Guide to New Year's Eve in Montreal: Parties, Fireworks, and Things to Do

Montreal New Year's Eve 2015-2016 events include fireworks in the Old Port.
RENAULT Philippe / Getty Images

From dancing the night away at one of Montreal's hottest clubs to enjoying an intimate evening of fireworks and fine dining, there are plenty of ways to celebrate New Year's Eve in Montreal. Whether you're looking to party all night or are traveling with family, there's an event for everyone on New Year's Eve.

However, finding a taxi after the clubs close on New Year's Day can be an exasperating experience, especially if you're in one of the busier parts of the city. Instead, you can avoid getting frostbite from waiting in the cold by ordering an Uber—which may have a hiked fare due to higher demand—or hire a designated driver service to get you home if you drove yourself.

Alternatively, the Société de transport de Montréal will keep the Metro open all night for New Year's Eve so you can get home by yourself. Unlimited evening passes are available for 5.50 Canadian dollars, roughly $4, which gives users unlimited access to public transit from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Night buses will also run on schedule, and the Montreal Casino bus #777 will be shuttling gamblers from Jean-Drapeau Metro station to the Casino and back all night long, as well.

However, Montreal is under a strict lockdown throughout the holiday season during 2020–2021. Restaurants, bars, and most businesses are closed down and not offering in-person New Year events. Some events have changed to a virtual format, but many are canceled. Be sure to confirm the most up-to-date details with event organizers.

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Watch Fireworks at Old Port Celebrations

Old Port Celebrations

Mark Novak / Getty Images 

If you're not a fan of clubbing but still want to experience all the joy of counting down to the new year surrounded by revelers, then the Montreal Old Port is usually the place to go, with live music, ice skating, and the big finale firework show. However, the Old Port will be closed on December 31, 2020, and the fireworks won't be happening. But you can celebrate from home by watching a live stream of music performances from local and national artists. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. and is available to stream online.

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Get Kinky at Cirque de Boudoir's Carnavalesque

Montreal New Year's Eve 2018 events include Carnavalesque.

Cirque de Boudoir / Edgar Delacroix

Cirque De Boudoir (CDB) returns for its annual BDSM-friendly themed New Year's Eve event, Carnavalesque, on December 31, 2020, but in a completely virtual format. DJs and burlesque dancers will perform via a live stream for those who have purchased tickets, so you can still enjoy Montreal's kinkiest NYE event. Even though you'll be enjoying it from home, a strict costume dress code is still in place.

CDB events combine elements from fetish events, burlesque shows, circus performances, and electronic dance music parties to create a truly unique experience for people from every walk of life.

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Go to the Luau at Snowbird Tiki Bar

Snowbird Tiki Bar

Snowbird Tiki Bar

New Year's Eve 2020–2021 at the Snowbird Tiki Bar is canceled.

Put on your tackiest Hawaiian shirts and forget it's the dead of winter at Little Italy's Snowbird Tiki Bar, one of Montreal's hottest nightlife destinations. On New Year's Eve, you can either indulge in the Tiki pub's special four-course menu from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. or stay late for an all-night luau to ring in the new year with live music and dancing.

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Get Jazzy at Modavie's NYE Concerts

Montreal New Year's Eve 2015-2016 events include dinner and jazz at Modavie.

Modavie

As of December 2020, Modavie is closed until further notice.

Just a five-minute walk away from Old Port's fireworks celebration, Modavie, a restaurant and wine bar in Old Montreal, offers an intimate escape from all of the noise of New Year's Eve.

Although it won't be open all night to ring in the New Year, you can stop by Modavie before the fireworks for an evening of jazz music and feasting on a delicious selection of entrees and appetizers. Check out the Modavie live music lineup for more information on performers on New Year's Eve.

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05 of 10

Party in the Satosphere Dome

Société des arts technologiques

Société des arts technologiques

New Year's Eve celebrations for 2020–2021 at the Satosphere Dome are canceled.

You can join over 300 revelers under the Société des Arts Technologiques (SAT) Satosphere Dome, a 360-degree spherical projection screen 59 feet (18 meters) wide, for a special night of celebration and dancing to techno music spun by several Montreal DJs.

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Take a Winter Forest Trek or Escape to a Resort

Montreal winter forest treks in 2018 can be done by snowshoe, by foot, and sometimes by cross-country skis.

Les Amis de la montagne

Mount Royal Park and Quebec ski resorts are open to visitors as of December 2020, but New Year's Eve events and activities are canceled. Contact your planned destination for the most current announcements.

For fans of the outdoors and sporting activities, Montreal is relatively close to several great destinations for hiking, climbing, skiing, and snowboarding this winter.

On New Year's Eve this year, you can join a Snowshoe Excursion through Mount Royal Park. The 90-minute guided tour features insights into the wildlife of the area as well as historical tidbits relating to the mountain and park.

Alternatively, if your holiday travel budget is a little flexible, you can spend a little more and head up to one of Quebec's leading ski resorts to unwind in comfort or race down the slopes, many of which also feature special events in honor of the new year.

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Have a Bluesy NYE at Bistro à Jojo

Montreal New Year's Eve 2017 events include Bistro à Jojo.
Lonely Planet / Getty Images

The 2020–2021 New Year event at Bistro à Jojo is canceled.

If you're not a fan of electronic music but still want to party all night, you can listen to a legendary rock group while enjoying the intimate, baby boomer-friendly bar setting of Bistro à Jojo on New Year's Eve.

This annual event features a blues or rock band to headline the night and ring in the New Year.

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Laugh at the Comedy Nest's New Year's Eve Bash

The New Year's Eve Bash at The Comedy Nest is canceled for 2020–2021.

On December 31, Montreal's premiere comedy club The Comedy Nest hosts a special night of laughs to celebrate the coming year.

The night is hosted by one of the Nest's resident comedians and features special guests, party favors, a comedian countdown, a complimentary glass of bubbly at midnight, access to gourmet sandwiches and dessert tables after the show, and a gift certificate to catch another performance at The Comedy Nest anytime in the year.

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09 of 10

Rave Away at Club La Voûte

Montreal New Year's 2018 events include La Voûte's NYE event.

La Voûte

New Year's Eve 2020–2021 at Club La Voûte is canceled.

The closest thing in Montreal to New York City's legendary Club Kids venues of the 1990s is Club La Voûte, an Old Montreal nightclub located in the vault of the former Royal Bank in Montreal's first skyscraper.

La Voûte is all about image, flair, and drama, and on New Year's Eve, you can party all night with Montreal's scenesters at ​"The Vault New Year's Eve."

You must be 21 or over to attend and a strict dress code will be enforced that bans running shoes, caps, jerseys, baggy pants, and torn jeans.

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Gamble at the Montreal Casino

Montreal New Year's Eve 2016 events include checking out the Montreal Casino.
Yves Marcoux / Getty Images

As of December 2020, the Montreal Casino is closed until further notice.

Montreal is home to a number of great casinos including the Casino de Montréal, Vegas Casino Bar, and the Playground Poker Club in Kahnawake, Quebec. On New Year's Eve each year, these all-night gambling establishments host a variety of fun events like club nights, NYE house parties, and swanky champagne soirées.