Montreal nightlife relaunch policy
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Montreal Nightlife Policy aims to extend party hours for some venues and resolve noise issues

by Lorraine Carpenter

A $5.5-million budget would support the policy implementation for performance halls and venues in designated nightlife districts and provide small music venues citywide with sound-proofing grants.

The City of Montreal has revealed its new Nightlife Policy, a plan to allow performance halls and venues in designated nightlife districts to extend their hours as well as manage the issue of noise complaints to foster a more harmonious relationship between music venues/nightclubs and their neighbours.

Following the la Tulipe debacle last month, the city announced that it would work towards exempting music venues, bars and restaurants from the noise bylaw that facilitated the venue’s downfall, borough by borough. Today’s Nightlife Policy reveal reiterated that these legal adjustments are forthcoming.

“Regulatory changes on noise are also being prepared to better regulate noise levels in residential areas and reduce the impact of nightlife activities while ensuring the sustainability of performance halls and other cultural venues.”

The Montreal Nightlife Policy, which was first announced in January ahead of a series of public consultations, would invest $5.5-million over three years to fund:

  • the “implementation of policy actions” and “structuring and innovative projects” by performance halls and venues in nightlife districts ($3-million)
  • a grant program for small venues, with fewer than 3,000 seats, that wish to install sound-proofing ($2.5-million)

A nightlife round-table would also be established for consultation, gathering 28 representatives of different sectors of the nightlife industry to oversee policy implementation and deal with issues as they arise.

The Montreal Nightlife Policy, which is due to come into effect on May 1, 2025, was ratified today by the city’s executive committee and will be submitted to the municipal council for approval on Nov. 18.

Applications for designation as a nightlife hub and sound-proofing grants will be accepted in early 2025, with detailed criteria to be posted on the City of Montreal website in the coming months, along with the terms and conditions for membership to the nightlife round-table.

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by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following 12 years at the now-defunct Montreal alt weekly the Mirror, where she worked in editorial as copy editor and music editor. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal.