Ctrl+Alt festival returns to Montreal this weekend
Posted July 24, 2026 3:02 pm.
Last Updated July 25, 2026 5:23 pm.
Queer art, music and nightlife are taking over Place du Village as Ctrl+Alt Festival returns for a third year. The free event transforms the public square into an open-air nightclub, showcasing Montreal’s queer talent and underground arts scene.
The third edition of the annual event is dedicated entirely to queer artists from Montreal’s nightlife scene, showcasing performances in drag, burlesque, dance and electronic music.
“It’s about revisiting what the entertainment industry should be,” said Vicky Ouellette, executive director of Studio ZX, the production company behind the festival.
“I think we’re setting up fire and igniting what the underground has best to offer, what queer people have best to offer in Montreal.”
Organizers say while queer nightlife often exists in clubs and after dark, Ctrl+Alt brings those artists and artforms into a public space for everyone to see.
“People get to see this walking by during the daytime and they’re like, ‘You know what? Let me get into it,’ and they’ll come back at nighttime and come back for the next day party, so we’re just trying to build a bigger community,” says Christen Marlot, host and spokesperson.
For many of the artists at the festival, it’s a rare opportunity to share the stage with so many other queer and trans performers.
“It means a lot for us to be able to welcome our peers to be on stage and they get the chance to actually do their art in a context that is for us and by us and that is not in a way tokenizing or fetishizing,” Ouellette said.
The festival’s futuristic theme comes to life in the festival’s short film, which shows artists being cloned and replicated as it explores identity in the age of social media and AI.
“The whole concept we have is about alters and copies of yourself basically and questioning what is AI, what is social media, what is being an entertainer in 2026 and like what is real and how can we connect for real,” explains the festival’s creative director Rico Serna.
Created three years ago by the trans and queer nonprofit Studio ZX, Ctrl+Alt was launched to give trans and queer artists more opportunities to perform, get paid fairly and take centre stage.
“My biggest dream would be for Ctrl+Alt to start a movement where artists don’t have to leave to be successful,” Ouellette said.
“I think local talent needs to be seen and valued and paid and I think there’s not enough opportunities for them because they’re always treated as an afterthought or as an opener when they’re genuinely stars.”
The festival runs until Sunday evening.
