Notre-Dame Basilica unveils its restored façade on October 25: an easy, free Sunday plan in Old Montreal

Verified: 2026-10-19. Dates, times and details below come from the basilica’s official website, Old Montreal’s merchants’ association and dated press. Check the official page before you go, since availability can change.

After ten years behind scaffolding, Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal is about to show its face again. The restored façade will be unveiled on Sunday, October 25, as The Canadian Press reported on October 10, with a free musical celebration to mark the occasion.

It’s one of those rare city moments that’s free, outdoors, easy to reach and happens exactly once. In other words, it’s a very easy plan to propose to someone.

What’s happening on Sunday

• When: Sunday, October 25, 2026, starting at 12:30 p.m. (official website).
• Where: Notre-Dame Basilica, 110 Notre-Dame Street West, Old Montreal.
• What: a free performance by the New World Philharmonic Society (Société philharmonique du Nouveau Monde), under the artistic direction of Maestro Michel Brousseau, with organist Jean-Willy Kunz. It starts outdoors and then continues inside the basilica. Old Montreal’s merchants’ association says more than 150 artists will take part (SDC Old Montreal).
• Tickets: the event is free, but tickets must be reserved online. According to The Canadian Press (Oct. 10), the seats inside were already fully booked, but people without tickets can still admire the restored façade and enjoy an open-air performance in front of the basilica before the concert moves inside.

The basilica describes the day as “an invitation to look up, come together, and rediscover this Montreal gem.” (official website)

A few things to look for

The work behind this unveiling is bigger than it looks from the sidewalk. Here’s what the basilica’s managers told The Canadian Press (Oct. 10):

• The stones used to build the basilica came from an old quarry in Mile End, according to Mathieu Verreault, the basilica’s director of tourism and operations.
• Years of freezing and thawing cracked the stone in several places, and all the masonry needs to be reinforced and restored throughout the building.
• Even with the façade done, only about 20 per cent of the necessary work has been completed, according to Michel Issa, general manager of the Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal. He estimates the full interior and exterior restoration at $100 million.

That gives you a ready-made conversation starter while you stand in front of it: “Did you know these stones came from Mile End?”

Why this works as a plan

This part is our take, not a study. An outdoor unveiling takes most of the pressure off meeting up:

• It’s free. Nobody has to worry about the bill.
• There’s something to look at. You’re side by side watching a performance and a façade, so silences feel natural.
• It’s in public and easy to leave. You can stay for one piece of music or for the whole afternoon.
• It happens once. “Want to see Notre-Dame’s new façade on Sunday?” is easier to say yes to than “we should hang out sometime.”

A small plan for Sunday, in four steps

1. Check the official page first. Look at the basilica’s website for the latest on tickets and timing before you invite anyone.
2. Send one specific invite. “I’m going to see Notre-Dame’s new façade on Sunday at 12:30, want to come? Coffee after if you’re up for it.” beats a vague “let’s do something this weekend.”
3. Add a short “after.” Plan 20 to 30 minutes for a coffee or a walk through Old Montreal once the outdoor part wraps up. That’s where the real conversation happens, and it’s short enough that nobody feels stuck. The basilica recently opened its own café, Le Firmament, operated by Café Saint-Henri; part of its profits go to the restoration (official website). Check its hours that day before counting on it.
4. Dress for the weather. The first part is outdoors in late October, so bring a warm layer.

Can’t make Sunday?

The façade isn’t going anywhere, so a walk to see it later works too. And if you’d rather go in the evening, the basilica says that until October 31, showing an STM transit fare gets you 15% off the AURA light-and-sound experience, to celebrate the Montreal métro’s 60th anniversary. The discount applies only to tickets bought on site at the box office, subject to availability (official website).

Going alone works too

An outdoor concert is one of the easiest things to attend solo. If you’d like it to be a little more social, tell one or two people where you’ll be standing: “I’ll be in front of Notre-Dame around 12:30 on Sunday, come say hi if you’re around.” If nobody shows up, you still got a free concert and a new view of a Montreal landmark.

Where ImIn fits in

ImIn is an iOS app for discovering, creating and joining in-person activities near you, starting in Montreal. You could post a plan like “Notre-Dame façade unveiling + coffee after in Old Montreal” with a date, time and meeting point, so others can join, or join plans other people have created. To be clear: the unveiling is an idea for your week; it only shows up in ImIn if someone creates a plan for it. ImIn doesn’t guarantee new friends; it just makes it easier to turn an idea into a real date on the calendar.

This week’s small step: invite one person to see Notre-Dame’s restored façade on Sunday, October 25, or open the plan up on ImIn.

Want to create or join a local plan? Discover ImIn or get the app on the App Store.

Sources: The Canadian Press (translated by CityNews), “Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica to unveil new facade,” October 10, 2026; Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal, official website, consulted October 19, 2026; SDC Old Montreal, “Rediscover Notre-Dame” event page, consulted October 19, 2026.