A 40th edition. The Coup de cœur francophone festival holds its 40th edition from November 5 to 15, 2026 (site in French). Founded in Montreal in 1987, it's dedicated to French-language song in all its forms, with a lineup that leans toward emerging artists and new work, according to its official description (in French).
In Montreal, and beyond. The festival takes place every November in Montreal and in nearly 45 Canadian cities, through a network of partners in francophone communities. In all, it presents around 200 shows from coast to coast.
How to pick your shows. The online program (in French) can be filtered by city, date and genre, from chanson to rap, folk or electro. Each show has its own page, with the venue, time and a link to buy a ticket. On Thursday, November 5, for example, Catherine Leduc (with Perma) plays L'Esco at 9 p.m., and Alice Bro plays Quai des Brumes at 10 p.m. The festival also offers an app, FEST, to follow the program.
Getting a seat. If one concert matters to you, buy your ticket ahead of time from its page, rather than counting on the door that night.
Good to know for newcomers. Seeing local artists live is an enjoyable way to get used to the French spoken in Quebec, and to discover local artists. Our guide to practicing French in Quebec suggests other everyday ways to do it.
