A magical school break at Place des Arts

A week of free activities where magic, circus, clowns and artistic discoveries awaken the imaginations of children ages 3 to 10 

Montreal, February 9, 2026 — From March 4 to 7, between 12 noon and 3:00 p.m., Place des Arts is inviting young families to plunge into the fascinating world of magic and circus arts thanks to a host of free activities* being presented during the school break. For the occasion, public spaces will be transformed into a fun and festive playground where kids 3 to 10 can have a really great time. 

Magic shows, joint cooking workshop with La Tablée des Chefs, circus workshops, outdoor circus entertainment, mobile makeup, a reading corner and a digital work: Place des Arts has more than one trick up its sleeve when it comes to entertaining budding little clowns and stimulating their imaginations. A dynamic program to discover as a family, amid laughter, discoveries and wonder! In addition to these activities, the play Pinocchio* will be staged six times at Cinquième Salle. 

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES  
Wednesday to Saturday, March 4 to 7, from 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. 
Recommended ages: 3 to 10  
Free  

MAGI! | Interactive magic show 
March 4 to 7 | 12 noon, 1:15 and 2:15 p.m. | Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme | Duration: 40 minutes 

Alexander the Great fancies himself to be the best magician in the world… But when magic plays tricks on him, he needs the audience’s help to pull off his own. Blending laughter with wonder, MAGI! is a highly interactive show where children become stars. The whole family will be charmed by this highly talented magician and his little assistants. 

Pelleteur de nuages | Outdoor entertainment 
March 4 to 7 | 12:45 and 2:00 p.m.| Sainte‑Catherine St. entrance | Duration: 45 minutes 

The Pelleteur de nuages (Cloud Shoveler) arrives with his multicolored shovels. He takes pride in his job, and clearing impeccable pathways is his priority. Which doesn’t stop him from daydreaming and spinning farfetched tales to passersby. With an endless smile, this humorous character straight out of Quebec traditions spreads joy to everyone around him! 

Joint cooking workshop with La Tablée des Chefs 
March 4 to 7 | 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. | Salon urbain | Duration: 20 minutes 

A huge success year after year, La Tablée des Chefs is back with a cooking workshop designed to pay it forward. Be part of a magical pea-and-barley soup workshop. You will prepare ready-to-cook soup bags, which will then be distributed to four local organizations. Each family taking part will also leave with a bag so that they can finish and savor the recipe at home. To date, La Tablée des Chefs has distributed 21 million prepared portions to community organizations and introduced 79,000 young people to cooking and to healthful eating habits. 

“La Tablée des Chefs is delighted to be taking part, once again this year, in Place des Arts’ remarkable school-break program. Our organization is offering an activity that perfectly reflects our mission: feeding and educating. Feeding to battle food insecurity, and educating young people so that they develop food autonomy. Enjoy your Spring Break… and enjoy the soup!” – Jean-François Archambault, founder and CEO of La Tablée des Chefs 

Circus workshops 
March 4 to 7 | 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. | Espace culturel Georges‑Émile‑Lapalme | Duration: 20 minutes 

There’s room for everyone at a free workshop on hula hoops, flowersticks, balls, bowling pins, Chinese plates and more. Toddlers will get to enjoy a sensory-motor course with puzzles, cones, balls, and beams, supervised by artists experienced in motor-skills stations and parent-child classes. 

Introductory clowning workshop 
March 4 to 7 | 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. | Salon urbain | Duration: 20 minutes 

Setting great store by spontaneity, by mistakes as a driving force in games and by self-esteem, this workshop proposes a quick and joyful immersion in clowning. Participants explore their own clumsiness, the amplification of emotions, improbable situations and eye-contact games. Facilitators caringly guide the intergenerational audience (children, teenagers, parents and grandparents) in creative expression, physical engagement and openness to others. In partnership with Qu’en Dit Raton? 

Reading corner 
March 4 to 7 | 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. | Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme 

Between magic shows, enjoy the carpets, cushions and children’s books in the comfort of the reading corner! 
Kids will notably get to enjoy titles graciously provided by the Québec Amérique publishing company. 
 
Mobile makeup 

March 4 to 7 | 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. | Nonstop | Public spaces of Place des Arts 

A multidisciplinary artist, Marylo will have you thrilling to the rhythms of her colors. Thanks to her background in dance and circus, she draws inspiration from movement to create colorful works on the faces of little girls and big ones alike. 

L’Académie magique | Digital work 
March 4 to 7 | Nonstop | Mosaic of screens 

Here’s Académie magique, an immersive work on the theme of magic, ranging from alchemy to mysticism. Born from the talents of Alyssa Dulay, Nour Achiba, Michelle Young, Caroline Theam, Mirlande Germain, Valentina Vargas and a second collaboration with La Escuela d’El Toro Studio, this is the final result of a training program aimed at teaching the basics of 2D animation. See it before it disappears! 

Search and find 
March 4 to 7 | Nonstop | Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme – Information booth 

Come help us find all the lost magic mice in Place des Arts and be eligible to win four tickets for Place des Arts’ first young-audience show of the 2026-2027 season, taking place in September 2026! 

Indoor show (paid admission): Pinocchio 

March 5, 6 and 7 | 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. | Cinquième Salle | Duration: 65 minutes | Recommended ages: 6 to 10 | Admission fee of $22 or Place des Arts junior series package or Montréal en Lumière package 

An original rereading of the Collodi story showcasing the most famous puppet of all: Pinocchio. Presented exclusively during school break at Place des Arts: two performances a day, from March 5 to 7. A wonderful opportunity to rediscover this classic with your kids! 

A creation of Théâtre Tout à Trac. 

Reserve your tickets 
 

Orchestre symphonique de Montréal activities 
March 3 to 7 | Espace OSM, Foyer Antonia-Nantel of the Maison symphonique 

Experience music as a family at the OSM with free activities. The program includes Le Grand Bill in Music, SOS concert: mission tempête de neige with mediator Aurélie Négrier, Danser, rêver et respirer, Sur les traces de l’Oiseau en feu, Parcours découverte : octobasse et cloches, Insectes en harmonie, as well as musical awakening workshops, improvisation sessions, and sound‑manipulation activities. A perfect opportunity to share a musically inspiring moment together! 

Produced by Place des Arts, the free activities for this school break are presented in collaboration with Montréal en Lumière and are made possible thanks to the financial support of the Fondation de la Place des Arts and its partner, the Rossy Foundation. We also thank La Presse, our media partner and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for this new collaboration. 

*Note that activities are free with the exception of the indoor show Pinocchio. 

Source:
Géraldine Zaccardelli 
Communications and Public Relations Manager at Place des Arts 
gzaccardelli@placedesarts.com 

Media relations: 
Mélissa Roy 
Roy & Turner 
mroy@roy-turner.com