Mark your calendar - festivals in June and July

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You know it’s summer in Montreal when the big festivals get rolling. And there’s always something for every taste – if you love music, comedy or circus, you’re in luck because there’s an incredible variety of days and nights out for you to choose from in the coming weeks. Here’s a look at some of the top events to check out this June and July.

By Sébastien Tétrault

Les Francos de Montréal - Until June, 22

The long-running francophone music festival is not to be missed for the last few days. Don’t miss the grand closing show, Ambiance R&B, on June 22, with Corneille and a host of inspiring artists, including Les Louanges, Rau_Ze and Naïma Frank.

Le Festival international de jazz de Montréal - June 27-July 6

This year’s jazz fest presents more than 3,000 artists and over 350 concerts! The indoor shows include André 3000, the former member of the rap group Outkast who is now a flutist, presenting the New Blue Sun LIVE show on June 30 in Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts. Homegrown pianist Alexandra Stréliski will perform Néo-Romance orchestrale at the Maison symphonique de Montréal on July 2 and 3, while American band Pink Martini will perform in Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on July 4 and 5. The major free concerts in Place des Festivals include a performance by two-time Juno winner Dominique Fils-Aimé on June 29 and rapper Freddie Gibbs, with soul group the El Michels Affair, on June 30. There’s also Québécois trumpeter Jacques Kuba Séguin on June 29, American pianist Robert Glasper and special guests on July 1, Montreal singer Alicia Cret on June 29 on the Place des Arts Esplanade and the recent Révélation Radio-Canada laureate, Ivorian-Canadian drummer Donald Dogbo on July 5 on Esplanade Tranquille.

MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE - July 4-14

This year’s edition is the festival’s 15^th anniversary, with the special theme “impossible is not circus.” For 11 days, the fest will transform the city into a circus ring filled with colourful performances by talented artists from Quebec, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Every evening at sunset, Saint-Denis Street will be taken over by circus artists, transforming the street into an immersive world. Several niche disciplines are featured this year, and the proceedings will be enhanced by a roving group of students from the National Circus School and the women of the Burning Brass Band. The great free events include the Carnaval de cirque social on July 9 and 10 in Les Jardins Gamelin. Then there’s Géante!, a creation by local company Les 7 Doigts de la main starring krump dancer Adeline Cruz, a 10-year-old prodigy. The show, celebrating feminine power, will be presented on Esplanade PVM twice daily, at 6 and 9:30 p.m., from July 4 to 14 (except July 8).

SoulFest Montréal – July 11-14

This newcomer to the city’s festival scene presents an exciting lineup of soul, Motown, funk, gospel and disco concerts. For this four-day inaugural edition, SoulFest will take place on the parvis of St. James United Church, on Sainte-Catherine St., transforming the space into a full-on outdoor dancefloor. A big soul event with Kim Richardson and Dorian Sherwood gets things started on July 11. Every evening, the Soul Session series presents Slim Williams and guests generating a high-energy party vibe. The festival also includes some indoor shows, including Sylvie Desgroseilliers’ Women of Soul, on July 13 at Le Balcon.

Festival international Nuits d’Afrique - July 9-21

This newcomer to the city’s festival scene presents an exciting lineup of soul, Motown, funk, gospel and disco concerts. For this four-day inaugural edition, SoulFest will take place on the parvis of St. James United Church, on Sainte-Catherine St., transforming the space into a full-on outdoor dancefloor. A big soul event with Kim Richardson and Dorian Sherwood gets things started on July 11. Every evening, the Soul Session series presents Slim Williams and guests generating a high-energy party vibe. The festival also includes some indoor shows, including Sylvie Desgroseilliers’ Women of Soul, on July 13 at Le Balcon.

ComediHa! salue Montréal - July 18-28

This comedy festival, expecting hundreds of thousands of festivalgoers, will present numerous activities across its ten days. Its indoor programming includes the one and only Jean-Marc Parent hosting L’événement JMP on July 19 in Place des Arts’ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. There’s also the first-ever French adaptation of the musical Waitress, with an all-star cast, at Espace St-Denis from June 22 to July 28. On July 20, make your way to the festival’s outdoor stages for a live edition of the popular musical competition La guerre des fans. Emceed by Phil Roy, the benefit event will feature the first-season winner, Kim Lévesque-Lizotte. Finally, on July 25 as part of the Carte blanche à Arnaud Soly event, the famous comic invites the audience into his creative world, along with his friends and colleagues Alexandre Barrette, Anas Hassouna, Douaa Kachache, Mibenson Sylvain, Mona de Grenoble and Maude Landry.