Free Mars-themed party at Montreal's Planétarium featuring stargazing, cocktails and fire pits
Mars is taking centre stage in Montreal at the beginning of June.
Add this to your list of things to do: Montreal's Planétarium is inviting space lovers to AstroFest, a free astronomy festival packed with science, cocktails and cosmic wonder.
Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned stargazer, this year's edition ('Mars – Life in Red') promises two days of unforgettable free activities.
Now in its 5th year, AstroFest has become Montreal's ultimate annual event for astronomy fans.
During the day, families can take part in hands-on scientific workshops.
And on Saturday night, the party kicks off with telescopes, marshmallows, live DJs, expert talks, and cocktails under the stars.
Mars, the mysterious red planet, will be both on display in the night sky and featured in the free ROUGE 2100 exhibition, open until midnight during the event.
It's a rare chance to observe Mars clearly, as it will be high above the horizon—an alignment that only occurs once every 26 months.
From solar and lunar telescope viewings to face painting, street performances, storytelling for kids, and festive food vendors, AstroFest is designed to be a joyful, educational experience for all.
When is AstroFest?
Visit The Planetarium located in Montreal Olympic Park on June 7 and June 8, 2025, to experience this free event.
What are the free AstroFest activities?
Here is the programming for Saturday June 7 and Sunday June 8, 2025:
Saturday (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Free science activities, creative workshops, information kiosks, fascinating interactive experiences, sky-watching and more:
The great stamp hunt, so you don't miss a thing at AstroFest
Make your own water rockets and launch them in the sky
Make your own pretty convincing meteorite out of plasticine
Build your own robot 'Mars-mobile' for a mission to the red planet
Saturday (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
Duo of lectures under the immersive dome
Physical characteristics of Mars with a surprise speaker, and A Little Visit to Mars (Ethical and social issues surrounding human flights to Mars, with Planétarium director Olivier Hernandez)
Saturday (9 p.m. to midnight)
Marshmallows, cocktails (for purchase) and stargazing through a telescope. Expect an evening of music around the fire, with DJ Vincent Lemieux
In case of bad weather, the DJ will give a musical performance inside the Chaos Theatre under projections of the night sky.
Saturday (9 a.m. to midnight) and Sunday (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
The ROUGE 2100 immersive exhibition is accessible free of charge throughout the AstroFest.
Shows are scheduled inside the Planétarium theatres throughout the AstroFest, although usual fees continue to apply to regular programming in the Planétarium theaters.
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