La grande rentrée du Quartier latin: A two-day celebration of the new university semester

Montreal, August 30, 2023 – The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and the Société de développement commercial (SDC) du Quartier latin are pleased to announce the program for the second annual Grande rentrée du Quartier latin. This back-to-school event will take place on September 7 and 8 on a pedestrianized stretch of Saint-Denis Street, between Sainte-Catherine and Sherbrooke streets. The festive setting will welcome students, Montrealers and visitors to enjoy a noon-to-night free cultural program of music, dance, visual arts, film and street performances, including fifteen artistic presentations by students and graduates of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal and Vanier College. La grande rentrée du Quartier latin will also feature two large festive gatherings: a wrestling tournament organized by CHOQ.CA radio and La Nocturne du Quartier latin, an all-night party with several bars open until 6 a.m.

TWO HIGH-ENERGY NIGHTS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7: WRESTLING

Organized by UQAM’s student radio station, CHOQ.CA, in collaboration with the station’s program Les Rois de l'Arène, this out-of-the-ordinary wrestling tourney will rock Place Pasteur starting at 5:30 p.m. More than 20 wrestlers will square off, creating plenty of suspenseful, adrenaline-charged moments. Hosts from student radio stations CISM, CKUT and CJLO will provide commentary and help the audience follow the thrilling action on the mat. From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., the event will be punctuated by performances, including DJ sets from the CHOQ.CA programs Necktar Show and Pôle Hip-Hop and live performances by Greg Beaudin and rapper Sloan Lucas.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8: KEEP THE PARTY GOING ALL NIGHT WITH LA NOCTURNE DU QUARTIER LATIN

To help friends get together and celebrate the new university semester, numerous bars in the Quartier Latin will stay open until 6 a.m.! Everyone who loves to dance is invited to head to Le Meltdown for a giant Just Dance event. The participating bars include: Bistro à Jojo, L'amère à Boire, L'Abreuvoir, Le Saint-Bock, Patrick's Pub, Point Bar, L'Île Noire, Le Meltdown, Le Randolph, Saint-Houblon, Turbo Haüs, Arcade Montréal and Hookah Lounge.

STUDENTS FRONT AND CENTRE!

On September 7 from 12:30 to 4 p.m. and September 8 from 12:30 to 6 p.m., students and graduates of the dance department at UQAM, in collaboration with Passerelle 840, will present seven performances in Place Pasteur, near the UQAM bell tower. On the same stage on September 8, from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., first- and second-year students from the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal will perform, Nous marcherons sur leurs têtes, by choreographer Charles Brecard.

On the parvis of the future site of the Maison de la chanson et de la musique du Québec, ensembles made up of graduates from the music programs at UQAM and Vanier College will entertain passers-by. On the program: Sasa (Sept. 7 at noon and 3 p.m.), The Lux (Sept. 7 at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.), Acoustik Twist (Sept. 8 at noon and 3 p.m.) and Side Piece Quintet (Sept. 8 at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.).

On Saint-Denis St. between De Maisonneuve and Ontario, visual arts students from UQAM will create, for a live audience, original paintings on giant canvases as part of Art mobile, presented in collaboration with MTL en arts. September 7 and 8, noon to 6 p.m.

Other street performances and activities will take place on Saint-Denis, enhancing the Grande rentrée du Quartier latin, including a set by DJ Sugarface BelFo on the parvis of the future Maison de la chanson et de la musique du Québec, September 8 at 8:30 p.m., and Deux drag-queens en cavale ! on Saint-Denis St. on September 7 at 5:30 p.m. and September 8 at 6 p.m.

THE JOYS OF WATCHING MOVIES OUTDOORS, AND A WORK FOR NATURE LOVERS

Friday evening at 8 p.m. in Place Pasteur, the Festival Courts d’un soir presents an open-air screening of short films. There will be a Q&A session with the filmmakers afterwards.

On Saint-Denis St. between De Maisonneuve and Ontario, the Station climatique mobile (mobile climate station), a work by MÉDIANE, the Canada Research Chair in art, environmental technology and climate change, held by artist and professor Gisèle Trudel, will welcome visitors. The curious will learn all about tree phenology: the study of variations in seasonal phenomena in relation to the climate. September 8, noon to 5 p.m.

A PLACE TO TAKE A BREAK AMONG FRIENDS

Finally, many of the Grande rentrée du Quartier latin festivities will take place in a tactical urbanism project set up on Saint-Denis St. called the Agora Maximus, created by LAAB Collective in collaboration with Signature design communication and produced by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and the Société de développement commercial (SDC) du Quartier latin.

ABOUT QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES AND THE PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles is 20 years old! The Quartier des Spectacles is Montréal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues as well as numerous festivals and events. The Quartier also hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design and immersive environments. The Quartier des Spectacles has become an international showcase for digital public art.

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 85 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal. 

More information: quartierdesspectacles.com

ABOUT THE SDC QUARTIER LATIN

The SDC Quartier latin is a commercial development corporation (Société de développement commercial in French) and a non-profit organization comprised of 150 business members. The SDC Quartier latin plays an important role in the commercial and cultural development of the Quartier Latin, an iconic and historic strip of Montreal. The Quartier Latin is the commercial heart of Montreal's francophone culture and a major student hub, accessible to all. Recognized for its nightlife, it has the largest concentration of bars and restaurants in town and 8.5 million visitors a year.

For more information : quartierlatin.ca

PHOTOS

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CONTACTS MEDIA

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Mélanie Mingotaud
melanie@mingo2.ca
514 582-5272

SDC Quartier latin
Marion Cassard
communications@quartierlatin.ca
438 338-0625

SOURCE

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Chloé Goldstein
chloe.goldstein@quartierdesspectacles.com
514 812-2193