Our favourite queer spots in Montreal.

Although the whole city is diverse in its own ways, there are specific areas especially loved by the LGBTQ+ community. Here is a list of the notorious three districts most frequented by the queer community and its allies.

Montreal’s gay village, otherwise called The Village, is the most popular queer neighbourhood in all of Montreal, and arguably all of North America. It lies on the city’s main avenue, Sainte Catherine. It is pedestrianised during the Summer holidays, offering locals and tourists an aesthetically pleasing walk as well as booming business for local terrace bars and shops. Colourful and vibrant, this village is not only popular for the queer community, but also for the young professionals and  students, which amounts to the majority of the city centre’s population! Finally, it is central and very practical in terms of transport, activities, and amenities. Enjoy your visit to club central! 

Often overlooked given its close proximity to The Village, Berri-UQAM is also notable for its queer positive community and student-led queer activities. Thanks to its pro-queer incentives, the Berri Uqam University neighbourhood fosters youth activism towards queer diversity through student-led events at local bars or clubs. Inclusive to all sexual identities and social backgrounds, the Berri Uqam area offers a less obvious yet significant queer friendly community and at an overall lower cost!

To the west of the Plateau area, the Mile End is large and extremely diverse. It offers endless cultural experiences, notably Little Italy. Little Italy can be seen as a culinary focal point in Montreal thanks to its many local food businesses that also offer environmentally conscious food options to its customers, as does the rest of the hipster Mile End area. Often cheaper, a younger population comes to settle in this area, and notably the queer community. More spacious apartments and businesses and calmer streets, this in-between is ideal for a quick escapade within the city boundaries and an ideal stroll on a Sunday afternoon. After a visit to the fresh produce market or an outing to a brunch, coffee in hand, head to the local Park and people watch or even mingle with the locals! Bear in mind that this area is more french speaking than the rest of the city, an ideal time to practise your language skills!

All three located on the same avenue, these top three queer bars are must-sees. Make a bar crawl out of it, you won’t be disappointed!

Strategically located on the busiest street of Montreal (Sainte Catherine), Bar Renard offers an elegant yet affordable and fun experience and a creative drinks menu! The bar opens up its wide doors during the summer to invite any passersby to join the party. Ideal for a first date in a queer friendly environment, the bar setting is modern with a hipster twang. It offers a multitude of house-made drinks (alcoholic and soft) as well as delicious finger foods and simple yet yummy dishes to curate all of your needs! 

Further up buzzing Sainte Catherine is a renowned queer bar, Le Stud. More largely geared towards the queer community at the start, Le Stud started to attract more of the gay male crowd, offering a safe space to visit likely attracted people in a central area of the city. However, it is important to note that this bar opens its door to everyone, as it first and foremost expresses sexual liberty and gender diversity. More interestingly, Le Stud utilises its space to the fullest, offering 3 to 5 different sections given an occasion. From DJ sets to karaoke nights to fine dining in their inside courtyard on a relaxed Sunday, le Stud offers a variety of occasions for you and your friends. Finally, it claims that its shooters are the cheapest in the city - there’s only one way to find out! 

TheBlack Eagle Bar is situated between the two prior. It offers a more relaxed environment for those looking to unwind after a long day and enjoy a drink with a few friends. Thanks to its lively and friendly staff, Black Eagle is known to be a bar that simply knows its customers and works hard to accommodate their needs! Its special evenings include sports-oriented events as well as drag performances. In addition, this bar is very connected with the rest of the Montreal queer community and is up to date for anything and everything coming up on the queer front! So feel free to stop by, make new friends, and get tips on occasional must-go events! 

Montreal is highly renowned as a student and party city. With this, the club culture is very present. Indeed, it is almost mandatory for the younger crowd to head out to a club after their pre-drinks at their local bar or pub. And the gay village is known to have the best club venues. So strap in as I reveal the top 3 queer clubs that you must visit on a night out in Montreal!

Complexe Sky is one if not the most popular queer club in Montreal. It offers three different levels, a rooftop and an underground restaurant. Technologically advanced and architecturally modernised, this club offers the absolute best for their queer community. They have thought of everything: three dance floors for different themes and music, an underground bar for late night munchies in between dance sessions, and a rooftop bar terrasse equipped with a swimming pool and spa for the community to relax and mingle. The rooftop is open during the summer days for those who wish to comfortably sunbath and unwind with past or new friends in a private space! And of course, Sky invites DJs and dancers from all over the world to bring about amazing events to offer the best to their customers and gift them the best possible club experience imaginable! 

Also located on Sainte Catherine, Club Unity labels itself as an all-inclusive and unpretentious club that invites its clients to enjoy the night to the fullest in a safe and fun environment. Its special feature includes live streams every Friday and Saturday to enable those who couldn’t make it to join in on the fun or at least have a first glance on what they can be missing out on! Or for those ahead of the game, rent out a powerful speaker and a wall projector and bring the club to your place with all of your friends! Pure club fun from the comfort of your own home… just beware of noise complaints! But the main idea is to mingle all types of social backgrounds and communities into one abysse in order to spread the word and have fun all over the city! Finally, special perks to look forward to: 2 different floors with different ambiances, a VIP section and roof terrace for smokers or those looking for a breath of fresh air or a more quiet place to converse with other party-goers. 

On an all-time favourite street, Saint Laurent, lies one of the best club experiences in Montreal yet. After a much recommended pub crawl on one of its adjacent streets, Mont Royal, stop by Belmont to end your night - you will not be disappointed. With the best of artists and DJs stopping by every night, Belmont offers a unique and queer friendly experience in a simplistic brick-themed decor. Lights are dimmed and the room has high ceilings and plants hanging from everywhere. If it weren’t for the beaming lights and the loud music accompaniment  

One of Montreal’s proudest 2SLGBTQ+ events is Fierté Montreal, the local and largely progressed pride parade that brings over 450.000 participants together every year in August for a period of 10 days. The march counts about over 15.000 people and the greater Parade accommodates crowds of up to 200.000 people! Moreover, it is backed by over 180 registered organisations from the represented communities and attracts close to 140.000 tourists. Amongst its programmed events are concerts, conventions, speeches, art displays, comedy stand ups, drag shows, and dance parties! So what are you waiting for? Celebrate gender equality and sexual diversity amongst your fellow brothers and sisters in colourful and thumping Montreal! 

A must-do queer activity in Montreal is attending a drag show at Cabaret Mado or House of Laureen. Mingling comedy and dance performances, these drag queens are the most fun you can have on any night out. Both of these addresses host the best of drag queens and offer more than you can ever expect. Very interactive and eccentric, you immediately feel immersed into the drag world and wish to stay in it. Marvel as the performers and their beautiful outfits invade the room.

The Image+Nation Gay Film Festival is an 11 day event hosted in Montreal in the effort of representing the LGBTQ+ community through media and film. The main goal is to share stories among those who can also relate, in order to normalise the community’s issues to the greater public and strengthen bonds. But most importantly, celebrate these stories and the art of cinematography! In addition to film projections, this 11 day long event also offers seminars by speakers who study or represent certain issues, as well as educational mentoring programmes to further nurture the content and stories expressed through this progressive event. A personal favourite and highly-recommended event! 

In the Village

The Village Bed & Breakfast: This comforting and hospitable Bed and Breakfast located in the heart of the Gay Village offers the most exceptional and heartwarming experiences for young couples or families. 

In Berri-UQAM

Practical and affordable, the Hotel Les Suites Labelle brings about a classic experience for its customers at a central location close to amenities and an ideal kitchen space to enjoy an apero before heading for a night out.

In Rosemont

Elegant and modern is the Parc Avenue Residences Mile End. Planning a special week-end with that special someone? This luxurious estate mingles old royal architecture in its common areas as well as bright, modernised rooms for their guests. A beautiful architectural cocktail that must be experienced!