Halloween lands on a Saturday, the clocks fall back on Sunday, and a long list of fall events takes its final bow at the same time. Here’s our pick of what’s happening this week in Montreal, from Monday, Oct. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 1. Dates and times were checked against official listings as of Oct. 26; shows sell out fast at this time of year, so book before you head out.
Early in the week: gigs, galleries and an art opening
On Tuesday (Oct. 27), Periphery takes over MTELUS.
Also on Tuesday, PHI throws a free public opening for its two new fall–winter exhibitions, Jean-François Bouchard’s Turn or Burn and Stephanie Comilang’s ANTHEMS, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. across its sites on Saint-Pierre and Saint-Jean streets. No reservation needed; it’s first come, first served. Both shows then run from Oct. 28 to March 14.
Spa person? Bota Bota in the Old Port hosts a Ciné-Spa screening of Pascal Plante’s Nadia, Butterfly on Tuesday at 7 p.m., free with a water circuit booking (18+, weather permitting).
More gigs: Théâtre Fairmount’s own calendar lists Simonetti’s Goblin performing Tenebre on Tuesday (all ages, 8 p.m.), Rainao on Wednesday (18+) and Dwayne Gretzky on Thursday. Over at MTELUS, Sleeping With Sirens plays Friday, Hot Mulligan takes Halloween night and Blue October closes out the week on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Thursday to Sunday: the big shows
Nosferatu with a pipe organ
On Thursday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m., the OSM presents Nosferatu the Vampire in ciné-concert at the Maison symphonique: Murnau’s 1922 silent classic, with Jason Roberts improvising on the hall’s Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique. Seats were very limited as of Oct. 26.
Les Grands Ballets: Midsummer Night Dreams
Guillaume Côté’s Midsummer Night Dreams runs Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with shows Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., two on Halloween (2 and 8 p.m.) and a newly added Sunday 2 p.m. matinee. Tickets run $49 to $175. Next door at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Christos Papadopoulos’s dance piece My Fierce Ignorant Step plays Oct. 28 to 31.
Rocky Horror, live shadow cast and all
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball is back at the Rialto Theatre on Park Avenue for six shows over three nights, Oct. 29, 30 and 31, at 7 and 11 p.m. Expect a shadow cast performing in front of the film, an MC, a costume contest and the Time Warp. Prop bags are $5 plus taxes and fees.
Catching the 11 p.m. show? You’ll come out of the Time Warp hungry, and our best poutine in Montreal roundup has ideas for a post-show plate.
Halloween weekend: this week in Montreal gets spooky
- Lune Noire, Parc Jean-Drapeau: the decorated Jardins des Floralies are free to wander through Oct. 31. The ticketed Noce des Canaux evening boat ride (40 minutes, 6 to 11 p.m.) sails Oct. 29, 30 and 31, and the daytime Traversée des Canaux runs noon to 5 p.m. on Halloween. Note that online ticketing was showing as temporarily unavailable on Oct. 26.
- Halloween Shivers, Jardin botanique: the kids’ Halloween programming in the greenhouses and outdoor labyrinth wraps up Oct. 31 and is included with garden admission.
- Railway Ghosts, Exporail: the haunted train at the railway museum in Saint-Constant runs Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, with a candy car for under-10s ($5) and a spookier ghost car for ages 10 and up ($8).
- KARNAVALE at New City Gas: the club’s Halloween festival runs Oct. 30 and 31.
- SPASM: the genre short-film festival winds up its Halloween run on Oct. 31.
For the full spooky lineup, see our 15 Halloween things to do in Montreal.
Día de Muertos altars in Lachine
For something gentler than a haunted house, the Bibliothèque Saul-Bellow in Lachine (3100, rue Saint-Antoine) hosts Manalli, a free exhibition of eight Día de Muertos altars created by members of the Mexican community, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, with music and cultural mediation. On Halloween, the library also runs a Día de Muertos–themed candy stop from 5 to 8 p.m. (free, no registration). These fall on evenings and a weekend, when the municipal strike has trimmed some borough services, so check montreal.ca or call 311 before you go.
Last chances before November
Gardens of Light at the Jardin botanique ends Sunday, Nov. 1. The lantern and projection trail through the Chinese, Japanese and First Nations gardens runs 6 to 9 p.m., and timed-entry tickets are required.
Over at Centaur Theatre, Ronnie Burkett’s marionette show Wonderful Joe also closes Nov. 1. It’s strictly for ages 16 and up.
One more thing: Quebec falls back an hour early Sunday, Nov. 1, so you get an extra hour of sleep after Halloween night. Allez, have a great week, and check our Things to Do section for more.
More on MTL365
- Weekend Recap: Habs Win the Heritage Classic, Als Finish 14-4, and a Tough Week for CF Montréal
- The Best Poutine in Montreal: 8 Spots Worth the Gravy Stains
- Montreal Municipal Strike: What’s Affected This Week, Plus 5 Stories to Know
- More things to do in Montreal on MTL365
Photo: Thomas1313 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sources: Tourisme Montréal: October events, Tourisme Montréal: Halloween, Place des Arts, Rocky Horror MTL, Espace pour la vie, Exporail, PHI, Centaur Theatre, Bota Bota, Théâtre Fairmount, MTELUS, Ville de Montréal
