Montreal’s Halloween Party Guide

Creepy clowns know how to get down

Welcome to our annual round-up of Montreal’s top Halloween parties and events.

Note that the club parties are 18+ and end at 3 a.m. unless otherwise indicated.

Dress up. Party hard. Stay safe. Get nice.

Oct. 27

St-Henri venue Turbo Haüs hosts a Halloween edition of their Grind Haüs screening series, featuring a double bill of Peter Jackson’s 1992 gory-horror classic Dead Alive (aka Braindead) and the 1985 zombie flick The Return of the Living Dead. There will also be a costume contest, horror trivia between films, spooky punch and more. 5011 Notre-Dame W., doors 7:30 p.m., $5

Oct. 27–31

Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show is a live theatrical version of O’Brien’s kinky, campy, sci-fi, glam rock musical by MainLine Theatre (the organization behind the Fringe and Bouge d’Ici festivals). The play is directed and choreographed by Amy Blackmore, with additional choreography by Holly Greco and Patrick Lloyd Brennan, featuring Stephanie Mckenna as Dr. Frank N’ Furter. 3997 St-Laurent, 8 p.m. nightly, $25/$15 for students, seniors, QDF members

Though this isn’t a party per se, it wouldn’t be Halloween in this city without Montreal Ghosts’ Ghost Walks, guided tours of Old Montreal’s historically spooky, allegedly haunted spots. This year they’re running two separate tours, Ghost Hunt and Ghost Walk & Dark Encounters. Click here for more details. 8:30 p.m. nightly, $25/$21 for students/$16 for teens 12–17 (not recommended for younger kids)

Oct. 28

LIP Underground is an LGBT-oriented party (“for queers and allies”) with an emphasis on good times and safe times, featuring eight DJs in two rooms. In Room 1, Buck Smith, Project Pablo, Nana Zen and Honest Lake will be spinning hip hop, dancehall, R&B and house, while Ouri, Softcoresoft, Stefan Jos and your host Frankie Teardrop will play techno, house and acid for your dancefloor pleasure. Durocher Lofts Basement, 11:59 p.m.–6:30 a.m., $10 before 3:15 a.m./$15

Aside from North Star’s signature spread of pinball games, cocktails and music (the latter by their house DJ and surprise guests), their first annual Halloween Montreal Bash promises a costume contest, candy, prizes and “eerie” photobooth art installations by Meags Fitzgerald. North Star (3908 St-Laurent), 5 p.m.–3 a.m., free

The Spasm Festival’s annual horror-movie night, la Grande Soirée d’Horreur, features its traditional international program of short films. Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent), 8-11 p.m., $15/$20 for the Grande Soirée alone/$20/$25 including the Evil Dead 35th anniversary screening on Oct. 29

Concert promoters Analogue Addiction host a Halloween show with Montreal bands les Marinellis, the Renny Wilson Punk Explosion and DJ Charles Lavoie. Costume theme: “bal en blanc” (ie. dress in white, or as much white as you can muster. Quai des Brumes (4481 St-Denis), 9 p.m., $10/$12

Piranha Bar’s Trash Ton Karaoke night presents Trash Ton Halloween, an invitation to the “The Old Dark Karaoke House” to take your turn at the mic — TTK offers a selection of 55,000 songs, many of them from non-mainstream genres like punk, metal and “franco” along with new wave, 50s and 60s classics, glam rock, pop and more. 680 Ste-Catherine W., 9 p.m., free entry

As part of the 19th anniversary celebration of Rue Morgue magazine, the Montreal After Midnight party will see Old Montreal’s Auberge St-Gabriel redesigned in horrific Halloween fashion, with special features including the Cabinet of Irma Vep and the Go Go Ghouls dancers, music from DJs Philip Faith, Davidé and KC Killjoy, visual effects by VJ Bunnyguts and $1,000 in costume-contest prizes. 426 St-Gabriel, 10 p.m., $20

The team behind the Speakeasy Electro Swing parties presents Spookeasy Halloween with the core team of Don Mescal, Khalil M and clarinetist JS Leblanc joined by Chicago DJ crew Vourteque, along with burlesque performers Raven Moonway and Miss Rouge à Levres & French, swing dance courses and a photo booth for your festive memories. Cabaret Lion d’Or (1676 Ontario E.), 9:30 p.m., $15/$20

Île Soniq presents Creature, a Halloween bash at Théâtre Berri with beats by JACKAL, Michael Sparks, Mike Robia, TIZI and Mr. Nokturn. 1280 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $15/$20

