The 81st edition of the Montreal Auto Show welcomed its last visitors yesterday (Sunday), and today, organizers were celebrating, expressing satisfaction with this year’s attendance. Specifically, they confirmed that over 170,000 visitors visited the Palais des congrès de Montréal between January 16 and 25 to take a closer look at the new models for 2026.
Over 170,000 visitors attended the show this year
Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz made their grand return
Honda and Mazda were notably absent
What surely delighted the organizers is that the total number of visitors is the highest in three years. It’s worth remembering that before the pandemic, it was common to see reports announcing around 200,000 visitors to the show. With the scaled-down editions of recent years, attendance was lower, hovering around 150,000 people.
All of this is good news, because in recent years, the show was smaller and many enthusiasts had expressed disappointment. With a more substantial event this year and the announcement of the return of certain brands like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, there was a sense of returning to normalcy.
However, we must lament the absence of brands like Honda and Mazda, two manufacturers that are moreover very popular among Quebec consumers.
CAA Road Tests
It’s worth noting that the electric vehicle road tests offered in collaboration with CAA and Power Q proved popular once again. In total, 2,206 were completed, 372 more than in 2025.
An Overview of the Overlanding Zone at the 2026 Montreal Auto Show
While electric vehicle sales aren’t as strong as they were at the end of 2024, before the rebate reduction that took effect on January 1, 2025, we can see that enthusiasm for them remains strong.
Going Forward
The other good news concerns the show itself. Before the pandemic, we had begun to see smaller shows with fewer manufacturers, which didn’t bode well for the future.
For journalists and others who cover the automotive industry, that’s one thing, and it’s not dramatic. For visitors, it was sad to see. The general public is the one who truly benefits from auto shows, which offer the perfect opportunity to see most models on sale under one roof.
With a show that grew this year and a crowd that turned out in larger numbers, we have to talk about good news for the Montreal Auto Show. Its future hasn’t looked this promising in several years.
