Évenement
Come and let yourself be amazed by puppets both large and small, and as impressive as they are fascinating!
” Dreamed by Billy Walsh and brought to life by a creative and dedicated team, the 14th edition of the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue unfolds in full splendor this year!
With 41 free performances throughout the festival, storytelling hours offered by the BAnQ and a photo exhibition to be discovered right on the street, we’re reaching the “height of our ambitions” milestone by democratizing and making the art of puppetry accessible to all!
We’re delighted to welcome 15 companies from Quebec, France and Italy! Join us on the street, in the parks, in your neighbours’ backyards, at the Anglicane and presbytery grounds! “ – Myriame Larose, Programming Director
EVENT HOURS
Friday, August 22: 6:45-8pm (soft opening)
Saturday, August 23: 9:30am-5pm
Sunday, August 24: 9:30am-5pm
Download the FEST app now, the must-have tool for maximizing your festival experience! Be sure to follow Marionnettes Plein la rue to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
GETTING THERE
The Marionnettes Plein la rue festival takes place at various locations on Promenade Wellington in Verdun. Here's how to get there!
🟢 BY METRO - De l'Église station, Wellington exit (green line)
🚌 BY BUS - Lines 12, 37, 38, 71, 61 and 350
🚴 BY BIKE OR BIXI - Several bike paths and BIXI stations nearby. On-street bicycle parking available.
🚗 BY CAR SHARE - Many parking spaces nearby, including the Éthel multi-storey car park with 260 spaces. (4000 Ethel Street, accessible via De l'Église Street)
♿️ ACCESSIBILITY - Several parking lots and drop-off points around the street for people with reduced mobility.
More than 40 free performances by local and international companies await you, for the enjoyment of young and old alike.
These open-air theatrical experiences will amaze, delight and thrill the whole family!
Let yourself be carried away by the poetry, humor and inventiveness of our puppeteers!
Contest/poll winner: Sandra Plourde
Stage 1 - Presbytery park of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs Church
Stationary performance
What could be more astonishing than that, from a world of plastic bags, fun, colorful creatures are born that transform at will!
They fill up, they empty out, they fly, they eat each other, they get bored... In short, they exist.
Little by little, they reveal their nature to us - they're naïve, they're funny, and they're a little like us... maybe. Staying true to its artistic approach, Puzzle Théâtre once again brings you an unusual puppet show, full of color, humor and unexpected situations.
Age: 5 +
Running time: 40 minutes
Stage 3 - In front of the Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs church
Stationary performance
Giulio, a curious, greedy dog, and Fabiola, a mischievous little girl with a strong temperament, come to life in a musical, amusing and sophisticated string show.
The illusion is perfect, and they move with impressive expressivity, their every gesture and facial feature animated by an ingenious string system. Their interaction with the audience is as surprising as it is natural.
Age: All ages
Running time: 30-45 minutes
Stage 6 - Grounds of the Church of the Epiphany (4322 Wellington)
Story time
Literary and puppetry activity proposed by BAnQ and Noë Cropsal, master puppeteer.
Come and listen to Noë's favourite stories. Gathered from her last twenty years of reading, these funny, touching and wacky stories will fill your ears and your eyes.
For children aged 3 to 6 and their parents.
Duration : 1 hour
Departure A - Galt / Wellington Corner
Roving performance
Erra, inspired by magic realism, invites the audience on a dreamlike journey where puppets and humans meet in a festive spirit!
Guided by something intangible, Erra's seven puppets reveal their societal dynamics in a playful, poetic stroll.
Combining the power of visual storytelling and symbolism, Erra takes us into a parallel universe where Ginka, Waykarü, Les Kakous and Les Triplets de Nullpa can be found.
Age: All ages
Running time: 40 minutes
Departure B - Corner Gordon/Wellington
Performance
The sorceress is a great lady of mystery, a friend to animals, plants, rocks and other such creatures, always on the lookout for the missing ingredient in her potions and magical concoctions.
Can you help her find them?
Age: All ages
Running time: 30 minutes
Stage 4 - Ici Pneu Touchette stage (3736 Wellington)
Stationary performance
« Le cœur d’Alceste est un oiseau
Tout rouge, à vif
Qui tremble, qui tremble
De peine de peur et de colère. »
Hurt by her friend Philinte, impressed by the radiant Célimène, Alceste wants to run away. Away from the others, away from the noise, somewhere in the night. Alceste prefers night to day. It's gentler, calmer, and she's alone. The storm in her head blows less loudly. So she lets her little bird-heart fly away, lighty and dreamily.
Three hearts will reveal themselves in intimacy, once we trust each other enough to be vulnerable and reveal the hidden part of ourselves.
