Lovely Montreal, recently designated a UNESCO City of Design, celebrated its 375th anniversary in 2017 with a rich program of cultural events and public art. One highlight was The Walk of the Giants, a tailor-made anniversary production featuring the colossal marionettes of the Royal de Luxe street theatre company. The anniversary also saw the premiere of Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything at the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, a major retrospective created especially for the occasion that included newly commissioned works by local and international artists inspired by Cohen.
Performances extended beyond gallery spaces. The Wall Opera—Roger Waters’ landmark concept album and film—was adapted for the opera stage, offering a powerful reinterpretation. Saint-Laurent Boulevard, already known as a center for public art, was further enlivened by the Spade & Palacio Mural Tour, transforming the avenue into an expansive outdoor gallery. Nighttime illuminations along the Jacques Cartier Bridge across the St. Lawrence River added a luminous accent to the celebrations.
For panoramic views and interactive exhibits, visitors enjoyed the newly opened observation deck and digital museum at Au Somme Place Ville-Marie. To explore Montreal’s layered past, the open-air Cité-Mémoire in the historic quarter projected 25 video works onto heritage buildings every evening from dusk until 11 p.m., creating an atmospheric, evening-long narrative of the city’s history.
Across neighborhoods, the anniversary programming emphasized Montreal’s creativity and public engagement—mixing large-scale performance, contemporary art, historic storytelling and urban spectacle. The combination of indoor exhibitions and outdoor installations gave residents and visitors alike multiple ways to experience the city’s cultural identity, from intimate museum galleries to grand, citywide displays that animated streets, bridges and public squares.
Whether taking in a specially commissioned museum show, following a mural trail, watching monumental street theatre or enjoying riverside lightworks, the anniversary events showcased Montreal’s artistic vitality and its capacity to bring art into everyday public life. The range of offerings reflected both the city’s historical depth and its ongoing role as an incubator for contemporary creative practice, inviting audiences to see familiar places anew through innovative, large-scale cultural projects.