Arts & Theatre Festivals in Quebec

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FrancoFolies (June 12-22)
The 26th annual FrancoFolies includes a tribute to Serge Fiori in Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts. Other concerts of note feature Stromae, the Boulay Sisters and the Grand Corps Malade. A few other highlights are Malajube’s lead Julien Mineau’s return to the stage and a concert with Ingrid St-Pierre, accompanied by I Musici. The festival offers 70 indoor shows and 180 free outdoor concerts. www.francofolies.com

Just for Laughs (July 12-26)
Big names at this year’s galas include Andy Samburg, Aziz Ansari, Russel Peters, Jim Gaffigan, and Seth Rogan. If you can’t make it to a gala show, you can still see Nick Offerman at Club Soda or your favourite funny Canadians at Homegrown, hosted by Debra DiGiovanni at l’Astral. Just for Laughs, with 1,700 artists from 19 countries, will offer 1,600 shows of which 1,200 will be free outdoor venues. www.hahaha.com

Quebec City Summer Festival (July 3-13)
Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Bryan Adams and other celebrities headline the 47th edition of the oldest Canadian festival. With 300 shows, 10 stages and 11 days of music, this major festival in the heart of historic Québec City is one of the rare occasions when international celebrities and emerging artists of all musical genres cross paths. www.infofestival.com

Longueuil International Percussion Festival (July 6-13)
This one-of-a-kind percussion festival in Quebec presents over 600 artists on 7 stages. Events of note are the carnival parade, family days and numerous percussion workshops. www.percussions.ca

Montreal International Tango Festival (August 5-10)
The 12th annual festival, as usual, brings together musicians from Argentina and Quebec, and hosts 12 internationally acclaimed master dancers presenting over 50 workshops for fans of tango. There are six dance evenings with orchestra (milonga) and free outdoor concerts. www.fitm.ca

Festival International Montréal en Arts (June 11 – 15)
The 15th annual Festival hosts over 120 visual artists and craftspeople. The large, open-air gallery that is Rue Sainte-Catherine between Berri and Papineau enables visitors to meet artists, both professional and emerging ones, from all different art disciplines. Accueil Bonneau, the organization works towards the social reintegration of homeless people, is a special invited guest. www.festivaldesarts.org

Carrefour international de théâtre (May 22-June 12)
For its 15th season, Carrefour international de théâtre à Québec hosts 400 artists and craftspeople with their local and international theatrical creations. On the program are performances of the famous ambulatory show Où tu vas quand tu dors en marchant?, and shows such as the seven-hour epic L’Histoire révélée du Canada français, (in French), The Tempest Replica by Vancouver choreographer Crystal Pite, and the experimental iShow by Petites Cellules Chaudes.www.carrefourtheatre.qc.ca

DansEncore à Trois-Rivières (June 5-8)
For its 20th season, DansEncore, one of Trois-Rivières’ major cultural and tourist events, hosts over 200 artists from the United States, Cuba, Mexico, Australia and Hong Kong. Worth noting is the participation of some one hundred up-and-coming Italian dancers and performances by guest companies at Party Hip Hop. www.dansencore.ca

Woodstock en Beauce (June 25-29)
Over ten artists and groups take to the stage at the Woodstock barn for a varied musical ‘cocktail’ at this festival’s 20th season. The schedule includes Zappa Plays Zappa, Québec Redneck Bluegrass Project, Alaclair Ensemble, Bleu Jeans Bleu, Angel Forrest, Paul DesLauriers Band, Seb Black, Garoche ta sacoche, Mauves, Unplugged Band, Cover 2.0, Renegade and Bootlegger. www.woodstockenbeauce.qc.ca

Mondial des Cultures de Drummondville (July 3-13)
For its 33rd season, this festival welcomes about 15 folk groups from various countries: Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Finland, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Senegal and Taiwan. Some noteworthy artists are Lynda Thalie, Paul Daraîche, Florence K, Brigitte Boisjoli, and The Beetools, a Beatles tribute band. www.mondialdescultures.com

Festival de la chanson de Tadoussac (June 12-15)
Close to 40 acts on 12 stages mark this festival’s 31st season, including Robert Charlebois, Pierre Lapointe, the Boulay sisters, Alex Nevsky and Marie-Jo Thério. Some of the European guests are the Belgian Benjamin Schoos, the French group Danakil, and Evelyne Gallet, who presents a show for young people. www.chansontadoussac.com

St-Ambroise Montreal FRINGE Festival (June 2-22)
The 24th Fringe Festival is held in a variety of venues around Plateau Mont-Royal, Montreal. There are shows co-presented by Indie Montréal and Culture Cible au Divan Orange and, among others, Hey Ocean, Miracle Fortress, Chic Gamine, APigeon, The Zolas, Lakes of Canada, The Beatdown, Buddy McNeil & The Magic Mirrors, Sultans of String, Pif Paf Hangover. www.montrealfringe.ca

Translation: Karine Poznanski