I hadn't really danced to techno or electronica since the late 1990's, but I always had an affinity to that musical art form. By pure coincidence, I was visiting Montreal during the MEG Montreal Festival (https://megmontreal.com/en/) ...a multi-day celebration of electronica music with some popular DJs, whom I don't keep track of any more, but they were all great. Saturday afternoon and into the night was giant dance party at the Place des Festivals. Youthful energetic 20 somethings and teens were dressed in costumes and club wear, dancing away. Older folks like myself in their 30s and up were up and dancing too, reliving our long lost youth. Onze onze onze onze!!! Otherwise on a quiet weekday, this area seems like just another urban park area in downtown Montreal. read more

I love this area! Home to some of the best festivals, I come here several times a year for the Jazz Fest, Francofolies and Montreal en Lumieres. Everything is always set so nicely, there's always some sort of installation to admire like art displays or just pretty lights and water fountains you can splash in. There's a good combo of grassy areas, stairs and cemented areas to sit or stand in. Even if there is no festival going on, hanging out at Quartier des Spectacles, is fun. There are some great restaurants nearby and you're really in the heart of downtown. Since May 2013 they offer free public wifi, which works surprisingly well, so making those "check ins" on Yelp or Facebook to share your awesome concert becomes even easier! read more

There is always something fun happening here. The musical swings, the winter festivals, the summer festivals, the water fountains, the art exhibits, and the list goes on. It's a beautiful and versatile place. There's a mall close by and plenty of restaurants to fit your mood. When it gets warmer, the place is filled with people eating outside. It's a good walking distance to pretty much everything. You can go to chinatown or get deeper into the downtown shopping area. read more

What a wonderful venue and resource this place is for for the City of Montreal, staging all types of inside and outside festivals throughout the year. The vision for PdQdS is to promote: Life, Art and Entertainment, this is the spot where the Montreal Jazz festival is held each year. Most recently I took in the "The Festival of Lights" which was absolutely beautiful at night showcasing very intricate artistic multicolored light sculptures throughout the entire plaza. On a cold wintery evening it truly was spectacular, there was a space dedicated to a large enclosed log fed fire pit surrounded by 12 large Adirondack wooden chairs if you wished to warm up a bit while strolling and taking in the extraordinary beauty of the festival and Montreal City night lights. read more

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While visiting Montreal in October we walked to this amazing area surrounded by incredible art pieces. Since we traveled down late in the evening, we enjoyed taking time to watch their incredible light shows and art peices. The only frustration we had while walking through was the fact that it was the off season and we didn't get to enjoy one of the festivals held here. read more

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From musical swings to late night light shows this beautiful space to sit and relax in the middle of downtown has it all. Fast food and ice-cream just across the street, located near an array of restaurants that range in price and expectation. This great space also plays host to international festivals and I've had great summer evenings running through the water fountains with friends. A must-visit on a warm summer night. read more

A large outdoor fountain display near the Place des Arts and Complexe Desjardins. The weather was a little cool when I visited to see kids running through the fountains during the daytime and at night the fountains are lit up. The surrounding streets are blocked off to traffic when events or festivals are held. There was a film festival going on when I visited, so every night there was an outdoor movie theater set up. Definitely a great place to spend a warm summer evening. read more

After the rumours and stress and community pressure the good news is the Place du Quartier des Spectacles is kind of amazing. It is a perpetually evolving free public art exhibit curated around the Contemporary Arts Museum and the Place des Arts theatres. Since the construction completed we've seen giant swings, motion-activated fountains, glowing globes and giant searchlights making delightfully pointless pointillist art in the sky. read more

Great place to check out and stroll through all year round, especially in the Summer and Winter time when various festivals are taking place, the whole area just comes alive. read more

Such a cool place to walk around. They had different types of displays while we were there. It's a large pedestrian only zone which helps make it popular. read more