A first look at Montréal’s 375th Anniversary celebrations in 2017

Montréal is a city that loves to celebrate and, in 2017, the island will be more festive than ever, with activities and surprises around every corner. The organizing committee of Montréal’s 375th anniversary celebrations revealed today a first look at what’s in the works for city’s birthday bash in 2017.

Program themes for 2017

From east to west, from the mighty St. Lawrence River to the top of Mount Royal, Montréal will be bubbling with activities and celebrations, which will be organized around four major themes:

Montréal lights up

Kicking off 375 days of celebrations in December 2016, Montréal buildings, neighbourhoods and public spaces will be sparkling with light to heighten the magic of the season.

Montréal gets moving

Time to get out and play! Montréal’s Nordic energy is the inspiration for an eclectic array of outdoor competitions, sports and recreational activities over four weekends. Great memories and rosy cheeks guaranteed!

Montréal ignites

Festival season will be sizzling in 2017 as Montréal ignites into celebrations of history, art, music and culture to express our city’s civic pride and rich diversity. From downtown and Old Montréal to neighbourhoods across the island, everyone is invited to take part in free activities, tastings, guided tours and much, much more. Oh, and save some space for birthday cake on the official anniversary of the founding of Montréal on May 17!

Montréal reinvents

As an action-packed year draws to a close, Montréal’s gaze will shift toward the future and to imagining and reinventing the city over the next 25 years. Buoyed by the momentum of the many innovative projects and events created over the year, the 375th anniversary will leave a tangible and lasting legacy for generations to come. Projects like Montréal en histoires truly embody this spirit of exploring our roots while boldly embracing the future.

Montréal comes alive! A new signature for a new chapter

On the eve of Montréal’s 375th anniversary, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal, Montréal International, the Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal and Tourisme Montréal invite everyone with a passion for Montréal, here and around the globe, to join them in celebrating the city under the banner “MontréalALIVE”. This new signature expresses the vitality of Montréal, a city alive with art, entertainment, history and culture and will continue to inspire this new sense of pride well beyond 2017.

More major milestones to celebrate

While Montréal’s year-long birthday party will be creating a big buzz in 2017, the city will also be marking two other major milestones: The 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation and the 50^th anniversary of the 1967 World’s Fair in Montréal, Expo67. We’ll be honouring the past, celebrating the future, and marveling at the incredible transformation of Montréal over time.

Les Grandes Montréalaises: A legacy for the future

An undertaking on this scale would not be possible without mobilizing the city’s economic and business leaders to create structuring projects that will leave an important legacy for Montréal for many years to come. This group of leaders has come together to form the Council of Governors – Les Grandes Montréalaises – representing 10 major institutions and companies who have committed to the success and sustainability of the 375MTL celebrations: Bell, La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Claridge, Desjardins, Loblaws, Power Corporation du Canada, Québecor, RBC Royal Bank, Saputo and Sobeys.