12 things to do in Montreal today: Sunday, January 26

You deserve to cap off your weekend in style and Montreal is oozing with great indoor and outdoor activities to check out today, January 26.

The Phantom of the Opera

phantom of the opera mask (Shutterstock)

The classic musical, from composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, makes its way to the gorgeous Théâtre St-Denis for a French version of the popular play.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Théâtre St-Denis
Price: $40.80 – $134.40, available online

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Fête des neiges

Fête des neiges

You’re best off standing up to the snow and the cold instead of shying away from it this weekend. Luckily, Parc Jean Drapeau’s four-weekend-long winter festival is a perfect opportunity to make the most of the wintery season.

The 37th edition of the Fête des neiges takes place every weekend between now and February 8, and it continues this weekend.

Outdoor activities include snow tubing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snow archery, an icy pirate ship, ice skating, ice sculptures, ziplining, a Ferris wheel, Tour de Lévis, axe throwing, a penguin village, a Polar Circus, snow scooters, an inflatable bouncy castle, a snow castle competition, and a mini igloo play area.

When: Every weekend from now until February 9
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Espace 67, Parc Jean-Drapeau
Tickets: $8 – $38, available online

Giant Snowball Fight

UQAM/Facebook

Voya-G in partnership with the University of Montreal is organizing a mega snowball fight, a duel between UQAM and UDEM.

(But anyone can show up and get tossing.)

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 3 to 6 pm
Where: Lac aux Castors — 2000 Ch Remembrance

Luminothérapie

Quartier des Spectacles

Place des Festivals is lit.

The Quartier des Spectacles’ public square is hosting the 10th edition of Luminothérapie through Pop!, a celebration of five fantastical creatures that aim to light up the city during the dark days of winter.

Because if anything can lighten up our bleak winter, it’s Luminothérapie, Quebec’s largest temporary public art installation.

The two-month long art display will be taking down after tonight.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 12 to 11 pm
Where: Place des Festivals
Price: Free

Bleu, Blanc et Bouge

@chcfondation/Instagram

The Montreal Canadiens foundation has six outdoor, refrigerated rinks around the island. The professional-level rinks provide the opportunity for hockey players to develop their skating skills on exceptional quality ice.

The program is divided into six sessions of approximately 45 minutes each.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: Varies per rink
Where: Various locations around Montreal

Montreal Auto Show

Salon de l’Auto de Montréal 2020/Facebook

Check out what’s going on in the automobile industry through a display of some of the most expensive and rarest cars in the world.

When: From now until January 26
Time: 10 am to 9 pm
Where: Salon International de l’Auto de Montréal, 201 avenue Viger Ouest

Retro Expo 2020

Retro Expo/Facebook

From toys, action figures, video games, comics, anime, and cosplay, Montreal’s largest toy convention returns to Montreal on Sunday with over 50 tables of goodies, some of which are available for purchase.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Where: Hotel Espresso — 1005 Guy Street

Snow Tubing on Mont Royal

Shutterstock

Take advantage of the pride of Montreal by snow tubing down it.

Discover the exhilaration of snow tubing down reserved lanes next to the toboggan hill overlooking Beaver Lake.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 10 am to 4 pm (until 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays)
Where: Mont Royal Park
Price: $6 for four to 11-year-olds, $10 for 12 years old and up

Notre-Dame Basilica

A G Baxter (Shutterstock)

Celebrate Sunday mass at Montreal’s most viewed structure at 11 am and hear a 25-person choir accompanied by the organ. Or, take a walking tour of the basilica which is an absolutely gorgeous spectacle.

It is filled with hundreds of wooden carvings, several religious statues, and gigantic stained glass windows.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 12:30 to 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free

WRG Classic

@picsbypugsy/Instagram

Hockey tournaments are usually associated with speed, grit, and agility but next month you can add “best dressed” to the good old hockey game.

The sixth edition of the WRG Classic fuses our national pastime with blazers, bow-ties, tweeds, live music, and food trucks for both men and women with 20th century fashion.

Registration for teams is closed but for guests who just want to dress up and soak up some good old fashioned puck, attendance is free.

When: From now until January 26
Time: 11 am to 7 pm
Where: Parc Vinet, Little Burgundy
Price: Free

Happening Gourmand

Happening Gourmand

Nine gourmet restaurants in the Old Port are taking part in the 13th edition of Happening Gourmand, a food festival where foodies can knock back some delicious brunch and dinner meals for under $40.

Whether you’re into pizza, steak, eggs- benedict, or burgers, Happening Gourmand offers gourmet meals and a vibrant atmosphere for every food lover. Plus, the meals won’t set you back too much (we’re dreading the post-holiday credit card statements too).

Check out a full list of participating restaurants online.

When: From now until February 9
Time: Varying times per restaurant
Where: Nine participating Old Port locations
Price: $17 brunch, $25-$35 dinner

Imagine Van Gogh

@fernwehbebe/Instagram

Montreal has been coated with an exhibition of the works of Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch post-impressionist painter who is among the most famous figures in the history of the art world.

The exhibition, Imagine Van Gogh, which opened last week, takes guests through the world of colours and emotions of Van Gogh’s works through gigantic murals and an immersive soundtrack.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Arsenal Contemporary Art Contemporain
Price: $26 to $36, available online