The Montreal Gay Village is one of the largest gay villages in North America. It is located on Saint-Catherine Street East and runs from around Berri Street to De Lorimier Street. There is also a large section of the Village that runs between Sherbrooke Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard on Amherst Street. With many LGBT organizations located inside the Village, you’ll discover local shops, festivals and a fantastic nightlife inside this diverse district of Montreal.
The Village: A Popular Tourist Destination
Montreal is an extremely open and accepting city. So it’s no wonder why it is a destination of choice for many gay travelers. Over the years, Montreal’s openness and its accepting climate has made the Village a great tourist attraction. The residents of the Gay Village are a mixture of the LGBT community, university students, young professionals, and young families, gay and straight.
Shopping in The Village
Montreal’s Gay Village offers an assortment of stores and services that are targeted towards the gay and lesbian community. Because of these various offerings, the Village has become a popular tourist hotspot as well as an entertainment district. You’ll find specialty boutiques and fashion, restaurants, discotheques, cafés, major hotels and cozy bed-and-breakfasts.
Nightlife in The Village
The Village offers a varied nightlife, with some of Montreal’s best bars, pubs and disco clubs. You’ll also find afterhours clubs and many lounges in the Village. During the hot summer months, the party never stops in The Village, with one event after another. The village is a great destination for anybody looking for a wonderful nightlife, gay or straight.
Divers/Cité and Other Festivals
Various festivals and events that take place in Montreal occur inside the Village, with the largest event being Divers/Cité. Divers/Cité is a weeklong arts and music festival that’s been taking place each year in the Village since 1993. Most of the events for Divers/Cité are free and many of the events are held outside. Other festivals that are also held in the Village include Fierté Montréal (Pride Montreal) and The Black & Blue Festival.
Getting to The Village
Montreal’s Gay Village is just east of downtown Montreal and right next to Le Quartier des Spectacles ( Montreal’s Entertainment district). You can recognize the Village by the proud flag that waves over Beaudry metro station. Montreal’s gay village is officially marked as Le Village on official city maps of Montreal.
