Friday, Aug. 5

* Otakuthon begins
* Last weekend for Marché des Possibles
* Day one of Île Soniq
* Cabaret Abnormal: The Freaks of Burlesque
* Donnie Darko screening
* The Haunted Mountain Ghost Walk

9)Kaskade(IleSoniq)

Île Soniq 2015. Photo by Cindy Lopez

If Comiccon didn’t have enough Japanese culture for your taste, Otakuthon — the conference dedicated specifically to animé, manga, cosplay, gaming and related aspects of Japanese pop culture — is going down in the very same location, Palais des Congrès, beginning today. This year, the conference celebrates the 20th anniversary (and, one assumes, rebirth) of Pokémon with Pokéthon. 201 Viger W., 10 a.m.–6 p.m., weekend pass $55, Friday and Sunday $35, Saturday $45

It’s already the last weekend of Mile End market/show-space/fun-zone Marché des Possibles, and today activities begin with a little fitness (tandem in the park with Ecurie) and gets really lively at night with a performance by the Legz crew and live music by Tshizimba and Kaie Kellough. (Note that this also doubles as a birthday party for POP Montreal’s Dan Seligman, if you’re wondering why there are a bunch of people walking around in tie-dye shirts.) See the full programming (and list of artisans and food trucks) for tonight and the whole weekend here. 5635 St-Dominique, 12–8 p.m., free

The third annual edition of Île Soniq, Evenko’s festival of EDM, techno and house, begins today, bringing two days of beats and beautiful high people to Parc Jean-Drapeau. This year’s headliners include Skrillex, Zeds Dead, Tiga and DVBBS. Stay hydrated! (And see the details of the Kannibalen afterparty at le Belmont here.) 1 p.m.–10:30 p.m. each day, weekend passes $180/Gold Pass $250, single-day tickets $95/Gold Pass $150

Tonight at the Wiggle Room, burlesque gets a little freaky with Cabaret Abnormal: The Freaks of Burlesque, with a succession of performers including Tristan Ginger, Sugar Vixen and Mikki Michelle rolling out a sexy sideshow. 3874 St-Laurent, doors 7:30 p.m. (happy hour 7:30-8:30 p.m.), show 9 p.m., $20/$25

Phi Centre is really on a roll with its cult movie screenings: tonight it’s the contemporary classic macabre film Donnie Darko. 407 St-Pierre, 7:30 p.m., $11.75/$9.50 for students & seniors

Start your weekend with a spooky tour of Mount-Royal: The Haunted Mountain Ghost Walk leads participants on a lantern-lit walk led by Donovan King, meeting up at the reportedly haunted Plateau dive bar Barfly. 4062 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $20