(light entertainment) The winter nights light even brighter during the 14th Montréal en Lumière, a festival of food, free outdoor activities (a ferris wheel, an ice slide and more!), music, theatre and dance shows, and other entertainment. Gourmet cuisine comes in all shapes and sizes at the festival, from multi-course meals to cheese samplings – see our Top 5 food picks for ideas. Tango enthusiasts and the curious are in for a treat at tango-meets-cabaret-meets-circus show and milonga La Pista Tango, the art of singer Tonny Bennett is on display, French music star -M- plays February 22, theatre-dance show The Humanity Project provokes deep thoughts, Haitian-born Québécois artist Marie-Josée Lord sings February 25, singer and pianist Diana Krall entrances in a solo concert on February 26, and none other than The Zombies rock out on February 28.

(circus & butterflies) Add far more than a dash of bright colour to snowy days at the 34th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, a internationally touring circus show featuring some of the top circus acts from the Paris-based competition of the same name, including acrobats, trapeze artists, jugglers, clowns, contortionists and more, to March 2 at La Tohu. More brightness awaits at the Butterflies Go Free exhibition at the Montreal Botanical Gardens, where 2000 butterflies and moths from around the world take up residence until the end of April. Or step outside at the Old Port to see the astounding athlethics involved in the Ice Canoe Races on February 23.

(dance & theatre) For the first time in Canada, the National Ballet of China performs Raise the Red Lantern, a classical Western ballet interpretation of Zhang Yimou’s dramatic film of the same name – the director even added his creative voice to the production by writing the libretto, designing the lighting and signing the stage direction – on stage February 22-24 at Place des Arts, presented by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. Danse Danse presents Corps de Walk, a thoroughly cool, contemporary-culture show (in music, movement and style) by choreographers Gai Behar and Sharon Eyal and 12 dancers of The Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance, February 28 and March 1-2 at Place des Arts.

(travel with art) Take a different kind of walk around downtown’s happening Quartier des Spectacles to the tune of Luminothérapie: use your iPhone or mp3 player to interact with art project Le jour des 8 soleils by artist Pascal Grandmaison who tells a story through video projects video projections on buildings in the area, from Berri-UQAM metro station to Place des Festivals and points in between. Indoors, visit Peru through its art, history and culture, presented in stunning detail at the MMFA’s Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon. The Musee d’art Contemporain features intriguing large-scale colour photography by celebrated photographer Lynne Cohen and an immersive, mysterious multi-room installation called Uraniborg, by French multidisciplinary artist Laurent Grasso.

(live music) Old Montreal cultural hub the PHI Centre hosts Thus: Owls on Friday, February 22 and follows that up on Saturday, February 23 with amazing Haiti fundraiser party Kanaval Kanape, with performances by Arcade Fire with Haitian group Doody & Kami and a dancetastic afterparty – in partnership with Black History Month Montreal. Also on Friday, ska-rock the night away with The Planet Smashers at Club Soda, while Bosnian Rainbows play Cabaret du Mile End and the good folks at Passovah Productions throw a party with Young Galaxy, Valleys and many more (plus doughnuts from Chez Boris!) at Il Motore. On Saturday night, dance to the electronic music of Bordello, Vosper and Jealous Lovers at the SAT. On Sunday, the MSO hosts conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky and pianist Viktoria Postnikova, while The Montreal New Music International Festival showcases some of the best in new classical and experimental works. On February 25, feel the Irish spirit with Celtic Woman, February 25 at Place des Arts. On February 26, indie-experimental-rock artist Eels  is at Theatre Corona, and on February 27, Swedish House Mafia makes the Bell Centre thump.

The post THINGS TO DO IN MONTREAL: FEBRUARY 22-28 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

David Byrne and St. Vincent: Pop Montreal is always good at recognizing the more offbeat side of  classic rock, and this year they bring us David Byrne, whose Talking Heads irrefutably changed the weird-rock landscape. Byrne also takes the stage with St. Vincent to play songs from their collaborative new album. September 21 at Église St-Jean Baptiste.

Antibalas and K’Naan with Nomadic Massive: This show, on the fest’s opening night, truly gets the party started with the high-energy Afrobeat sound of NYC’s Antibalas, “Ethio-jazz” hip hop of Toronto’s K’Naan and Montreal’s own, always-fun, community-minded Nomadic Massive. September 19 at Corona Theatre.

Grizzly Bear and Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Grizzly Bear has been getting nothing but hype this year with their new album, Shields, just out and getting rave reviews. Unknown Mortal Orchestra opens with an intriguing, spacey sound all their own. September 23 at Olympia.

Laetitia Sadier: More sounds that from the turn of the millennium become new again as former Stereolab member Laetitia Sadier plays pretty, thoughtful songs from her recent repertoire. September 19 at the Ukrainian Culture Centre.

Dirty Three: Long-time makers of melodic noise-pop and violin-drenched drone, Australia’s Dirty Three return in full form to this year’s festival. September 20 at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre.

Tim Hecker: A visceral experience for ears, mind and body, a show from Montreal’s Tim Hecker is perfectly suited to a church setting, organ music (suitably warped) and all, with openers Julia Holter and Solar Year. September 21 at Church of St-John the Evangelist.

Chilly Gonzales: Take the rock down a few notches with Chilly Gonzales, who plays what’s sure to be a lovely, musically impressive show entitled Piano Vision, with talented multi-instrumentalist and singer Kyrie Kristmanson opening. September 22 at L’Olympia.

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan: Montreal’s rock rising stars Yamantaka // Sonic Titan turn their operatic ways with noise-rock into a full-on show called Opera 33, sure to be a dramatic sonic adventure. September 21 at the Rialto Theatre.

Label showcases: Cheap and packed with as much tried-and-true as up-and-coming talent, record label showcases are always a good bet when it comes to show hopping. Check out Fixture Records, Arbutus (also home to Grimes, who plays a sold-out show on Thursday), Arts & Crafts, Passovah Productions, and dance the night away at The Sofa King Raw Pop showcase, featuring Ango, Black Atlass and more.

Free shows: Pop Montreal likes to give good stuff away sometimes, and we love them for it. Last year it was Arcade Fire and this year it’s Stars and Diamond Rings on September 19, along with free shows (and BBQs!) in the afternoon and early evening in Parc de la Petite-Italie, featuring Mozart’s Sister and many more on September 20 and 21, at store Citizen Vintage and at Mission Santa Cruz (60 Rachel W.) September 19-21.

My bonus pick isn’t a show but the conglomeration of activities that make up the non-music parts of Pop: Film Pop, the Pop Symposium, Art Pop, craft fair Puces Pop, the Record Fair and Kids Pop.

A

THE DETAILS

Pop Montreal, September 19-23, 2012

Photo Credit: Bryan Murray- David Byrne & St. Vincent at rehearsal.

The post 10 POP MONTREAL 2012 SHOWS YOU SHOULD SEE appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.