November has a reputation as Montreal’s quiet month. The concert calendar disagrees. Between the club shows at MTELUS, a pop superstar at the Bell Centre, a 20th-anniversary Bach festival and two music industry festivals, the November concerts in Montreal cover just about every taste. Here’s our pick of the shows worth booking, organized by week, with dates and venues confirmed with the organizers as of Oct. 29. Prices and availability change fast, so check before you buy.
November concerts in Montreal: week by week
Nov. 2 to 8: a busy first week
- New Constellations plays Bar le Ritz PDB on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m.
- MICO takes over MTELUS on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.
- Sullivan King plays MTELUS on Friday, Nov. 6, with a 10 p.m. start.
- Caravanes du son, an evening of Arabic music titled “De la Mésopotamie vers le monde,” fills the Maison symphonique on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7.
- Palace plays MTELUS on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.
Nov. 9 to 15: flamenco, outlaw country and heavy riffs
The big one this week is the Gipsy Kings at MTELUS on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. Earlier in the week, Wheeler Walker Jr. brings his very unfiltered country act to the same stage on Thursday, Nov. 12, and on Sunday, Nov. 15, Slaughter To Prevail closes the week, also at MTELUS. Full listings are on evenko’s MTELUS page.
Nov. 16 to 22: two festivals and a cowboy
Two industry festivals turn the middle of the month into a discovery zone. Mundial Montréal (Nov. 17 to 21) gathers about 300 artists and music professionals around world music, from Latin rock to Persian folk, with a strong place for Indigenous artists. M pour Montréal (Nov. 18 to 21), running since 2006, showcases independent artists from here to an international crowd of industry pros, according to Tourisme Montréal’s November guide.
On the club side, the masked country crooner Orville Peck plays MTELUS on Thursday, Nov. 19, followed by Perceval on Saturday, Nov. 21 and the death metal band Whitechapel on Sunday, Nov. 22 (7 p.m.).
Nov. 23 to 30: the big finish
- Ballets Jazz Montréal present the final run of Dance Me, set to the music of Leonard Cohen, at Théâtre Maisonneuve from Nov. 25 to 29. Tickets start at $49.
- Doja Cat headlines the Bell Centre on Friday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m., per the Bell Centre calendar.
- Bonobo plays MTELUS the same night, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. Choose wisely.
- Underoath wraps the MTELUS month on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
For classical fans: Bach turns 20
The Festival International Bach Montréal celebrates its 20th edition with concerts across the city from Nov. 4 to Dec. 9. Two dates stand out on its official program: the anniversary gala “Ouverture jubilatoire!” at the Maison symphonique on Friday, Nov. 20, with Bach’s Magnificat and Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and Handel’s Water Music under conductor John Butt, and pianist Sir András Schiff at the same hall on Monday, Nov. 30. The opening night of Nov. 4, Schaghajegh Nosrati’s Goldberg Variations at Théâtre Paradoxe, is already sold out, but the festival also has free concerts later in the month.
Organ lovers have their own series: the festival is presenting Bach’s complete organ works at Saint Joseph’s Oratory, with recitals by Christian Schmitt on Sunday, Nov. 8, Vincent Boucher on Nov. 15 and Bálint Karosi on Nov. 29. Hearing that music in the Oratory’s vast basilica is an experience in itself, even if you never thought of yourself as a classical fan.
Tickets for many of these shows, including the Bach gala and Ballets Jazz, are sold through Place des Arts.
Tips for concert season
- Buy from the official box office or the venue’s ticketing partner. Resale prices for big names like Doja Cat can climb quickly.
- Most downtown venues are steps from the green line: Saint-Laurent for MTELUS, Place-des-Arts for the Maison symphonique and Théâtre Maisonneuve, and Lucien-L’Allier or Bonaventure for the Bell Centre.
- Late shows mean late metros. Check the last train times on weeknights before you go.
Want to eat before the show? Our food hall guide covers Le Central, a short walk from MTELUS. For the rest of the month, see our November festivals calendar and our list of free things to do in November, or browse our Things to Do section. Bon show!
More on MTL365
- Victoire Title Defence: What to Know Before the PWHL Season Opens Dec. 5
- The Best Croissants in Montreal: 10 Bakeries for Flaky, Buttery Perfection
- Homelessness in Montreal This Winter: Shelter Spots, New Funding and How to Help
- More things to do in Montreal on MTL365
Photo: Jeangagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources: evenko (MTELUS), evenko (Bell Centre), Tourisme Montréal, Festival International Bach Montréal, Place des Arts
