Scandalous and Celebratory
When the Dominion Theatre was built in 1913, Montreal was not yet North America’s scandalous capital of fun. The movies shown here were silent and were accompanied by live orchestras playing for the crowds of up to 1,500 wide-eyed spectators who came to marvel at the new motion picture technology. By the 1930s, things were heating up in this hot town, and the Dominion was right at the heart of it all—opening its doors to the riotous burlesque trend that brought sexy new life to the stage of this old cinema. After a few more astonishing transformations—this building has even been a church at one point in its long and varied history—the heritage theatre returned to its roots in a new way when La Tulipe opened its doors.

Plateau Party
Today, La Tulipe seats 550 people or hosts up to 700 if all are standing for the show. With this capacity, it fills a gap in Montreal performance spaces, allowing popular performers from Quebec and around the world to give intimate and classy feeling shows to a good-sized crowd. In addition, La Tulipe’s management runs several other venues across town and represents a catalogue of major Quebecois stars like Ginette, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Jorane and Colectivo.

Living History
This monument feels rich with cinematic history. Sitting pretty on the corner of Mont-Royal and Papineau, La Tulipe has the opportunity to bridge languages and cultures, drawing music lovers from French, English and other ethnic communities. Let’s hope this living piece of history continues to contribute to the fun of Montreal's cold winters and its festival-packed summers for many years to come.