Plante announces $1 million boost for Montreal festivals, major events

Mayor Valerie Plante speaks at a Montreal Chamber of Commerce event on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. (CTV News)

Mayor Valerie Plante announced there will be more funding for festivals in the city.

Plante made the announcement Monday at Place des Arts, saying the city will increase its Major Festivals and Events Fund by $1 million for a total of $6.5 million by next year. The terms of its distribution will be announced at a later date.

The city says this money increases its total financial assistance to festivals from $8 million to $9 million per year. The idea is to provide more predictable cash flows for festivals and other major cultural events.

Plante said festivals and major events in Montreal attract millions of people each year and are a major economic driver but face financial challenges.

"Right now, they are very vulnerable. They have treasury issues. They're having less people in the rooms. The private sector sponsorship is not at par with inflation," Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, told CTV News.

"We need to have more support, but we also need to make sure that we make the right decisions about how we will support the sector."

With files from CTV Montreal's Christine Long