A great first in the Montreal nightlife: the sale of alcohol will be authorized without interruption for 28 hours between May 21 and 23 as part of an exceptional event organized at the Quartier des Spectacles. A first test for the City, which is working to review the “night governance” policy.
The party in question will take place precisely at the Society for Technological Arts (SAT), on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, during the third edition of MTL au Sommet de la nuit.. It will begin at 9 p.m. on May 21 and end at 3 a.m. the day after tomorrow. Throughout this 28-hour event, the sale of alcohol will be permitted, even in the morning.
Everything will be piloted and supervised by MTL 24 / 24, an association which defends the interests of the various players in nightlife and which has been very vocal during the pandemic.
The last two years have been particularly difficult for the bar and event industry. In Montreal, once the hub of partying in North America, there is only one establishment left open after 3 a.m.: the Stereo, on Sainte-Catherine Street. Note that night owls can certainly dance there until late, but the sale of alcohol is strictly prohibited.
As for businesses, Quebec law prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., which makes the event to be held next May at the SAT all the more exceptional.
In 2014, the Coderre administration attempted a pilot project to allow a few tenants to sell alcohol until 6 a.m. for four weeks, as in certain places in Europe. The initiative was finally met with the refusal of the Régie des alcools.
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