Party old-school (very old-school) with local uptempo old-time country act Slim Sandy & the Hillbilly Boppers, launching their new EP Sweet Rockin’ Mama with a Halloween Hootenany show at Barfly, featuring special guests Eddy Blake and Eric Sandmark. 4062 St-Laurent, 10 p.m., $10

Oct. 28, 29

Downtown supperclub Sousbois presents Down the Rabbit Hole, two night of surreal fun in the already impressively decorated space that will be considerably pimped for the occasion. These events will be hosted by “your favourite Disney characters” and feature music care of DJs Thomas H., Leyla, Anna Forest, Greenwood and Yerko. 1106 de Maisonneuve W., 4 p.m.-12 a.m. nightly, no price listed  

Oct. 28, 29, 31

It’s a longstanding tradition to screen the cult classic 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show on and around Halloween, with audience participation, live dancers and so on, but did you know that Montreal’s annual Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball is the biggest event of its kind in North America? Be part of a Halloween rite at one of six shows this year. Imperial Cinema (1430 Bleury), 8 and 11 p.m. nightly, $17.95/$19.95, discounts for students and groups

Oct. 29

The Grüv disco ensemble is hosting its third annual disco Halloween party at the Metropolis Savoy. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 9 p.m., $20

The POP Montreal music festival hosts its annual cover-band bash — this time in the Rialto Clubhouse space — with Noodle Order playing the music of New Order, the Ideal Copy covering Wire and DJs Evanescence and Chicago Mix. 5719 Parc, 9 p.m., $7 with costume/$10 without

As part of the Spasm Festival’s Halloween celebrations, the Old School party is going down at Théâtre Plaza, with DJs Gil and Gallant playing music from the ’70s through the aughts (ie. 2000s). Note: Costumes are obligatory. 6505 St-Hubert, 9 p.m., $20/$25

The Series Télé party aims to make you feel better about spending all those hours binge-watching shows like Stranger Things. Dress up as a character from your favourite show and join in on the party at l’Espace Public, featuring hosts Maxime Gervais and Pauline Eazy, intermittent karaoke and costume contests. 3632 Ontario E., 9 p.m., free

Yelp’s Halloween party Yelpoween brings a New Year’s Eve-style all-inclusive formula to the W Hotel’s Plateau Lounge, Wunderbar and recently added EAT restaurant and art gallery: Included with your ticket are free cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from the shareable seafood menu by Chef Sébastien Giannini, pop-up performances by circus, burlesque and drag artists, a green screen horror movie photo booth, single and couple costume contests with what organizers promise to be “spectacular prizes” and music by DJs Toddy Flores and Quest. In the Plateau Lounge, the theme will be The Mad Tea Party, complemented by Through the Looking Glass inside Wunderbar. 901 Square Victoria, 9 p.m., entry costs $10 (to be donated to Montreal’s Fringe Festival)

The people behind the 14th Skins party — Rave to the Grave — are promising a serious rager with two stages, live painting, prizes, visual and beats beats beats by DJs Downlink, Virtual Riot, Megalodon and Chuurch, with local support from the W4RRIORS b2b Kroni b2b Gnave, Ronin, Vowels b2b White, Keymakr, Turbo Kid, Frozen, Blüdhaven, Relitiv and kl.tz. Location TBA, 9 p.m.-6 a.m., might be sold out

Spastic Ear Honey presents Necromancing the Night Away, a Halloween party featuring live music by the Steady Swagger, (((| OM |)))), Death Proof and more, host Marley C, a haunted house. Nomad Live (129 Van Horne), 10 p.m.–6 a.m., $15/$20 after 1 a.m.

Monthly party the Goods — whose resident DJs Scott C and Andy Williams are the very same hosts behind the CKUT radio show of the same name — bring a Halloween Nightmare to their usual digs, la Sala Rossa. Get ready for a night of funk, soul, jazz hip hop, house, Afro, Latin, Brazilian and boogie. As always this is a no-frills affair, and while costumes are more than welcome, but not required. 4848 St-Laurent, 10:30 p.m., $10 no frills

Mile Ex bar NDQ is the site of another Halloween party for queers and their allies: Notre Damned Decay with DJ Awwful spinning strange pop, new wave, goth, industrial, post-punk, electronic music and more. As with LIP, costumes are encouraged and cultural appropriation is strongly discouraged. 32 Beaubien E., 10 p.m., free

