Glamorous, fabulous and totally talented, the Drag Queens of Montreal are a must-see. From amateur night on Saturdays at Drugstore, to the crème-de-la-crop at Cabaret Mado, our girls always bring a special je-ne-sais-quoi to the stage. Cabaret Mado has been open 10 years (stay tuned for details about the huge birthday bash this summer) and Mado puts on the world’s largest drag show, Mascara, every year during Divers/Cité! Come on down to the village where we are waiting for everyone to join the party!

The post THE REAL DRAG QUEENS OF MONTREAL! appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

In Montreal, sometimes winter feels like a stubborn pimple that just won’t go away. This is why we must hold our head high, dab on some concealer and pretend like it doesn’t bother us. Montreal Nature fails to trump Montreal once again. Here are some funky things to do in Montreal’s Gay Village that will hopefully put a little more spring in our steps.

Weekend Fusion de Montreal @ L’Aigle Noir (March 18th & 19th): Get your kink on at L’Aigle Noir with the most titillating competition around! Watch as gays compete for the crowns of Mr. Leather and Mr. Rubber Montreal 2011. The first night includes dinner at Restaurant Pho Ann Nan, a fetish auction and a show by Mr. Rubber Montreal 2010 winner, Danny Lapierre. The next day will have several kink workshops such as “Flogging for Beginners” and “Intermediate Bondage”. That night the competition is on and only two will walk away as either Mr. Leather or Mr. Rubber Montreal 2011. Events are $5 admission. Do you think I have a better chance at winning Mr. Leather or Mr. Rubber? It’s hard to choose between neither.

Parking (March 19th & 26th): Club Parking’s Saturday Night “Workouts” play host to a set of world-renowned international DJs. On March 19th, Micky Friedmann from Berlin will be heating up the legendary underground nightclub. Spinning the next week is Theresa, fresh from New York City, where she is the resident DJ at Matinée. As always, admission is free before 11PM so get there early!

Mado: Les Cousines de Paris (Thursday March 24th): This will be a spectacular occasion featuring Drag Queens all the way from Banana Café in Paris! Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Miss Fein, Lady Maxx and Planche will show this side of the Atlantic how they do it in France. Hopefully Mado will make an appearance to show them that she is still the reining Queen! Show is at 10PM, but Cabaret Mado fills up fast so if you want a good table, get there really early.

ARTSIDA- Galerie Dentaire (March 23rd–April 14th): Check out the Galerie Dentaire which is a dentist office/art gallery (???) for the exposition featuring many works of art that will be going up on the auction block to raise money for ACCM (Aids Community Care Montreal). ARTSIDA is now in its third year and has raised over $65,000 since it started. Visiting the gallery is totally free and has some incredible works of art in it. Who knows, maybe you’ll fall in love with one and bid on it for a great cause.

STEREO (April 2nd & 8th): “Temple of Sound” Stereo Nightclub has some pretty prolific DJs coming to town. On April 2nd, you can catch Dennis Ferrer and the Martinez Brothers. Then on April 8th, you can catch Nigerian-born Ibiza legend Nicole Moubaber. These events are perfect for the circuit-party lovers. Who needs to wait until Bal en Blanc to rave all night? Tickets average around $35.

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SUPER GAY CONCERTS

Ricky Martin, Bell Center, April 12: This will be one of only two stops in Canada on his world tour “Musica + Alma + Sexo”. Ricky Martin is not only smoking hot, but also a great face and icon to the gay community. I just wonder if he’ll alter the lyrics to “He Bangs! He Bangs!” now that he’s out and proud.

Kylie Minogue, Bell Center, April 28 : Gays rejoice and bow down to the goddess that is Kylie Minogue. In her first and only appearance in Canada, this will be a night that will be remembered in grainy 14-second clips on YouTube and Facebook photo albums everywhere. I hear her Aphrodite tour takes you to another planet.

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Guest Blogger: Alex Dunphy

The post SPRING IN THE GAY VILLAGE: MARCH appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Mado is irreverent.
Mado is charming.
Mado is bitchy.
Mado is Montreal.

Last week, after a hilarious Drag Queen Makeover , I sat down with Montreal’s infamous Drag Queen, Mado, to chat about what it takes to run Montreal’s fab-est Cabaret and what travelers should do when they visit our city.

What resulted is perhaps my most entertaining and informative video yet.

My favorite moment: when Mado says, “Do I want to be a Drag queen for the rest of my life? Or do I want to work at McDonald’s? You have a choice.”

Oh, and don’t miss our lesbian cat growls… Grrrrrr!

On Saturday, August 1, Mado will play host to Divers/Cité’s most celebrated event, MASCARA. It’s the world’s biggest drag show, featuring over 100 artists in a whopping five-hour, non-stop theatrical extravaganza. Grandiose. Hilarious. Catty.

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When you go to the Cabaret… Get there a bit earlier (10-ish) to ensure a stage-adjacent table. The Cabaret is always PACKED by the time Mado hits the stage. Have a leisurely pre-show cocktail.

Cabaret Mado
1115 St. Catherine Street East,
Close to Berri-Uqam and Beaudry Metro Stations
(514)525-7566

PS: Check out some of the Montreal gay nightclubs that Mado mentions!

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