Culture, sports, festivals: Montreal on track see record tourism in 2026
Posted August 12, 2026 8:01 am.
Last Updated August 12, 2026 8:05 am.
Midway through the tourist season, Tourisme Montréal reports that all indicators point to a record summer this year.
The organization said in a news release Wednesday, the city welcomed seven per cent more visitors from the US this year reversing the seven per cent decline last summer when American tourists feared that they would not be well-received as the trade war began to unfold between the two countries.
Meanwhile there was a five per cent jump in Canadians and tourists from the rest of the world coming to the city.
Hotel bookings jumped by 12 per cent for an 82 per cent occupancy rate between May and July. Google searches for accommodations in Montreal also went up.
“This summer, Montréal is reaching new heights, and that speaks to the strength and diversity of our destination,” said Yves Lalumière, president and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.
In 2025, 11.9 million tourists visited to Montreal spending $5.8 billion.
Major festivals also saw record attendance this year with Festival International de Jazz de Montréal recording its highest ever attendance. The annual jazz festival made waves this year when Quebec’s latest sensation L’angine de poitrine drew record numbers of fans.
Osheaga had its second most popular event this summer while attendance on the closing night of the pre-eminent comedy festival Just for Laughs saw new heights.
Tourisme Montréal says business conventions also played a major role in the attracting international visitors, with July seeing almost double the number compared to last year.
The agency says it expects tourism to continue to be strong the rest of the summer with events like the UCI Road World Championships.
“With August and September still looking very strong, Montreal is clearly on track for a record year,” Lalumière said.
