Plan Your Visit
- Can I get a guided tour of Place des Arts and the Maison symphonique?
Guided tours are not offered at this time.
- Does Place des Arts have a cloakroom?
Cloakrooms are in operation from November to April in the following three halls: Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Théâtre Maisonneuve, and Théâtre Jean-Duceppe.
- Does Place des Arts offer any special services for the hearing impaired?
All of Place des Arts’ performance halls are equipped with an audio system allowing hearing impaired spectators to tune in to the audio signal of the show they are attending. Please see our Special Needs Services section.
- Does Place des Arts offer any special services for people with reduced mobility?
Place des Arts is accessible to people with reduced mobility and makes it as easy as possible for you to get around within the venue. Wheelchairs are also available, as is reserved seating for wheelchairs in the performance halls. Please see our Special Needs Services section.
- What is Place des Arts’ policy regarding latecomers?
Out of respect for the artists on stage and spectators in the audience, latecomers and those who leave the hall during a performance will be redirected to the closest available seats at an opportune moment during the performance. Latecomers’ tickets cannot be exchanged or reimbursed.
- Can I bring my child to a show?
All spectators, including infants (even if not occupying a seat) or children of any age, must be in possession of a ticket in order to attend a show. Please read our Policy on Admitting Children to Shows Presented at Place des Arts.
- How much does it cost to park at Place des Arts?
There are 950 spaces in the Place des Arts parking lot, located at 1450 Saint-Urbain Street. The performance rate is $10. Complete details regarding our parking lot can be found in the Plan Your Outing section.
- Questions regarding the Box Office
The complete Terms and Conditions of Sale include important information. Please read them by clicking here.
- What is Place des Arts’ policy regarding cancellations and ticket exchanges?
Clients must carefully review the name of the show, the date, and the ticket category BEFORE proceeding with a purchase. Once an order has been processed, there can be NO REFUNDS, EXCHANGES, OR CANCELLATIONS. If, in exceptional circumstances, tickets must be exchanged, a fee of $2.75 per ticket will apply for tickets exchanged at the Place des Arts box office. The fee is $3.75 when the exchange is made by telephone.
- What should you do if you lose your tickets?
In the event a ticket is lost or forgotten, the box office—after validating your information—can issue a duplicate ticket. A fee of $2.00 per ticket order applies.
- What are the hours of operation of the Place des Arts Box Office?
Telephone Service
Monday to Saturday: from 9 am to 8 pm
T. 514 842-2112 or toll-free at 1 866 842-2112Ticket Counter
Monday to Saturday: from noon to 8:30 pm or 30 minutes after the start of the last performance.
Sundays and holidays: according to the schedule of performances taking place.
Please allow a minimum of 45 minutes to pick up your tickets at the box office before a performance.
- When was Place des Arts inaugurated?
Place des Arts was inaugurated on September 21, 1963 with a concert by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, led by two eminent conductors—Wilfrid Pelletier and Zubin Mehta—in the Grande Salle, which was renamed Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in 1966. In 1967, the Place des Arts complex was enhanced by the addition of the Theatre Building, housing Théâtre Maisonneuve and Théâtre Port-Royal, which has since become Théâtre Jean-Duceppe. Théâtre du Café de la Place—today called the Studio-théâtre—was inaugurated in 1978. Place des Arts’ Cinquième Salle was inaugurated in May 1992. The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal also opened its doors on the Place des Arts site in 1992. A concert hall, La Maison symphonique de Montréal, was constructed on the Place des Arts site and opened on September 7, 2011.
- What is the Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal’s mission?
Place des Arts plays a vital role on the Québec and Montréal stage. Not only is it at the forefront of the development of local performing arts and of Québec’s openness to the international artistic world, it is also one of the key players. Its more than four decades of history are marked by magnificent events and discoveries.
As a public organization serving all Quebecers, the Société de la Place des Arts is devoted to showcasing the performing arts. It manages six performance halls in Montréal, as well as the Amphithéâtre Fernand-Lindsay in the Lanaudière region. Place des Arts is home to major artistic organizations, and works to make various forms of the performing arts accessible and to promote Québec’s artistic and cultural life.
- Who manages Place des Arts?
The Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal is a provincial crown corporation reporting to the Minister of Culture and Communications, Mr. Maka Koto, who annually approves its budget and business plan. The Société is administered by a board of directors made up of 11 members, chaired by Jean Laurin, President and CEO of GVA Devencore – Montréal. The government appoints board members on the recommendation of the Minister of Culture and Communications, after consultations with representative organizations in the cultural milieu. The board of directors meets at least five times per year. The President and Chief Executive Officer of Place des Arts, Marc Blondeau, also sits on the Société’s board of directors; he is supported in his daily duties by a team of eight directors.
- How is Place des Arts funded?
Place des Arts receives subsidies for its building and operations from the Government of Québec. Currently, about 85% of operating revenues are from own-source revenues.
