Casa del Popolo

Casa del Popolo, Italian for House of the People, opened in September 2000 on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in the Plateau. It was founded by Mauro Pezzente, the bass player of the Montreal band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and his partner Kiva Stimac, and it works as a bar, a bistro and a music venue rolled into one.

The venue has a long record with independent music. Over the years its stage has hosted Arcade Fire, Buck 65, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Do Make Say Think, the Moldy Peaches and Carla Bozulich, and it has also held slide shows by the cartoonist Seth and book launches by the writer Jonathan Goldstein. Guidebooks have long singled it out: Fodor's has called it one of Montreal's top venues for indie rock, and Frommer's once compared it to New York's CBGB.

The same team runs a small network of venues nearby. La Sala Rossa and La Sotterenea are at 4848 Saint-Laurent, across the boulevard, and P'tit Ours and La Toscadura are also part of the family, along with the Suoni per il popolo festival and a related project, Pensione popolo. With several rooms run by the same team on one stretch of Saint-Laurent Boulevard, it is worth reading the listings carefully, since a show advertised under the Casa name may take place across the road. Check the shared listings to see which room a show is in.

The programme is busy and varied. At the end of October 2026, for example, the listings included an album launch on 26 October, a Halloween cabaret on 28 October and a Halloween show on 31 October, with more dates running through late November. Ticket prices and door times vary by event and are set out on the website.

It suits music fans, students and anyone who prefers an intimate room to a large concert hall.

Check the calendar before you go and buy tickets in advance for popular acts. The bistro side of the operation means you can eat on site before a show. Schwartz's Deli is further south on the same boulevard if you want a late meal before or after.