Quick Read
- Radio-Canada’s ‘Bye Bye 2025’ airs its 50th edition on New Year’s Eve.
- The show debuts a new creative team and cast, replacing longtime director Simon-Olivier Fecteau.
- Quebec’s New Year’s festivities take place in record cold, with outdoor and indoor celebrations.
As the clock ticks down on 2025, Quebec prepares to bid farewell to the year with a flurry of events—and a blast of Arctic air. While city squares and festivals across Montreal and Quebec City gear up for spectacular New Year’s celebrations, one tradition remains a fixture inside millions of homes: Radio-Canada’s annual ‘Bye Bye’ comedy revue.
This year, revelers braving the cold—temperatures dipping to -12°C in Montreal and a biting -15°C in Quebec City, according to Environment Canada—face what meteorologists say could be the chilliest New Year’s Eve since 2018. Yet the spirit of festivity persists, with organizers banking on lively programming to draw crowds outdoors and indoors alike.
In Montreal’s Old Port, festivities ignite at 7:30 p.m. with the Tupi Collective spinning their signature DJ sets. The energy escalates at Quai Jacques-Cartier as Qualité Motel takes the stage at 9 p.m., followed by a star-studded medley featuring Patrick Watson, Klô Pelgag, Pierre Kwenders, and Sarahmée from 10:30 p.m. onward. As midnight strikes, fireworks pierce the icy sky, and the party continues until 2 a.m. For those staying late, extended metro and REM services promise a safe trip home, a small comfort against the winter’s bite.
Meanwhile, Quebec City hosts the final night of the Toboggan Festival, offering a blend of family-friendly entertainment and live music. Classic films like ‘Paw Patrol: The Movie’ and ‘Paddington 2’ roll out at Place George-V, while concerts by La Déferlance and Jérôme 50 set the tone for the evening. Later, Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale becomes the hub of excitement, with performances by Yuki B / Virginie B, Anabel Englund, and Frank Walker leading up to a midnight fireworks show.
Indoors, the Videotron Centre in Quebec City promises a ‘Party des fêtes’ led by rocker Éric Lapointe, joined by a lineup of Quebec music stars. Yet for many, New Year’s Eve means gathering around the TV for the familiar wit and satire of Radio-Canada’s ‘Bye Bye’.
This year marks a milestone: the 50th edition of ‘Bye Bye’. After nine years, director Simon-Olivier Fecteau passes the torch to a fresh team—Jean-François Chagnon, Alec Pronovost, Pascal L’Heureux, and Isabelle Garneau—charged with reinventing a show that’s become a barometer of Quebec’s pop culture and political climate. On screen, Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais returns as the sole veteran among a main cast full of newcomers: Stéphane Rousseau, Anne Dorval, Antoine Bertrand, Katherine Levac, Virginie Fortin, Patrick Emmanuel Abellard, and Sinem Kara.
The stakes are high. ‘Bye Bye’ is more than a comedy special—it’s an annual ritual, dissecting the past year with biting sketches and clever parodies. This 50th edition, with its new creative team, is watched with anticipation: Will the show preserve its unique satirical edge, or chart a new direction reflecting Quebec’s evolving sensibilities?
Elsewhere on the dial, Radio-Canada’s New Year’s programming includes ‘En direct du jour de l’An’ at 7 p.m., ‘Infoman 2025’ at 9:30 p.m., and ‘Bye Bye 2025’ at 11 p.m., cementing its place as the heartbeat of Canadian television on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, rival channel Noovo tries something new, airing the ‘Pestacle de fin d’année’ at 6:30 p.m.—a family-oriented retrospective featuring the popular child stars of Quebec Milk Producers commercials.
For many Quebecers, the choice between braving the frost for fireworks or cozying up indoors for satire is a yearly dilemma. But as the curtain falls on 2025, it’s clear that the traditions—old and new, outdoor and televised—continue to define the province’s unique approach to celebration, resilience, and reflection.
With ‘Bye Bye 2025’ embracing a new direction for its 50th edition, Radio-Canada signals its readiness to adapt and innovate, even as it honors a half-century of cultural commentary. The show’s evolution reflects not only changing tastes but a broader shift in Quebec’s identity, demonstrating that tradition and transformation can coexist—especially when the world is watching.
Sources: CTV News, The Canadian Press