- Why is Place des Arts referred to as the largest cultural complex in the country?
Place des Arts is made up of six performance halls comprising a total of 8,000 seats. During the 2011-2012 artistic season, it offered over 1,000 performances, and close to one million spectators attended the various shows that were presented here.
- How is Place des Arts’ programming determined?
As the main presenter of performing arts in Québec, Place des Arts showcases the full range of artistic expression in its halls and on its outdoor Esplanade.
Place des Arts acts as a co-producer or co-presenter of several events and programmes over the course of the artistic season. For example, in 2009-2010, it was the initiator or partner of close to 300 performances and activities, representing close to 25% of its programming.
The performances by Place des Arts’ resident companies in 2009-2010—the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Opéra de Montréal, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, and Compagnie Jean Duceppe—also accounted for about 30% of Place des Arts’ programming.
In addition, Place des Arts hosted close to 500 shows and events with the collaboration of over one hundred producers from very diverse backgrounds. Hall rentals to these various producers represent a little over 45% of the overall number of performances offered, ranging from premieres of Québec films to the staging of major festivals. Classical music, theatre, song, pop music, comedy, dance in all its forms, along with jazz and blues regularly take centre stage in Place des Arts’ performance halls.
Place des Arts’ programming is intended for audiences of all ages and includes shows by artists from home and abroad.
- What is the mission of the Fondation de la Place des Arts?
The mission of the Fondation de la Place des Arts is to support the Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal by making financial contributions to the realization of projects and activities that are in keeping with its artistic and cultural mission, and to promote, among other things, education and audience awareness of the performing arts, especially among young people; accessibility to local and visiting artistic productions for various population groups; audience development through innovative projects carried out by Place des Arts alone or in collaboration with partners; and artistic research, experimentation, and creation.
- What is La Maison symphonique?
In compliance with the most stringent international norms for acoustics, stage design, and architecture, the Maison symphonique de Montréal—inaugurated on September 7, 2011—is built to the high standards followed by the designers of the best concert halls in the world. Designed to showcase all musical genres, the new hall has a capacity of 2,100 seats in the absence of choir members. It is the home of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Orchestre métropolitain. The new hall can also host smaller ensembles like Les Violons du Roy or the McGill Chamber Orchestra. Song recitals, choirs, and even jazz musicians and popular artists can perform in the hall.
- What is the relationship between the Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal and the Amphithéâtre Fernand-Lindsay?
Place des Arts has been the administrator and owner of the Amphithéâtre Fernand-Lindsay in Joliette since 1995. Each year, the Festival de Lanaudière—the largest classical music event in the country—stages its event there, welcoming tens of thousands of people during the summer season. Place des Arts is also in charge of the artistic programming of this amphitheatre during off-Festival periods.
- Has Place des Arts gone green?
Place des Arts has acted in accordance with the Government Sustainable Development Strategy 2008-2013 by adopting a sustainable development policy, as well as an initial plan of action. The Société intends to play an important role in improving the quality of life of citizens of Québec, with a view to ensuring fairness towards current and future generations. Here are the broad lines of its policy:
• Foster staff and clientele understanding of, and commitment to, matters of sustainable development.
• Equip itself with an environmentally friendly management framework, and adopt an eco-responsible acquisition policy.
• Reduce the impact of its activities and its infrastructures on the environment; safeguard, preserve, and share Québec’s cultural heritage.
• Support events that have a significant positive impact on various communities.
• Operate as a responsible employer.
• Ensure transparency and follow-up of its sustainable development activities.
- What is the relationship between Place des Arts and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal located on its site?
The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal is a provincial crown corporation under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Culture and Communications, administered by a board of directors independent of that of Place des Arts. However, Place des Arts is the owner of the building and has an agreement with the Museum with regards to occupancy and services.
- What publications does Place des Arts produce?
Place des Arts produces an annual report, a pdf version of which is available on its website. Place des Arts also issues a monthly e-newsletter listing activities and shows being presented. One can subscribe to the newsletter on Place des Arts’ website in order to be kept abreast of all programming on a regular basis. Also published five times per year, the calendar of shows and activities provides a schedule of all events presented in Place des Arts’ various halls, as well as activities held in the Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme. It is distributed through a commercial network, in Place des Arts’ display stands, and inserted into major daily newspapers.
- Does Place des Arts have a gift shop?
Place des Arts does not have its own gift shop but gift certificates for any occasion can be purchased at its online box office. Place des Arts’ gift certificates can be exchanged for tickets to performances and are available for all budgets: $10, $25, $50, $75, and $100 or more.
Located in the heart of downtown, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal Gift Shop is just a few steps from the museum’s entrance, in Place des Arts’ main foyer. Renowned for showcasing design, the Gift Shop offers many wonderful products: decorative paper, accessories for the home, jewellery and watches, children’s toys, museum-related items, and