MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE 2024

Montréal, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE, presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank, invites you to its sparkling 25th anniversary edition. From February 29 to March 10, 2024 (the gastronomic programming begins February 22), the whole city will come out to celebrate a quarter century of this popular event. A trailblazer festival, MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE offers all kinds of ways to play outside and make the most of winter. Music, culinary arts and ice skating will be at the heart of the festivities as the three essential elements bringing this historic edition to life. Some 25 years later, MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE is still shining bright—warmer and more beautiful than ever.

"The MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE festival is the spark plug that has kept the city shining bright for 25 years! In 2000, it was the first downtown event to combine gastronomy, entertainment and the joys of winter. Now, more than ever, this unique festival celebrating northern living is a must-attend event. The Skating Loop invites Montrealers and tourists alike to take part in a fun, inclusive and free activity. Other northern cities will be green with envy!"
- Jacques Primeau, festival’s general manager

"Get your wool socks and long johns out, get ready to smile, and come and have a great time at MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE. This festival has it all: great food, great music and the great outdoors on downtown Montréal’s longest ice rink!
Whether you’re coming from any spot in Quebec or Canada, from overseas or from warmer climates, hold on to your toques: in just 80 days, we’re all off to enjoy MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE, the premier destination for winter 2024"
- Alexandra Diaz, spokesperson for the 25th edition

A gastronomic program celebrating the evolution of our culinary culture

The gastronomic program presented by Scotia Wealth Management from February 22 to March 10 is chock full of nods to the past and food trends of the future. In addition to revisiting themes, celebrating countries and regions highlighted during past editions and reinviting former guest chefs, it will also be serving up delicious new surprises. Over 25 international chefs and winemakers will also be the guests of honour in some 50 Montréal restaurants. True to form, the festival will also be shining the spotlight the major trends of tomorrow, including sustainable gastronomy.
 
For the past 25 years, the gastronomy component of MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE has been championing chefs and artisans from around the globe, creating unforgettable exchanges and building lasting connections that have allowed Québec cuisine and local products to shine worldwide through many different activities.

"We are pleased to renew our partnership with MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE for the years to come. This festival celebrates the vitality of the City of Montreal by offering many free activities open to the public and by creating unique opportunities for artists and artisans. In addition, the Gastronomy programming, orchestrated by world-class chefs, immerses festivalgoers in a world of flavors and discovery. "
- Geneviève Brouillard, Senior Vice President, Québec and Eastern Ontario, Scotiabank

ON THE MENU THIS YEAR:

Air France Finest Tables
Over the years, hundreds of star chefs have been welcomed by over 225 restaurateurs who have introduced them to the wonders of our northern terroir products. For our  25th edition, a constellation of 25 stars will be shining bright in the city’s kitchens, notably Emmanuel Pilon (three MICHELIN stars, Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse in Monaco) at Mastard who will be teaming up with Simon Mathys, as well as Julien Royer (three MICHELIN stars) at Monarque, the first chef from Singapore to grace the festival. Among the 2024 brigade are eight chefs who have received a MICHELIN green star for their commitment to sustainable gastronomy; including Glenn Viel (three stars and one green star), who will be hosted at Maison Boulud with Daniel Boulud, Caterina Ceraudo(one star and one green star) at Restaurant Graziella, Christian Têtedoie (one star and one green star) in the kitchens of Europea, and Ed Tejada & Ryan Walker (one green star for Silo in London, the world’s first zero-waste restaurant) who will be cooking at O’Thym.
 
Celebrity chefs will also be rolling up their sleeves and cooking up a storm for this 25th edition. Matthias Marc, recent semi-finalist on the reality TV show Top Chef France from the one star MICHELIN restaurant Substance in Paris, and Adrien Cachot, recent finalist on Top Chef France, will be joined by Florimond Hannoteau at Le Monème. Hockey fans have reason to rejoice too because Mythik at Bell Centre will be welcoming celebrated Newfoundland chef Jeremy Charles for two nights, including one game night! Last but not least, ITHQ, a loyal Finest Table of the festival for over 20 years, will welcome aboriginal chef Maxime Lizotte of the Wolastoqiyik Wahsepekuk nation for 2 Scotiabank evenings.
 
Long-time festival partners La Tablée des Chefs will be bringing its Kitchen Brigades to help during the Air France Finest Tables and fulfilling its mission of developing food autonomy among youth by promoting good food choices and healthy eating habits.

