulletin. We’ll be back with more curiosities, local stories, and events to discover next week.

If ever you catch something we should know, don't hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram.

👋 Masthead: Philip Tabah, Founder & Head of Creative / Daniel Bromberg, Co-Founder & Head of Operations / Jean-Philippe Lauzon, Co-Founder & Head of Tech / JP Karwacki, Managing Editor / Amber Spector, Social Media Manager