Age: 3 to 8
Running time: 35 minutes
Stage 7 - The Bus (5000 Wellington)
Stationary performance
CAMINANDO & AVLANDO retraces the journey of a woman, Jeanne Nadjari, whose love for her cousin Henri saved her from the concentration camps during the Second World War.
Despite a life punctuated by exile, this miraculous woman always went straight ahead, in search of that welcoming land, a country that would be hers. The one, she said, where her family would live in peace.
Presented by Quai 5160 - Maison de la culture de Verdun.
Age: 8 +
Running time: 55 minutes
*Limited seating. Reservations required online starting Friday, August 22 at 5 p.m.
Stage 1 - Presbytery park of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs Church
Stationary performance
It's the story of the emperor who wanted to hear the nightingale sing,
Of the minister who wanted to sleep,
Of a young girl who wanted to help them,
Of a band conductor who wanted to lead,
Of the fishermen who loved to hear the nightingale sing.
This story is a free adaptation of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale into a puppet show for the whole family.
Age: 5-11
Running time: 40 minutes
Departure A - Galt / Wellington Corner
Roving performance
I was dreaming of travel and when I woke up, I was locked behind these gates. I've been incarcerated, even though I'm travel incarnate...
I have thousands of journeys in my head, exotic scenes, perfumes, tastes, images...
I've lived a thousand lives to get here! In front of these curious people who look at me and throw anything at me, I have to leave, now and as quickly as possible.
I've got to live the way I've always lived: free.
Age: All ages
Running time: 45 mins
Stage 6 - Grounds of the Church of the Epiphany (4322 Wellington)
Workshop
Come and learn how to sew by hand. We will be making a felt finger puppet.
The activity will be based on a book from the Grande Bibliothèque collection and led by Noë Cropsal.
Age: 6-13
Duration: Continuous between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Stage 5 - Basement of the Church of the Epiphany (indoor)
Stationary performance
Les souvenirs du sable is a tale of the depths of grief and the strength of children, the story of a little girl named Alma, who must navigate through the waves that shake her inner world.
Back on the islands of her birth, Alma recalls moments spent with her father, swallowed up by the wind and the sea. In her inner storm, she searches for the key to her treasure, her lost relationship, her vanished happiness. With the help of her allies (a handkerchief-mother, a fairy-aunt who brews magic potions and an old sea dog with ocean eyes), Alma gradually rebuilds the fabulous garden she carries within her.
Les souvenirs du sable is a stage adaptation of the children's book by Marie-Andrée Arsenault.
Age: All ages
Running time: 40 minutes
Departures: 1pm, 2pm and 3pm
*Limited places, first come, first served. Passes available at the info booth (near Galt/Wellington). Target audience: ages 10 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Limit of 4 passes per person.
The short form evokes different moments in our lives - moments whose meaning changes over time, or according to the gaze of the beholder.
Through it, we feel the presence of invisible lives behind walls and windows, yet all around us.
La Table is a simple short form, carried by the simplicity of paper theater, which reveals both our flexibility and our fragility.
Lucie lives in a block of flats, surrounded by neighbors. They live side by side without seeing each other, and have to deal with their Fil, sometimes inside, sometimes outside, some more tamed than others.
Elno experiences unbearable pressure at work every day. He is harassed́ by his employer. He can't even sleep anymore, his existence has become unbearable.
He decides to call on a company specializing in dream support (unparalleled sleep), in order to regain sleep and balance.
The process followed by the two company employees goes smoothly at first, but a grain of sand throws a wrench into the well-oiled machine.
The two employees lose control of their accompaniment cycle during the night with Elno, and everything is turned upside down...
We realize that they too are under pressure from their superiors... Awareness is instantaneous, as it is shared by all three protagonists.
Stage 1 - Presbytery park of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs Church
Stationary performance
A garden is like a friendship: you have to nurture it.
Caro Carotte wants to thank her rabbit friend for inspiring her to create her garden.
A scooter in a vegetable garden, he's sure to love it!
But can taste be cultivated? What happens if the rabbit says “I don't like it”?
Age: 2-7
Running time: 35 minutes
Stage 2 - In front of the presbytary | Corner of Galt and Wellington Streets
Puppet-making workshop
As part of the Marionnettes Plein la rue festival, children are invited to take a moment to create their own little man in motion.
Inspired by automaton-making techniques, participants will assemble a small box containing a simple mechanism that moves their character's legs.
This fun activity allows everyone to let their creativity run wild as they color and personalize their character, while discovering how to generate movement with a few basic materials. Children will leave with their own creation!
Age: 5 +
Running time: 20 minutes
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Stage 6 - Grounds of the Church of the Epiphany (4322 Wellington)
Story time
Literary and puppetry activity proposed by BAnQ and Noë Cropsal, master puppeteer.
Come and listen to Noë's favourite stories. Gathered from her last twenty years of reading, these funny, touching and wacky stories will fill your ears and your eyes.