Here is the list of participating restaurants:

Au Petit Extra (one of two restaurants to take part in all 25 editions!) | Annette | Auberge Saint-Gabriel | Bar George | Barroco | Bivouac | Blanc Bec |Bonheur d’Occasion | Brasserie T! Beaumont | Chez Victoire |Commodore | État-Major | Jérôme Ferrer - Europea | Ferreira Café |Foiegwa | Foxy | Galaxie Brasserie | Garde-Côte | Gia Vin & Grill | Helena |Hélicoptère | Hoogan et Beaufort | Kamùy | Kaviar | Kitchen Galerie | La Chronique (the other restaurant in all 25 editions!) | Le Butterblume | Le Virunga | Les Mômes | Lloyd | Maison Boulud | Mastard | Menu Extra |Moishes | Monarque | Monème | Mon lapin | Muze Lounge & Terrasse | Mythik | Nolan | Okeya Kyujiro | O’Thym | Palomar | Ratafia | Restaurant de l’ITHQ | Restaurant Graziella | Restaurant H3 | Rose Ross | Rosélys | Sabayon | Sushi by Scratch

CONSULT PROGRAMMING FOR THE AIR FRANCE FINEST TABLES

The Quartier Gourmand presented by Aliments du Québec in collaboration with Mordu

A popular hub for foodies and locavores, the Quartier Gourmand presented by Aliments du Québec in collaboration with Mordu, la destination gourmande de Radio-Canada, will be returning to its home on the second floor of the Maison du Festival. On the menu these two weekends (March 1 to 3 and  8 to 9): a day dedicated to Indigenous cuisine (March 3), cooking demonstrations and tastings, 5 à 7s presented by the SAQ showcasing Québec spirits exclusively, including happy hour on March 2 with the Distillerie de Montréal, prolonged especially for Nuit blanche. A lively spot for local artisans to share their products and chat with the public, the space will feature some 20 freeactivities around the following four themes: Boire la forêt, Manger la forêt, Mange ton Saint-Laurent and Boire le Saint-Laurent.
 
Attendees are invited to explore new tastes and culinary horizons in a series of workshops hosted by Mordu, la destination gourmande de Radio-Canada, on March 2 and 8, 2024. On Saturday, March 2, Catherine Lefebvre and Bernard Lavallée from the podcast On s’appelle et on déjeune will lead a panel discussion on the top five food trends of the past 25 years and look at the issue of sustainable eating. On Friday, March 8, Myriam Fehmiu and Johane Despins from L’épicerie will host a fireside chat in front of a live audience about What has changed in Quebecer’ grocery baskets over the past 25 years. Then immediately afterwards, still on Friday, March 8, Loonie will present an inspiring, mouth-watering talk on plant-based cooking for the whole family; when a family member goes vegan or vegetarian, how can you incorporate plant-based options into your meals without hassle?

CONSULT PROGRAMMING FOR THE QUARTIER GOURMAND

Special events
With three new happenings and festive happy hours added, we’re ready to celebrate MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE’s 25th birthday in high style!

• The 25 ans x 25 services gourmet evenings presented by Polestar: a sensory and taste journey brought to you by multidisciplinary artist Nicolas Fonseca in Lune Rouge’s spaces, where guest chefs and immersive ambiances deliver an unforgettable experience.
• A Dinner celebrating 90 years of Air France:  immerse yourself in the culinary arts and elegance of this Air France dinner as you enjoy the menu served in business class on all flights from Canada to Paris. We’ll be boarding at the ITHQ on February 23 and 24! Your chefs will be Pasquale Vari, Olivier Perret, while the brigades from Renoir and the ITHQ will be serving.
• Brunchs en Lumière: night owls can end their Nuit blanche on a delectable note when they sit down to a one-of-a-kind meal served by one of the 25 restaurants.
• Apéros Montréal en Lumière presented by Authentic Wines & Spirits: will be putting Italian wines in the spotlight. These festive happy hours, led by 3 different hosts for each producer (Louis Desroches for Masi, Francesco Vitulli for Cecchi and Kristine Mansuy for Michele Chiarlo)  will pair antipasti platters with wine tastings by the glass.

 Tickets for these special events are now on sale at montrealenlumiere.com.

BUY TICKETS

Looking back on 25 years of history

In order to retrace the history and highlights of its gastronomic programming alongside Montréal’s evolving culinary scene, MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE called on the talented writers of Cervidés, the team behind Caribou magazine, to build a solid press kit that you can access in our digital press room. 

SEE PRESS KIT

Tons of indoor shows

Come and warm up your body and soul with a varied program of indoor shows. This year, the program will welcome some very special visitors from France. Ben l’Oncle Soul will be going acoustic to perform songs from Is It You?, his most recent album. Emilie Simon also joins the festivities to mark the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album in an intimate show full of surprises. The festival is also proud to showcase local projects. After touring the globe with her first two albums, Gabriella is back home and with an entourage of seasoned musicians for her brand-new show Million Lights. Don’t miss this magical evening! Let yourself be lulled by “De la beauté,” Alex Nevsky’s instrumental project. He will be revisiting some of his favourite songs, accompanied by a string and wind quartet. It’s also time to reconnect with some familiar faces. Pierre Flynn will present his Sur ma route show, a unique opportunity to catch up with the singer-songwriter in person and have a heart-to-heart to mark his five decades of making music. Curious minds will be enchanted by Le vin en musique, a concept developed by François Chartier of transposing the acoustic fingerprint of food, wine and beverages into music, giving you a whole new perspective on music and gastronomy. And be sure to catch Kid Koala, the legendary DJ from Vancouver who will be stopping for one more night in Montréal with an extra show on March 2, 2024. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 8, at 10 a.m. (exclusive pre-sale for newslettersubscribers on Thursday, December 7, at 10 a.m.).

