Built as a skating rink in 1884, the venue once known as the “Théâtre français” lived a freaky life as an adult cinema in the ’60s, then as a disco called Metropolis in the ’80s and ’90s. (The downtown building sits in what was once the heart of the red light district.) Since pivoting to concerts in 1997, the 2300-capacity space has hosted icons to the tune of Bowie, Prince, and Björk; its latest iteration, MTELUS, welcomes legends in the making, from 100 gecs to Yves Tumor.

From the 112-year-old façade to the regal interior, the former Corona Theatre is a portal to a bygone era of entertainment. The onetime silent film theater thrived as a stage for plays until the early ’60s, when it was left to stagnate as a storage space until being restored and reopened as a concert hall in the late ’90s. The newly christened Beanfield hosts avant-pop upstarts (Tyla, PinkPantheress) and indie favorites (Soccer Mommy, Lucy Dacus).

A fixture of the Mile End hipster haven since 1982, Club Soda moved downtown in 2000 to a former cabaret space that’s thoroughly modern compared to some of its more time-worn neighbors. A central venue on the Montreal International Jazz Festival circuit, the 900-capacity venue has witnessed history in early-career shows from Amy Winehouse and Frank Ocean; these days it hosts pop, rock, and rap acts bubbling below the surface (Beabadoobee, DrugChurch, JPEGMAFIA).

Along with its sister venue Casa del Popolo across the street, Sala bears the flag for Montreal’s indie scene. The larger of the venues on the outskirts of Mile End, the “Red Room” began in 1932 as a Jewish activist center, then functioned as a Spanish social club. The small stage has hosted the likes of Charli XCX and Arcade Fire since opening in 2001, but it’s mostly a hub for underground talent, from hyperpop to free jazz to the odd flamenco throwback to its CentroSocial Español days.

Tucked away on Rue Jean-Talon in what was once the Il Motore club, Le Ritz isn’t quite as chic as the name suggests: PDB stands for “punks don’t bend,” a nod to the owners’ DIY ethos. (That’s Thierry Amar and Efrim Menuck, both of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and indie promoter Meyer Billurcu.) The 300-cap space isn’t a punk bar per se, but a diamond in the rough that hosts acid-house dance parties, left-field rappers (Boldy James), and indie buzz bands (Wednesday, Blondshell).

When it opened in 1900 as North America’s first French-speaking theater, the moody room hosted Quebec-ized Broadway hits, burlesque shows, and French melodramas. More than a century later, the venue in the heart of the Village (Montreal’s LGBTQ+ nexus) transformed into a burgundy-walled concert space where “regal theater” meets “gritty nightclub.” Lineups favor immersive rock and electronic acts (Swans, Chelsea Wolfe, Slowdive) or hometown chanteuses (Coeur de pirate).

This Mile End mainstay was once the legendary Club Soda, where Oasis and Chris Isaak played their first Montreal shows. Club Soda moved downtown in 2000, and after a few iterations (Cabaret Mile-End, Kola Note) the original space was modernized and reborn as the Fairmount in 2015. The 600-cap club’s high-end sound system places it among the city’s best venues for live electronic sets from the likes of Oneohtrix Point Never, Snow Strippers, and Montreal’s own Marie Davidson.

Not long after beloved downtown club Spectrum shut its doors in 2007, its owner, L’Équipe Spectra (best known for the Montreal International Jazz Festival), launched a new venue in the historic Blumenthal Building across the street. Called L’Astral when it opened in 2009, the half-moon shaped room, occasionally outfitted with cabaret seating, might host cool ’90s throwbacks (Cowboy Junkies), indie up-and-comers (Powfu), or your next favorite rapper (Veeze).

Inaugurated in 1963 as the Grande Salle, then renamed in honor of the composer Wilfrid Pelletier, the nearly 3,000-seat venue in the Place des Arts complex is among Canada’s most iconic concert halls. The charmingly dated theater is home base for Opéra de Montréal and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, but name a game-changing act from the past 60 years and they’ve probably played here too: Herbie Hancock, Lauryn Hill, Kraftwerk, Bob Dylan, the late Leonard Cohen.

Montreal’s most iconic punk and metal bar—with a name that roughly translates to “electric bums”—has seen all sorts of ruckus and rock lore since opening in the Quartier Latin in 1983. Hang out long enough and you’ll hear how Nirvana played here days before releasing Nevermind, or how Melissa Auf der Maur met Billy Corgan here before joining Smashing Pumpkins and Hole. More than 40 years on, Foufs hasn’t lost its edge, still hosting local metal bands and touring acts like Militarie Gun.