Things to Do in Quebec City

Quebec City is one of the most historically rich and visually stunning cities in North America, and its live event scene draws deeply from the French-speaking culture that defines this UNESCO World Heritage capital. The Videotron Centre, opened in 2015 in the Expocite district, is the city's premier indoor arena with a capacity of over 18,000, hosting major concert tours, family shows, and sporting events throughout the year. The Festival d'ete de Quebec, held every July, is one of the largest music festivals in Canada, transforming the Plains of Abraham and surrounding streets into a massive open-air concert venue with headliners spanning rock, pop, electronic, hip-hop, and francophone music across multiple stages over eleven days. The Grand Theatre de Quebec on Boulevard Rene-Levesque is home to the Quebec Symphony Orchestra and Opera de Quebec, offering a distinguished season of classical performances in an acoustically celebrated hall. The Palais Montcalm, a beautifully restored concert hall in the heart of Old Quebec, presents jazz, chamber music, and world music in an intimate setting. Every winter, the Carnaval de Quebec lights up the city with two weeks of parades, outdoor concerts, ice canoe races across the St. Lawrence River, and the iconic Bonhomme mascot presiding over festivities that have run since 1894. The cobblestone streets of Old Quebec host buskers, theatre troupes, and pop-up performances during summer months, while the Petit Champlain district and Place Royale serve as atmospheric backdrops for cultural events. From arena-scale concerts at the Videotron Centre to a candlelit classical performance in a four-hundred-year-old chapel, Quebec City pairs world-class entertainment with a setting unlike anything else on the continent.