In the meantime, tickets for several shows are already on sale at montrealenlumiere.com, including Lisa Leblanc Symphonique, Hauschka, Shay Lia, Lady Blackbird and Kronos Quartet, presented in collaboration with La Presse; the musical Pretty Woman and Sara Dufour, presented in collaboration with evenko; and Grande Ourse, presented in collaboration with Disques Far West.

MUST SEE SHOWS :

SEE ALL SHOWS

A lively outdoor site

Once again this year, the Quartier des Spectacles outdoor site is the place to be to discover new ways of enjoying winter. Longlisted for an Archello Award 2023 in the Sports and Leisure Building of the Year category, the CeraVe Skating Loop, set up on the Place des Festivals, has quickly become one of the festival’s most popular activities, along with the chalet de patin Tim Hortons. The outdoor site is also the ideal place to let loose, with the DJ Booth electrifying themed evenings, a heated Cirque du Soleil kiosk where characters from the show KURIOS Cabinet of Curiosities interact with the crowd, the Bistro SAQ where friends can meet for a meal or a drink, and, of course, the the must-see Grande roue Loto-Québec and Place Loto-Québec at Esplanade Tranquille skating rink, with entertainment that will be a sensory treat.

In partnership with one of MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE’s heated outdoor sites on the Place des Arts, the ICI Première Feu Vert program hosted by Catherine Perrin will be recorded in front of a live audience at the Place des Arts Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 2 p.m. The show’s theme will be climate change in northern urban environments.

For the very first time, the Nuit blanche, presented in collaboration with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), will dominate the first weekend of the festival. With a fantasy theme, this iconic event boasts new and exciting partnerships and more than 100 dream activities throughout the city for night owls on March 2, 2024. Mark your calendars!

The fun continues during Spring Break, presented by CN, featuring activities designed to entertain the whole family from March 6 to 10, 2024. Be sure to keep an eye out for Télé-Québec’s activities. 

The complete program of outdoor activities and the Nuit blanche programming will be unveiled over the winter, so stay tuned!

" Loto-Québec is proud to present MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this spectacular, not-to-be-missed event during winter in Montréal. Festivalgoers will be delighted that the Grande Roue Loto-Québec is returning this year. They could get the chance to hop aboard the lucky cabin and enjoy a lucky moment, courtesy of Loto-Québec. In addition, the Casino de Montréal will contribute to the festival’s gourmet side by offering Les Brunchs en Lumière. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover the amazing brunches at Pavillon 67! "

Eric Meunier, Director of Social Responsibility at Loto-Québec

A lively outdoor site

Once again this year, MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE is pleased to include in its programming the Luminothérapie trail of illuminated works, an event by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership. Young and old are invited to explore the Quartier to discover works from here and abroad presented for the very first time in Montréal. Don’t miss : Cymopolée by French studio Luminariste, a show co-presented by Tourisme Montréal and Place des Arts on the Esplanade de la Place des Arts. It’s a true symbol of the city of Lyon’s creativity and our link to the Lyon Festival of Lights. An effective remedy for the winter blues!

MORE LUMINOTHÉRAPIE DETAILS

Magical nights just a stone’s throw from the festival

Visiting Montréal or simply want to make the most of the unparalleled MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE city experience? Our hotel partners Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Monville Hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton Montreal and Humaniti Hotel have exclusive discounts and offers for festival-goers. 

MORE ABOUT OUR HOTEL PACKAGES

Thank you Jacques!

The entire team would like to thank Jacques Primeau. This year marks his last as MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE’s general manager. After four years of remarkable contributions, including a Skating Loop that has become the signature activity of the festival and of Montréal in winter, Jacques Primeau will continue his involvement with MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE as a strategic advisor. We wish him the best of luck and, from the bottom of our hearts, we say, “Thank you for everything, Jacques. We’ll see you on the ice!”

The 25th anniversary of MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE will take place from February 29 to March 10, 2024 (gastronomic programming starting February 22) in the Quartier des Spectacles.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The 2024 edition of MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank would not be possible without the support of its esteemed partners and sponsors. Thanks to the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), CeraVe, CN, the Société de transport de Montréal,Air France, Tim Hortons, Aliments du Québec, Canton, as well as our media partners Radio-Canada and La Presse. 

Finally, we would like to thank the Government of Canada: Canada Economic Development, Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, the Gouvernement du Québec: the Ministère du Tourisme, the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine and the SODEC, the City of Montreal, Tourisme Montréal and Montréal Centre-Ville for their continued trust and support.

Consult the full program:
montrealenlumiere.com

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Attachments

• Montréal en Lumière's site 2023
• Montréal en Lumière's site