Halloween Karaoke hostess Marilis Cardinal is bringing the songbooks, shrimp chips and spooky sexy vibes to Bar le Ritz PDB. Click the event page link to post your song requests in the comments ahead of the party. Note: The first 10 people to arrive in Jack Sparrow costumes get a free shot of rum. 179 Jean-Talon W., 11 p.m., PWYC

Show off your inner freak at the Halloween edition of the monthly Moonshine party, presented in conjunction with All’s Good, featuring DJs Steven Julien, Uproot Andy, Kris Guilty, Adam Feingold, Gene Tellem, Pierre Kwenders and VJ Boycott. Secret location, 11 p.m.- 7a.m., $10/$15

Techsafari’s annual All Hallow’s Eve rave Amazone Halloween Ritual promises to be a rager, with DJs Alex Stein, Broken Toy, Sad Paradise, Jool4rry Box, Myda, Mythrophan, Orbital Mechanics, Rikam and Yann and VJs Cafrine, Bun Bun and Diagraf. Bain Mathieu (2915 Ontario E.), 9 p.m., $35/$40/$45

Cirque de Boudoir presents its 10th anniversary Halloween party: Black Mass, with kinky/freaky vibes provided by host Rainbow Drag, DJs KC Killjoy, Omni, Diskommander and Davidé, performers including Emily Åström, Natasha Nebula, Mimi Cherry, THE Richard aka Charmless Charlie, Pyrometheus, Dan Solstyx and more and VJs Bunnyguts, CDB GoGo dancers, the Royals, BDSM Play Area with featured Doms & Dominas. Théâtre Paradoxe (5959 Monk), 9 p.m., $30/$40/$50 VIP

Monde Osé hosts the Pop Halloween Ball at the beautiful Théâtre St-James, with pop culture at the forefront: pop icons (organizers mention, as examples, Hugh Hefner, Frida Kahlo, Batman, Monroe, Prince, Madonna, The Simpsons, Bowie, Jackson and Gaga), pop art, live bodypainting, burlesque performances, music, dancing, champagne and more. 265 St-Jacques W., 10 p.m., $50

I Love Neon and les Samourais des Jungles Urbaines presents Third Kontakt, a Halloween blowout at Théâtre Berri with DJs Cashmere Cat, Zora Jones, Harrison, Ryan Playground and Dojo. 1280 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $25/$30

Skhalloween goes down at l’Escalier with live music by the Stomp All-Stars — featuring members of the Planet Smashers, the Kingpins, the Beatdown and K-Man himself. 552 Ste-Catherine E., 10 p.m., price unlisted

Get on the mic with a live band, namely the scenester all-stars in uRockaoke, holding this year’s Halloween Bonanza at Turbo Haüs. Bonus: A $100 prize for the best performance and costume. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 9 p.m., $10

Oct. 29-30

The first annual Requiem Fear Fest horror convention takes place at the Alt Hotel downtown. For details about the vendors, conferences and film screenings, see the RFF website. 1210 Peel, 11:55 p.m., $25.35 per day/$43.39 for weekend passes and for deluxe day passes/$72.82 for VIP weekend passes

Oct. 30

Fans of 1979 cult film The Warriors get to Snack N’ Blues for a night of “dancing, hocus pocus, high fives and costume prizes,” with live music by Felbarr and DJs, too. Note: “All gangs welcome. No muscle flexin’ or weapons allowed.” 5260 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5

Mascara and Popcorn goes the multidisciplinary art party route with a short film competition, an artisan expo, a Halloween make-up contest and zombie karaoke. Bistro de Paris (4536 St-Denis), 1 p.m.-2 a.m., $15 after 5 p.m.

On Halloween Eve, NDQ hosts Lipster Scary-oke, the spooky edition of recurring karaoke night Lipster. Dress up, drink up and be merry on the mic. 32 Beaubien E., 9:30 p.m., free

Oct. 31

Frankie Teardrop’s Halloween Benefit Extravaganza is an event being held for DJ and friend of the LGBT/nightlife scene, whose own party, LIP, is at the top of this list and who was recently the victim of a physical attack. Expect music by Cheap Wig, Vargas Intent (ie. Vile Intent with Chris Vargas on Vocals), Hand Cream, Grosser, Perverted Justice, Butcher Baby and the No Hope Mondays DJs. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5/$10/PWYC

For more Halloween party options, see our Event Listings.