For children aged 3 to 6 and their parents.
Departure A - Galt / Wellington Corner
Roving performance
Erra, inspired by magic realism, invites the audience on a dreamlike journey where puppets and humans meet in a festive spirit!
Guided by something intangible, Erra's seven puppets reveal their societal dynamics in a playful, poetic stroll.
Combining the power of visual storytelling and symbolism, Erra takes us into a parallel universe where Ginka, Waykarü, Les Kakous and Les Triplets de Nullpa can be found.
Age: All ages
Running time: 40 minutes
Stage 8 - Billy Stage (4019 Wellington)
Stationary performance
Giulio, a curious, greedy dog, and Fabiola, a mischievous little girl with a strong temperament, come to life in a musical, amusing and sophisticated string show.
The illusion is perfect, and they move with impressive expressivity, their every gesture and facial feature animated by an ingenious string system. Their interaction with the audience is as surprising as it is natural.
Age: All ages
Running time: 30-45 minutes
Stage 7 - The Bus (5000 Wellington)
Stationary performance
CAMINANDO & AVLANDO retraces the journey of a woman, Jeanne Nadjari, whose love for her cousin Henri saved her from the concentration camps during the Second World War.
Despite a life punctuated by exile, this miraculous woman always went straight ahead, in search of that welcoming land, a country that would be hers. The one, she said, where her family would live in peace.
Presented by Quai 5160 - Maison de la culture de Verdun.
Age: 8 +
Running time: 55 minutes
*Limited seating. Reservations required online starting Saturday, August 23 at 5 p.m.
TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 23rd! Click on link below.
Stage 3 - In front of the Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs church
Stationary performance
This aquatic celebration for young and older alike leaves no one high and dry! Dive into the adventures of three aquanaut clowns! From a long-forgotten land still reigns a group of water protectors. These funny adventurers are on a mission to map the earth's waters. But everything is compromised by a leak in their main reservoir.
The panic-stricken trio come up with torrents of solutions, each more ineffective than the last, and let themselves be carried away by the current of their imaginations...
From laughter to laughter, Aquaphonie is a whimsical clownish street theater show on a serious subject: the protection of natural resources in the face of their disappearance.
Age: All ages
Running time: 40 minutes
Stage 4 - Ici Pneu Touchette stage (3736 Wellington)
Stationary performance
Interactive paper theater show for kindergarteners. Children get to choose which puppet-characters are used.
Make heartbreaking choices... Who will be the villain? What's in our story?
Tales in which you are the hero. You'll be in charge of the show. Get ready, storyteller, and let's all decide!
Age: 5 +
Running time: 45 minutes
Departure A - Galt / Wellington Corner
Roving performance
I was dreaming of travel and when I woke up, I was locked behind these gates. I've been incarcerated, even though I'm travel incarnate...
I have thousands of journeys in my head, exotic scenes, perfumes, tastes, images...
I've lived a thousand lives to get here! In front of these curious people who look at me and throw anything at me, I have to leave, now and as quickly as possible.
I've got to live the way I've always lived: free.
Age: All ages
Running time: 45 mins
Stage 6 - Grounds of the Church of the Epiphany (4322 Wellington)
Stationary performance
We put the same question to 10 designers from different backgrounds: What is their vision of the world in 25 years' time? What will humanity be like? What will our relationship with nature, technology and others have become? Then we asked them to enclose these visions of the future in small mystery boxes.
In the public space, 6 strange boxes play out a secret story. 6 parallel universes await you, one by one, to knead your ideas, enchant your eyes and open the floodgates of communication.
Theater in a box, able to communicate its reflections one spectator at a time. An intimate vision, a sharing of our souls with your eyes on our current concerns and aspirations for the future.
Age : All ages
Running time: 40 minutes
The story behind the inspiration
This year, the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue joins forces once again with the Association québécoise des marionnettistes (AQM) to highlight the breadth of puppet creations in Quebec.
With this photo exhibition, we’d like to share the stories of those who inspire! People whose lives are sometimes “unusual” and whose extraordinary ideas move and touch some artists so strongly that they become the primary inspiration for their creations.
Discover a glimpse into their world through the vision and performances of AQM member companies from Quebec.
8 portraits of inspiration!
ONGOING ON PROMENADE WELLINGTON
Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24, 2025
Near 3710 Wellington (corner of Regina / Wellington)
Synthèse Additive
Between performances, come and make your own Imagicario puppet with the collaboration of local shops! 🖐✨
This year, we are offering self-service craft stations for a simple, creative workshop that is accessible to everyone. Perfect for a little creative break with the kids!
You can make a simple puppet with a few basic materials and take your creation home with you.
