Montreal Summer 2026: Jazz, VR, and Electronic Music Highlights

Montreal's summer 2026 is packed with festivals and cultural events. The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the world's largest jazz festival, dominates the city alongside Just For Laughs comedy festival (until July 26). In August, Mutek electronic music festival (August 25-28) features 80 live audiovisual performances by artists including Jeff Mills, Matthew Herbert, Ben UFO, Rival Consoles, Voices From The Lake, and JakoJako. The Black Mirror Experience, a 60-minute VR experience by Infinity Experiences (a joint venture of PHI Studio and Felix & Paul Studios), premiered in Montreal and is now in Madrid and New York. Participants interact with an AI companion called the Life Agent, exploring themes of autonomy and surveillance. At Habitat Sonore, Phi Center presents 'A Love Supreme' by John Coltrane in Dolby Atmos (Wed-Sat until September 13), celebrating Coltrane's centenary. Walking tours of Les Quartiers du Canal cover Griffintown, Little Burgundy, and Saint-Henri, highlighting jazz heritage with murals and sites linked to Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones. Les Bains Ninkasi offers beer baths and Nordic treatments near Place-des-Arts. Hotels include Hôtel Monville near Place des Arts and Hotel Metcalfe on the site of Ben's Deli. Restaurants like Foxy (wood-fired cuisine) and Le Filet (French-Japanese) are recommended. Crew Collective & Café occupies the former Royal Bank of Canada headquarters (1928), a Beaux-Arts landmark.