Lights. Camera. Dance! IglooFest is THE outdoor winter party in the heart of the Old Port of Montreal.
Picture this…winter is throwing her best winter snow at Montreal, yet in the middle of of the Jacques-Cartier Quay in the Old Port of Montreal, 10,000 party goes are getting their groove on at North America’s biggest winter rave! Snow suits are the hot trend at this sub zero party and IglooFest is fast becoming the place to be for winter nightlife in Montreal.
What is IglooFest you ask? IglooFest is 50,000 square feet of winter fun. It’s an outdoor dance party with projectors and tungsten lights, giant flat screen tvs and LED technology turning the dance floor into an otherworldly spatial experience with up to 10,000 party goers in snow suits embracing all that winter has to offer. The beat from the stage is produced by local and international electronic music DJs who keep the crowds warm with playlists to fill the weekend.
The popularity of IglooFest has grown exponentially from 4,000 visitors in 2007 to a chart topping 73,000 in 2013. Held over 4 weekends, the party gets started Thursday nights each weekend. And be forewarned…IglooFest has the dress up contest for winter…the Sapporo One Piece Contest will find Montreal’s finest dressed in colourful onesies to counter the cold. The more colourful and crazy the better! Not sure if these guys got bonus points for their Montreal Canadian’s look, but in hockey crazy Montreal, anything goes!
IglooFest is a unique winter festival experience. On site, there are multiple stages including the Virgin Mobile Igloo featuring local talent, the VJS Sapporo stage and the Sapporo Stage. Bars, boutiques and poutine stands will make sure you have all that you need for maximum fun. It may be below zero out there, but IglooFest offers the hottest 12 nights in town!
What can I say about my IglooFest experience?
I had a blast! My only regret…I wish I could have been there for 2 nights! The energy in the crowd was electric. The light show and electronic beat revved me up – I didn’t even notice it was the middle of winter. I didn’t want the night to end! I love the fact that nothing gets in the way of Montreal and a good time! This trip to Montreal was all about kicking winters butt and I am glad to see I wasn’t the only one! This place was packed and pumping all night long! Montreal 1: winter 0!
Tips for IglooFest:
Bring your friends…needless to say, the music is awesome, but the crowds are what really created the atmosphere. 10,000 snow suit clad party goers….need I say more?
Layer on the clothes. It’s a great party, but if you are not dressed for it, it is going to be cold! Find a great snow suit and go with it! Colourful hats, mitts and ear muffs add to the fun.
Boots…time to get serious here – keep your feet warm all night long in a good pair of boots. You’ll be standing and dancing all night outside. Embrace the winter fashion with something warm and fuzzy.
Dance, dance, dance….keep your feet moving and have a ball!
Jägermeister shots! If all else fails, Jäger shots will warm you right to your toes. Afterall, it is a party.
Related Links:
- Ten things we won’t forget about IglooFest
- I’ve Never Never Danced Outdoors in below freezing temperatures…at IglooFest
- Montreal Bucket List: unique winter experiences you have to try
- Five Minutes with One Man – IglooFest
- and for summer fun…from the people who brought you IglooFest, Piknic Electronik summer edition:
Many thanks to Tourism Montreal and the organizers of IglooFest for inviting me experience all the excitement that is IglooFest. All opinions are expressly my own, and the Jäger shots did not influence my opinion at all! Thanks to team TDBL (Travel Destination Bucket List) for the photos from my night at IglooFest.
What a brrrrr blast you had showing the way to go in Montreal. Puts a whole new twist on winter destinations.
Posted by Tracey | February 17, 2013, 12:04 amThanks Tracey! It is a new twist, isn’t it! Winter in Montreal was a blast. I guess the old saying, if you can’t beat it holds true.
Posted by Anita Mac | February 17, 2013, 7:58 amMTL sure likes to party! I remember seeing a tam tam show in the park, but that was in summer. But a WINTER fest outdoors? Is there mulled wine?…
Posted by Pola (Jetting Around) | February 17, 2013, 3:05 pmI thought I had read somewhere you could get mulled wine….but Jäger shots were the drink du jour! Warmed me to my toes.
Posted by Anita Mac | February 17, 2013, 6:03 pmIt sounds like quite a novel idea and lots of fun. I dare say that with all those clothes on your skin won’t get much chance to breathe. I imagine the more keen ravers will be very sweaty at the end of the night.
Posted by The Guy | February 18, 2013, 4:20 amI guess it could look that way, but the trick with the layers is to wick the sweat away. If you get sweaty, you will get cold, and that is never fun! With the right clothes, the party is actually loads of fun. I wish I had planned on 2 nights and can’t wait for next year!
Posted by Anita Mac | February 18, 2013, 11:05 amwell i certainly had fun at Igloofest! it was an unplanned extra night in Montreal but so worth being stuck!
Posted by lola | February 20, 2013, 1:30 pm