Things are getting balmy for this edition of Festival International Nuits d’Afrique de Montréal! For its 27^th edition, from July 9 to 21, the music festival is celebrating the Montreal sun with an homage to the Sahara, from Mauritania to the Sudan passing by Morocco and Chad. Our fair city will be welcoming over 500 artists from over 30 countries for 90 shows and events…

The Festival International Nuits d’Afrique de Montréal helps you get in the mood as of June 25 with its special app that will let you manipulate a poster or T-shirt into a 3-D African dance. It’s a trippy start to a fest that will launch with Algeria’s desert rocker Hasna el Becharia, kicking things off on July 9 with her gravely voice and androgynous ways that recalls John Lee Hooker. She’ll pave the way for the likes of zouk legends Kassav’ (July 13); the Caravane pour la paix, on July 17 – an award-winning project of cultural resistance from Mali; ska originators The Skatalites, from Jamaica, on July 18; and African legend – and multiple Grammy-winner – Angélique Kidjo, who’s the patron saint, as it were, of this year’s edition (July 19). It’s star packed!

The free outdoor fun lasts from dawn to dusk in the main site downtown from July 18 to 21. The whole area surrounding the Loto-Québec stage will transform into the Village des Nuits d’Afrique, where a bona fide souk will add rhythm and warmth to the already happening Ste-Catherine Street. As dozens of shows play all day long onstage, vendors will sell their wares at the Marché Tombouctou while kids can get their faces painted in the Village des enfants. Between shows, storytellers, musicians and dancers will keep things hopping – literally – and give workshops in everything from gumboot to capoeira, percussions and samba.

The grand finale – after days of music and the two mega parades – happens on July 21, and presents none other than the Orquesta Aragón, from Cuba. Since 1939 this orchestra has been creating happy, festive music to light our hearts. Make sure you head to Balattou after, where every night of the fest starting at 11 pm the after party begins. Habitués know that’s where the fun is at.

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THE DETAILS

Festival International Nuits d’Afrique de Montréal, July 9-21, 2013

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When Quebec signer and piano man Gregory Charles grew up, his Trinidadian dad and Québécoise mum filled his imagination with stories of cozy music clubs lit by candlelight and the warmth of some international megastar’s dulcet tones. Well, he’s built himself such a club, and in it he serves the world’s greatest hits – all in a single show…

Right there on the edge of the St. Lawrence in the Old Port, lies the Vintage theatre – a custom-made temporary music club where patrons sit at little round tables stage-side and enjoy the a tumbler of whiskey while watching a dazzling light show and listening to live music that spans gravelly Joe Cocker to mellifluous Adele. Charles conceived of this show to match his particular talents, which are incredible: name a song, any song, and chances are he – and his gifted band – can play it to perfection. Not only that, they’ll mash it up with another song, or two – or three, and potentially play with the lyrics to address something that’s going on in the crowd.

There was never a more interactive show than this one – from the moment you buy you’re tickets, you’re invited to fill in a questionnaire and tell Charles and his peeps all about your musical tastes. The show is different every night, based on people’s suggestions – there are polls of the whole audience (which is your favourite music decade?) but also specific shout-outs, and thanks to an instant-messaging system, pretty funny live banter between Charles and audience members.

The mood of the whole one-man show is definitely vintage, because you get to hear tunes from decades past, but also very new age. Charles has found a way to make the constant use of one’s smart phone a fun thing, rather than an annoying one. But overall, it’s really about the music – it’s crazy how adaptable his voice is, and his piano playing is flawless, whether he’s doing Stevie Wonder or Billy Joel. And of course, who he’s doing is up to you!

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THE DETAILS

Vintage, on the Jacques-Cartier Quai, until July 14, 2013 (with possible extension)

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(nature in the city) With all the urban activity and entertainment that Montreal offers in the summer, a walk through Montreal’s Mount Royal Park on a sunny afternoon (or morning, if you’re so inclined) can be a refreshing break. In fact, it’s fairly easy in Montreal to find yourself surrounded by trees, chirping birds and other urban wildlife, whether at a park like Mont Royal or Lafontaine or at the Botanical Garden, where a new arboretum interpretation trail opens this weekend. Dedicated to ecology and education, the 40-hectare arboretum is to 7000 trees, so be sure to breathe in all the fresh air they’re making as you wander through. Return to explore the urban outdoors right downtown at Place Émilie-Gamelin (at the corner of Berri and Ste-Catherine), home all summer to food trucks, DJs, performances, art installations, a fruit market and giant chessboards, every day until 6 p.m.