Find them in front of:
📍 Chez Robin – 3819 Wellington
📍 Ballet Hop! – 3984 Wellington
📍 Benelux – 4026 Wellington
📍 Desjardins info kiosk – Corner of Galt and Wellington
📍 Studio Tre Punti – 5047 Wellington
🗓 Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24
⏱ According to the opening hours of each establishment
What kind of shows can I expect when I come to the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue?
The mission of the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue is to offer the widest possible range of puppet creations, in terms of the types and sizes of puppets, the forms of the shows, and the origins and experience of the artists. A multitude of propositions are offered to you, dare the tiny as well as the giant and the poetic as well as the playful. This year, we’re opening up our horizons!
How do I get to the site?
As the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue takes place on Promenade Wellington, the site is accessible in several ways. To reduce your environmental footprint, we recommend active or public transportation:
🟢 BY METRO – De l’Église station (Green line)
🚌 BY BUS – Lines 12, 37, 38, 71, 61 and 350
🚲 BY BIKE OR BIXI – Bike path along the waterfront and rue de Verdun. Several BIXI stations nearby and nearby bike parking.
🚗 BY CARSHARING – Many parking spaces nearby, including the 260-space Éthel parking garage. For a parking map, click here.
ACCESSIBILITY – Several street-side parking lots and drop-offs for people with reduced mobility.
Where can I consult the program, schedule and locations of the shows?
Everything can be found on the event page of our website in the “Outdoor programming” section. Once on site, visit the information booth at the corner of Galt and Wellington for more information or check the boards near the metro stations et differents stages.
Alternatively, you can download the FEST app, where you can have all the information at your fingertips and see in real time where the shows are taking place.
It’s free and super-easy to use. We recommend it!
Is there a charge for shows?
All the shows are free this year!
Is it possible to reserve a seat for a show in advance?
Most shows are first-come, first-served.
We recommend that you arrive a little early to make sure you have a seat, as capacity is sometimes limited.
Only two activities require a reservation or a free pass:
- Parcours chez l’habitant (Saturday, August 23): Pass to be picked up at the info booth. Details to follow.
- Caminando & Avlando – Ubus Théâtre (Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24). Electronic tickets. Details to follow.
Are there toilets on site?
Yes, there are two toilets on the corner of Wellington and De L’Église, including one for people with reduced mobility. A toilet is also available in the Jack le Coq parking lot at 4501 Wellington (corner of Willibrord).
Will there be food and drink stalls?
The great thing about holding a festival on Promenade Wellington is that there’s a wide range of cafés and restaurants nearby! Don’t hesitate to quench your thirst and have a bite to eat at one of our merchants.
Fancy seeing a street performance from one of the Well’s many terraces? Refer to the program and our terrace guide to find one nearby.
Can I bring my dog on site?
Dogs must be on a leash. Please note that the show is expected to be very crowded, so if your pet is not comfortable in crowds, it may be best to leave it at home!
Are shows postponed in case of rain?
As much as possible, all shows are maintained, depending on the intensity of the weather and the type of show. If a show has to be postponed or shifted, you’ll be notified via the mobile app, our social networks and Facebook event.
Final pro tips:
- Be on time! Out of respect for the artists, some performances will no longer be accessible once the show has started.
- Be eco-friendly: bring your own reusable water bottle. Street vendors will be happy to fill them for you.
- Plan your visit in advance! Since there is a lot of shows at different locations on the street, we highly recommend you fix a schedule beforehand of what you’d like to see in order to maximise your experience!
If you have any further questions or queries on site, please refer to the info booth at the corner of Galt and Wellington (near the statue).
Alternatively, write to us at info@promenadewellington.com.
SITE MAP
As the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue approaches, we’re looking for available and motivated volunteers to help us with the event from Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24, 2025.
Would you like to join our dream team for a weekend? Fill in the form below!
We look forward to meeting and working with you!
Come help us out!
Welcome visitors to the site, inform them about the festival and its program, and help them get to the shows.
Ensure that the festival runs smoothly at all times, assisting and filling in at all the various posts, as well as managing a few small side tasks to help the team (e.g. monitoring equipment, directing the crowd, etc.).
Welcome artists, help unload and move equipment to the stage. Help artists set up their stage, welcome spectators, make sure everything runs smoothly while the show is in progress (noise, disturbance) and supervise their equipment between performances.
Collect answer for the festival satisfaction survey.
Assist the kitchen manager at Headquarters and ensure cleanliness and welcome in the area.
Compensation
- Meals (Saturday and Sunday), snacks and coffee provided
- Access to HQ (staff toilets)
- Great encounters
- Certificate of participation available on request
- A summery, festive and pleasant outdoor atmosphere!
- Help promote puppetry culture and art in the community.
Ready to join the fun?
Thanks to our partners
The Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue is presented by
Thanks to our partners
