It’s one of those weeks where Montreal feels like five cities at once.

You’ve got Salman Rushdie headlining Blue Met, Arabic club nights shaking Ausgang Plaza, and someone willingly jumping off a 210-foot tower over the St. Lawrence. Martha Wainwright’s marking 20 years since her debut album. A new Vietnamese ghost kitchen is slinging bánh mì inside a manga café. Foufs is hosting three straight days of Oi! Fest. And that’s just the warm-up.

VV Taverna’s throwing one last no-cover party before moving out. Projet Mill is turning one with a jazz jam and jungle DJ set in Pointe-Saint-Charles. There’s a massive vinyl fair in a church, a snow crab soirée at Le Central, and a tiki rum launch that may or may not lead to a dancefloor. Oh—and if you haven’t tried soup and dumplings at Bangluck yet, now’s the time.

Whether you’re showing up for the books, the beers, the back-alley birthday burgers, or just a solid soundtrack while you browse old posters—this weekend’s stacked.

Here’s what’s happening.

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

Thursday

📚 The 27th edition of the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival brings over 160 authors and artists—including Salman Rushdie—to Montreal.

🚨 Award-winning writers Julian Sher and Lisa Fitterman discuss their new book Hitman: The Untold Story of Canada’s Deadliest Assassin in a hybrid afternoon event at Atwater Library, exploring themes of Montreal corruption and crime.

😬 Get ready to jump: Montréal Bungee opens, offering thrill-seekers a 210-foot plunge from the historic Convoyeurs Tower, right above the St. Lawrence River.

🎹 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds bring The Wild God Tour to Place Bell.

Friday

🎸 Martha Wainwright celebrates the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album with a special concert at Théâtre Outremont, featuring iconic tracks and the album’s first-ever vinyl release.

📖 The second edition of the Salon du Livre de Verdun takes place, featuring a diverse lineup of local authors and publishers offering everything from novels and zines to poetry and graphic literature.

🖼️ L’Affichiste’s beloved Not-So-Perfect Sale returns, offering vintage and contemporary posters with quirks, character, and discounted prices.

🤘 The 10th edition of Montréal Oi! Fest takes over Foufounes Électriques with three days of punk, ska, reggae, and dub—plus DJ sets and a chance to reunite with friends old and new.

🎊 VV Taverna throws one final, no-cover weekend party at its current location with resident DJs Modeste Blaise and Miracle mART spinning nostalgic ’80s, ’90s, international and French classics before the venue moves to a new space.

Saturday

🏘️ Projet Mill celebrates its first anniversary in Pointe-Saint-Charles with a community-centred block party: expect bike repair stations, games and snacks, a jazz jam and presentation by Tin Cans, and a dancefloor takeover with DJs LFO KISS and Anompe spinning techno and jungle.

🪩 Arabic club night Ya Tab Tab makes its Montreal debut this Saturday at Ausgang Plaza with beats, sun-soaked vibes, and a party atmosphere you won’t forget.

🌴 Canicule Tropicale returns to La Sala Rossa with an all-vinyl dance party of rare African, Latin, Brazilian, and Caribbean grooves from 1950–1980, featuring DJs Philippe Noël, La Mano Peluda, and special guest Lexis (Music Is My Sanctuary).

🛍️ Le Marché Vintage returns with over 35 vendors offering vintage clothes, jewelry, home goods, and more—plus all-day funk and disco from DJ Patrick.

🎶 Thirty vendors, thousands of records, and a soundtrack that never stops spinning at Saint-Denis Church—Montreal’s best vinyl fair returns for another round of crate-digging madness.

Sunday

🍻 The Festival des 100 Tavernes takes over Les Sans-Taverne at Bâtiment 7 with nine guest breweries, BBQ, outdoor games, DJ sets, and community vibes celebrating Pointe-Saint-Charles’ historic tavern culture and resistance to urban erasure.

🎼 Small Scale Music presents an experimental triple bill featuring 1/4 Tonne Overhaul, Charlotte Layec 4tet, and Munden-Dixon/Foisy + Charuest at Casa del Popolo.

👄 The Broadway smash Mean Girls is at Place des Arts’ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier for eight performances, bringing razor-sharp humour, unforgettable songs, and a powerhouse cast to the Montreal stage.

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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.

PSA: Bangluck is serving up the lunchtime goods: soup + dumplings at just $19.99, with $4 Thai tea or $6 beer add-ons. 🍜🍺

Culac, a new ghost kitchen inside Kaizen Manga Café, kicks off its soft opening from April 23 to May 4 with reinvented bánh mì, bold flavours, and a launch deal.

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.

Microbrasserie 4 Origines celebrates its 7th anniversary on April 26 with five new beers, smash burgers from Chez Simon, a spicy pop-up by Sauces Piquantes MTHELL, and live music by the Bud Rice Band.

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.

Le Plongeoir celebrates its two-year anniversary on Sunday, April 27 with Big Mac meatball subs and lots of wine from 3 p.m. til late.

Spring Party at Bar Dominion on April 27! Join Satay Brothers, Paleta Kate, and J&K Cocina for a family-style bash with good food and even better vibes.

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.

La Courtepointe is hosting an Election Night watch party on Monday, April 28, with full sound projection from 4PM until late.

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).

Natural wine fans take note: on April 28, Max Brondolo of Podere Sottoilnoce will be pouring five of his cuvées by the glass at Bona Fide with the team from DDV—RSVP required.

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.

Terrasse season has begun and we've mapped out every single one of the best places to soak up the sun. Read more.

Oh, you want rooftops? We've got those mapped out too. Read more.

There's legendary smoked meat in Montreal, and we're not talking about the usual suspects—we're talking about a real one in Ville-Émard. Read more.

You see the giant duck too, right? No, you're not crazy; it's the street performance art of Lewis Mallard, a walking hallucination. Read more.

We caught up with Vincent Tsang, artistic director of the homegrown brand Dime MTL, to learn his story and the art that's grown out of his career. Read more.

We are in the playoffs! GHG! We've got all of the best spots to watch the Habs now that we're in the playoffs in one spot. Read more.

Japan Week is coming, and it's bringing 11 days of festivities to the city in all manner of restaurants, shops, and more. We mapped it all out. Read more.

If you want a firsthand account of that new bungee jump in the Old Port, we've got one right here for you. Read more.

As trans and nonbinary Canadians are advised to exercise “the greatest amount of caution” with US border crossings, one Montreal artist shared their experience. Read more.

Quebec is poised to adopt a bill aimed to stem the exodus of doctors to the private sector, but a Montreal clinic says the approach is all wrong. Read more.

An unusual memorial: NDG remembers Humbert, a very special, and furry, resident who died in January after being hit by a car. Read more.

Ouch. Frank and Oak is closing all 14 of its stores in the coming weeks and selling its intellectual property as part of ongoing restructuring efforts. Read more.

A Montreal lawyer is criticizing Quebec’s housing minister and the rental board, saying the new formula to determine rent increases is still flawed. Read more.

Montreal car-sharing is expanding with more cars and Communauto competitors coming into town. Read more.

The elevators inaugurated at the Atwater Metro station earlier this week will be the last universal accessibility project taken on by public transit in the near future due to a lack of funding. 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