(art in the street) See art in action along a 2-kilometre car-free stretch of Saint-Laurent Boulevard, from Sherbrooke to Mont Royal, any time from June 13 to 16: Mural Fest welcomes 35 local and international artists, such as Jason Botkin, Omen, Labrona and other, to create 20 murals in any and all colours along Saint-Laurent. Meanwhile, as artists work on their murals, other activities go on around the city: get dancing at a free outdoor concert on Saturday night on Saint-Laurent, make art with collective En Masse, known for their black-and-white live painting installations; attend an opening night of art at Station 16 gallery, see film projections on St-Laurent, turn cast-away furniture and other objects into art; paint with your feet; build a kite; go on an art-centric bike tour.

(free folk music) Montreal’s 6th annual Folk Fest on the Canal welcomes one and all this weekend to hear music in a beautiful outdoor setting next to the tree-lined Lachine Canal waterway. The music starts on Saturday, June 15 at 1pm with Maxime Lefebvre, Lakes of Canada, Black Twig Pickers, Claytones, Will Driving West, Old Man Luedecke, and, leaving the night on a high note, The Sadies. On Sunday, hear the Americana of Dylan Perron et Élixir de Gumbo followed by The Franklin Electric, The Once, Ladies of the Canyon, and Quebec’s Catherine Durand. And stop by the Lhasa de Sela stage too to hear music from young and up-and-coming talent.

(french and fabulous) Walk along Sainte-Catherine Street in the Quartier des Spectacles June 13-22 and hear French-language music of all kinds, from Quebec and around the world: Les FrancoFolies fills several outdoor stages with entertainment throughout the day and evening and takes over many downtown venues. The festival kicks off with a free evening show on June 13 by popular Quebecoise singer-songwriter Ariane Moffatt. On Friday, June 14, popular Quebec pop-rock star Marc Dupré is at Metropolis, Dumas, Les Trois Accords and Fanny Bloom play outdoors for free, or see rap group Loco Locass play Club Soda, followed on Saturday night by the charismatic genre-spanning, pop-inspired Karim Ouellet, while on June 20 see electronic-pop musician Peter Peter, whose North American audience keeps growing since he visited SXSW in Texas. Hip hop fans won’t want to miss one of the ‘90s best, regardless of language, French rapper IAM.

(indie theatre, music & more) Comedy, drama, dance and music all comes to the 23rd edition of Montreal’s St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival at venues in the Plateau neighbourhood, June 4-24. Not only do all shows cost under $12, but most of the entertainment at the Fringe Park (and beer tent) on the corner of Rachel and St-Laurent is free, including an afternoon of electronic music courtesy of Piknic Electronik, on June 15.

(community spirit) Join Montrealers in a good time for a good cause: user-review website Yelp gathers musical guests Mia Verko, Ronley Tepper, Ben Hermann and Saxsyndrum to play benefit concert and party, Yelp Helps on June 18 at 6 p.m. Head over to Parc des Ameriques, also home to the Fringe Park (corner of Rachel and St-Laurent), to connect with local non-profit organizations such as Pop Montreal, Bouge d’Ici, AfrikaWaly, the Canadian Liver Foundation and 14 others while enjoying free drinks from McAuslan brewery, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Barefoot Wines and Café Vito and free food from Café Boris, Tourtière Australienne, Mr Puffs, Le Pourvoyeur and Patisserie Almond Butterfly. RSVP on the Yelp Helps website.

(live music) Friday night starts a little differently with The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of The Goddesses, a four-movement symphonic work inspired directly by the video game of the same name, at Place des Arts. The Suoni per il Popolo music festival continues with the latest in experimental rock and jazz: see Saltland, Eric Chenaux and Radwan Ghazi Moumneh on Friday night at Sala Rossa and Nü Sensae and Panopticon Eyelids Saturday night at the same venue, while San Francisco-based post-punk-noise band The Soft Moon play the SAT, and on Monday night hear the strange, spectacular sounds of Rhys Chatham and Oneida at Sala Rossa. But back to the weekend, on Saturday night, Belgian pop singer Selah Sue is at Theatre Corona  and Scottish electropop-rock band Chvrches and Still Corners play Le National. And on a different note, catch a free outdoor chamber music concert by the Orchestre Métropolitain, who play in the Old Port at Place Jacques-Cartier, 11 a.m. on June 15–16. Later in the week, on June 20, make a name for yourself or just watch others perfect the art form at Hip Hop Karaoke – exactly what it sounds like – at Le Belmont.

