In Montréal, Grand Prix weekend is always a very special time of year. It's when you really feel that winter is behind us: the days get longer, patios fill up, and the city hums with the roar of engines.
This year, Bell GPCanada, the promoter of the Formula 1 Lenovo Grand Prix du Canada, is rolling out a project it has been developing for several years: turning the race weekend into a full-scale celebration, running alongside the competition at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
While motor racing remains the soul of the experience, a new format adds a high-profile music program. The new concept, called CGV Experience, combines daytime racing at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve with evening concerts in the same area, on a section of Jean-Doré Beach at Parc Jean-Drapeau, from May 22 to 24.
“We have been working on this idea for several years,” explains Sandrine Garneau, COO Brand & Strategy for the Canadian Grand Prix. The goal, she says, is to fully integrate music into the overall Grand Prix experience, in line with what is already happening at other stops on the championship calendar. “We wanted programming that reflects the local reality of Montréal and what F1 is aiming to become as a cultural platform.”
Concretely, CGV Experience offers a single ticket that grants access to general admission at the circuit and to a dedicated beachside area. The experience is built around live race broadcasts on giant screens as well as concerts, in an environment designed to host audiences over extended hours. The site includes a curated food offering, dedicated rest areas, and bar service.
When the sun goes down, the format truly shifts gears.
Each day, the music program takes over directly on site. Friday opens with Matt Lang and Simple Plan, Saturday follows with Dean Brody and Bryan Adams, while Sunday features The Beaches and Alessia Cara. A deliberately Canadian lineup, fully embraced by Sandrine Garneau: “For this first year, we wanted a strong local identity, with artists who resonate with audiences here.”
The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix weekend also expands on the sporting side, with the addition of F2, the return of F1 Academy, alongside F1 and the first-ever sprint race in Montréal.
The increased focus on music also reflects a shift in the F1 audience. Driven in part by the success of Drive to Survive, the event now attracts a younger, more diverse crowd that is less exclusively focused on racing. Culture as a whole is becoming as important an entry point as the race itself. “Montréal is already a city of festivals, food and music. It was natural that this would be reflected in our approach to the Grand Prix,” says Sandrine Garneau. With capacity limited to around 10,000 people for the CGV Concerts area, the experience is intentionally kept intimate.
To help our readers experience the Grand Prix at its fullest, Rolling Stone Canada is partnering with CGV Experience to offer a chance to experience this new format from the inside. We will be giving away tickets to the CGV Experience VIP Lounge on Sunday May 24, as well as access to a meet and greet with Toronto pop star Alessia Cara, the headliner of that day’s music lineup.
To get tickets for CGV Experience, visit the official website.