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June comes in with a bang as Montreal’s festival season truly begins: the Montreal Bike Fest gets us rolling, along with electro fest Mutek and the experimental performance of Festival Transamériques – even Pop Montreal gets in on the act this weekend with Kids Pop and Puces Pop events. As always, there’s plenty of live music, and even John Malkovich gets swept up in the energy, playing Casanova on stage…

(body & mind) See the city this weekend and stay active during the Montreal Bike Fest. On the evening of May 31, the Tour la Nuit lets riders gather by the thousands, in wild costume or not, to experience 25 kilometres of Montreal by night – kids under 12 ride for free! On the bright-and-early side, the famed Tour de l’Île on June 3 sees families and casual riders on a loop of of either 25 km or 50 km, ending at a new finish site this year, Olympic Park’s Esplanade, complete with ferris wheel, activities and more. Bring your own bike or rent from one of Montreal’s tour companies. Also this weekend is the second annual Montreal Yoga Festival, a community-driven event featuring over 30 styles of yoga and 50 hours of classes, workshops, performances, discussions and panels, guided by carefully selected Montreal teachers.

(electric atmosphere) Dance, take in cutting-edge audiovisual performance, and even get outside for a few hours at Montreal’s premier electronic music and arts festival, Mutek, to June 2. Stay up late on Friday with music from Ryoichi Kurokawa, Emptyset, Jon Hopkins, Boundary and more playing creative electro dance tunes at Metropolis and the SAT, and on Saturday stay up even later with Laurel Halo, John Talabot, Efdemin, Emika, Tokimonsta, Nosaj Thing and more. Sunday’s Piknic Electronik, outdoors at Parc Jean-Drapeau, features Axel Boman, Dewalta, San Proper and surprise guests. Or sit down and relax at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal on Sunday for performances by piano virtuoso Bugge Wesseltoft and producer Henrik Schwarz, along with Pantha du Prince and The Bell Laboratory. Immersive multimedia performance Dromos, made specifically for Montreal’s 360-degree Satosphère dome, plays throughout the fest. There’s even a series of free audiovisual performances called Play, every night, by talented local and international artists.

(quality lager) Beer drinkers with a palate for the new and different will be at the 20th edition of Mondial de la biere, May 29-June 2, tasting quality brews from Quebec, Canada and around the world. Classic recipes compete with trendy new tastes at the classy event, welcoming everyone and anyone who loves beer and the food that accompanies it.

(cutting-edge performance) Inspirational and socially engaged theatre and dance keep Festival Transamériques one of the most vibrant spring festivals in the city. Until June 8, see shows from Canada and around the world, such as Canadian choreographer Ame Henderson’s What We Are Saying, an outdoor procession of 13 personas ringing bells in Robin Poitras’ Bells 13, Back to Back Theatre’s Ganesh Versus The Third Reich, wherein a Hindu deity walks through Nazi Germany, Canadian choreographer Ame Henderson’s politically-motivating What We Are Saying, French New Wave dancer-choreographer Boris Charmatz’s Levée Des Conflits, dancer-choreograper Louise Lecavalier’s So Blue, and more. Complimenting the festival is alternative underground fest OFFTA, a forum for younger artists to show their stuff at great venues like Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui, Théâtre La Chapelle and Théâtre La Licorne. When it comes to what’s new in performing arts, both festivals are in the know.

(music fun for kids) Pop Montreal teams up with local musicians for this spring’s all-new Kids Pop events, taking place June 1 and 2 at Place de la gare Jean-Talon (corner of Jean-Talon and Parc). Hang out in the sun and listen to the kid-friendly music of Domlebo, Ira Lee, Lil Andy, Noni Wo and more, from 2-6pm, visit the Tent City, hosted by artist Alexis O’Hara, and visit the Piano Monster at Espace Pop (5587 Parc). For those looking to do a little shopping on the weekend, there’s also Puces Pop, May 31 to June 2, at Saint-Michel Church (105 St-Viateur) in the neighbourhood of Mile End. The craft fair features lovely, decorative and even practical creations from more than 80 artists, designers, and crafters, with a night of free musical performances by Carl Spidla, Philémon Chante, and Lederhosen Lucil on Friday.

(dramatic states) Actor John Malkovich embodies seductive, manipulative Casanova in the Canadian premier of The Giacomo Variations, a story of the Italian adventurer’s life, featuring gorgeous sets, costumes and a 35-musician orchestra, June 4-5 at Place des Arts. As part of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra’s summer season, Simon Leclerc conducts popular Quebecois group Mes Aïeux and singer-songwriter Plume Latraverse at the Maison Symphonic, May 5-6. And the Montreal Chamber Music Festival concludes  with latin jazz guitar duo The Assad Brothers and Grammy-winning clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera on May 31 and an “Everybody Loves Tchaikovsky” concert on June 1, featuring his String Quartet, Piano Trio, Souvenir de Florence, the Scherzo from his 6th Symphony and his Serenade for Strings.

(more live music) On Friday night, legendary Chilean reggae group Gondwana turn Club Soda into a chill party for reggae rebels on their Gondwanar-Love-Ucion Tour. The Decibel Magazine tour brings iconic death metal to town in the form of Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death and Immolation, at Club Soda June 1. On June 2, get a little more metal as a full-on Queensryche show comes to town, starring Geoff Tate performing the 25th Anniversary Operation: Mindcrime, at Théâtre Corona. Sunday night sees American singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata crooning her way into hearts with pop, rock and soul at La Sala Rossa (4848 Saint-Laurent). On Monday, June 4, Pitbull and Ke$Ha  at the Bell Centre, and 90s indie-rockers The Dandy Warhols return from bohemia to play Club Soda. On Wednesday, the Suoni per il Popolo festival gets underway with shows from Grouper and guitarist Glenn Jones. On Thursday, June 6, scream with joy like a 12-year-old girl as boy band New Kids On The Block sings old faves and even some new ones on tour with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men, at the Bell Centre. Eclectic singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart makes a night of it at Théâtre Corona. And get sweaty, dance-y and happy as Bloc Party brings their summertime indie-pop-punk joy to Metropolis.

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The 18th season of the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, May 9 to June 1, mixes international and local string quartets, the brilliance of Bach and several evenings of jazz, all in the stunning, acoustically pleasing St. George’s Church in historical Old Montreal…

World-class musicians and emerging artists rub shoulders at the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, where the traditional music of the festival’s Classical Series is complemented by a Jazz Series, together proving that innovation, creativity and beautiful music remain at the heart of the festival. Opening night, marks a special occasion: for the first time ever, the Boston Chamber Music Society, led by Artistic Directors Marcus Thompson and Denis Brott, performs in Montreal. The following night, Montreal jazz legend, pianist Oliver Jones plays alongside musicians Eric Lagacé on bass and Jim Doxas on drums, with an opening set by bassist Brandi Disterheft and her quartet, all at St-George’s Church.

Further on the classical side, master cellist Colin Carr performs Schubert and more, while The Fine Arts Quartet and Brazilian pianist Cristina Ortiz and others offer a two-night performance dedicated to St. Saëns. May 22 marks the beginning of “Bach Week,” featuring solo Bach performances, the Brandenburg Concertos, the complete cello concertos and more, including jazz-Bach with the Swingle Singers. Enjoy two nights of French music with French pianist Jean-Philippe Collard and David Jalbert, and on May 30, The Emerson String Quartet performs with their new cellist Paul Watkins.

The festival also celebrates Camille Saint-Saëns via three concerts and talks by Oxford University Press author Sabina Ratner: the Fine Arts Quartet; Brazilian pianist Christina Ortiz; OSM Principal Trumpet Paul Merkelo, Principal Bass Ali Yazdanfar and up-and-coming star Annie Zhou. As well, winners of the triennial Instrument Bank Competition for emerging talents will perform on 18 unique violins and cellos, made by Stradivarius, Guarneri, Gagliano and other masters, from the Canadian collection.

The festival explores the overlap of genres with its Jazz Series: popular Brazilian guitarist Chico Pinheiro and his ensemble perform in Montreal for the first time; The Swingle Singers 50th Anniversary Celebration gets the party started with everything from their take on The Beatles to Debussy’s Clair de Lune, New York pianist Eldar Djangirov returns with a new album and many standards, and guitar duo The Assad Brothers with Grammy-winning clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera end the jazz portion of the fest on a Latin jazz note.

A double concert dedicated to Tchaikovsky’s chamber music closes the festival on June 1, including his first String Quartet, his Piano Trio, his Souvenir de Florence, the Scherzo from his 6th Symphony and his Serenade for Strings, featuring several festival artists in one big celebration of springtime-suited chamber music. And even before the festival begins, get a glimpse of the chamber-music spirit at free evening shows by brass quintet Frolic, at Place des Arts’ Espace culturel Georges-Émile Lapalme on May 7 and 8 at 6:30 p.m. For the full schedule of all the duos, trios and quintets on the program, see the Montreal Chamber Music Festival website.

THE DETAILS

Montreal Chamber Music Festival, May 9-June 1, 2013

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Montreal is no stranger to music festivals, widely known as the place to be in June and July for all things jazz and Francophone and early August for Osheaga’s indie-rock, yet more niche in its May music festivals: all manner of electronic music at Mutek and Elektra, the refined sounds of the chamber music festival, and the pop-punk, Pabst-soaked, poutine-fueled extravaganza that is Pouzza Fest…

Pouzza Fest turns the weekend of May 17-19 into a full-on takeover of 10 of downtown Montreal’s great venues, including Metropolis and Club Soda, packing in over 150 bands from dusk to late. It’s true that one person’s punk is another person’s pop, but with so many bands with a range of styles – what would a fest like this be in Montreal without ska, for instance – fans can pick and choose what they like. And though Pouzza Fest’s packed roster may seem intimidating, show-hopping is definitely part of the experience – die-hard fans are sure to have a festival pass, but other options, like a one-day pass, are available too.

The festival may be way bigger than it began three years ago when Hugo Mudie, lead vocalist of The Sainte Catherines, founded it, but it still maintains a solid community vibe, not only welcoming legends of punk and up-and-coming bands, but making sure there’s food aplenty for all, from hot dogs to poutine – bands even accompany a Saturday Lunch and Sunday Breakfast at Foufounes and BBQ dinners at Katacombes. But back to the music: among the many headliners of the fest are Me First & the Gimmie Gimmies, New Found Glory, A Wilhelm Scream, The Planet Smashers, Saves the Day, Good Riddance, Braid, Lemuria, Crime in Stereo, the Decay, Teenage Bottlerocket, Big D & the Kids Table, MXPX, Grade, The Slackers, The Creepshow, The Motorleague, and Boston-based trash band Psycho.

It’s also easy enough to get a taste of the festival for free at the weekend’s outdoor shows in the Quartier des Spectacles at the corner of Clark and Ste-Catherine. The music here is on the lighter, more “accessible” side of punk: on Saturday hear Mike Park, Dan Potthast and Miracles, followed by catchy pop punk of Masked Intruder, Montreal’s Alie Sin, Brooklyn’s acoustic punk-folk Sad & French, Quebec folk-rock Swiss Knife, guitar strumming and singing Brian McGee, and The Flatliners’ Chris Creswell wrapping up the day. The music starts up again on the outdoor stage on Sunday with Mike Park and Dan Potthast followed by a super secret show at noon, The Matchup, Dying River, Jen Unbe & Dark Horse, Toronto’s rollicking My Man, and NYC’s Vic Ruggiero of ska-rocksteady band The Slackers.

THE DETAILS

Pouzza Fest May 17-19, 2013

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Here I am sitting at Montreal’s International airport, totally stoked to be on my way to Austin to cover Montreal artists showcasing their talents and creativity – such as Quebec’s darling Karim Ouellet, rock band Suuns, and a personal favorite of mine, singer-songwriter Peter Peter – at SXSW, one of the world’s biggest and most important festivals dedicated to music, film and technology…

The fact that music has long been one of Montreal’s most beloved exports is in full evidence at SXSW, so much so that Planet Québec puts on one the most popular showcases of the festival. Since Tourisme Montreal is giving them a hand this year, someone had to head down there to report back how great everything was!

I’ll be helping Tourisme Montreal with their Twitter (using the hashtag #sxswqc) Facebook, Instagram and Vine to help cover all the action in real time, from stirring performances, to poutine parties all the way to cool fashion and bad dance moves.

Don’t be shy to reach out to me up with any recommendations or comments!

Guest Blogger Tamy Emma Pepin is a content creator and curator. She works as a media personality online and on air and is currently the Director of Content at marketing agency N/A.

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(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.

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