MONTREAL 1976: AN OLYMPIC FEAT

Temporary exhibition

March 27 - September 13, 2026

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, the Museum presents an unprecedented retrospective on this event that marked the city’s history and redefined its image. Featuring an outstanding array of objects, documents, works on paper (posters, archives, editorial cartoons and photographs), collectibles, videos, clothing and accessories, Montreal 1976: An Olympic Feat focuses on the organization behind this hugely successful milestone event. Visitors learn about the many challenges that arose during the run-up to the Games—a veritable race against time—as well as the rich urban, architectural and sports legacy the Games left behind. This project is part of the official programming to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Olympic Games.

Christian Vachon, Curator, Documentary Art, Director, Collections Management and the curator of the exhibition stated:

“By highlighting exclusive objects and archives from our collections, the exhibition gives voice to the people who shaped the experience and image of the 1976 Montreal Games. Fashion designers, graphic designers, poster artists, architects, photographers and editorial cartoonists were all involved in promoting sports. Together, these artists, in an incredible burst of creativity, built on the success of Expo 67 to cement Montreal’s arrival as a world-class city. Although the Olympic adventure also involved less pleasant memories of mismanagement and debt, the exhibition aims to rekindle the pride Montrealers felt when they welcomed the world.”

Anne Eschapasse, President Chief Executive Officer, elaborated:

“The last global event organized in Montreal, the Olympic Games were a truly exceptional undertaking, plagued with difficulties and yet hugely successful. Given its mission to promote our stories and heritage along with its remarkable collections, it was only natural that the McCord Stewart Museum pay tribute to the visionaries, builders and creatives who joined forces to create a memorable experience for both athletes and the public and showcase the city’s vibrant energy. I’d like to thank our many public and private partners who have worked together, fifty years later, to recreate the excitement, exuberance and joy associated with this event.”

Culture as a central tenet of the Olympic ideal

In keeping with the Olympic ideal revived by Pierre de Coubertin, the city of Montreal was transformed into a buzzing cultural metropolis during the Games. Visitors were greeted by extensive cultural programming in the streets, parks and theatres of every area in the city. The exhibition demonstrates how preparing for the 1976 Games turned Montreal into a veritable laboratory of identity, social and urban design. An impressive selection of items drawn from the Museum’s archives chronicles the design process and subsequent international recognition of the Montreal 1976 logo, the wide range of communications produced for the Games, and the bold architecture of the Olympic Stadium, the Velodrome and the Olympic Village, all of which have become iconic structures in the city.

Olympic challenges

In Montreal 1976: An Olympic Feat, visitors learn about the challenges and tensions that arose in the lead-up to the Games. These include Mayor Drapeau’s “Olympic clean-up” campaign—harassment of homosexual communities, arrests of homeless people, the removal of public posters and the dismantlement of the Corridart exhibition—as well as the geopolitical instability of the era, illustrated by the deployment of 18,000 security personnel during the Games, the boycott led by a majority of African nations, and Canada’s refusal to allow Taiwan to compete.

Let the Games begin!

The exhibition shines a light—and the colours of the rainbow!—on the ways in which the Games left a lasting impression on the collective memory. From Nadia Comăneci to Caitlyn Jenner, then competing as Bruce Jenner, Montreal 1976: An Olympic Feat presents the achievements of sports personalities who have become icons, along with those of lesser-known athletes. Thanks to previously unpublished photographs from the Museum’s La Presse fonds and videos from the archives of CBC/Radio-Canada, visitors will discover the charisma, performances and Olympic values of these remarkable figures.

This vibrantly staged area of the exhibition also showcases Olympic fashion, presenting the collaborative work of a team of four renowned Montreal designers. The 15 official uniforms on display demonstrate the functional approach taken, where colour is used to identify the various categories of Olympic personnel. Finally, there is a section devoted to the lasting legacy of the 1976 Games: infrastructure that has helped foster new high-level athletes and raise the nation’s awareness of the importance of supporting amateur sport.

Family Activity – Complete an Olympic challenge

The exhibition includes a fun-filled interactive tour that invites children ages 6 to 12 and the adults accompanying them to help the city of Montreal fulfill its dream of hosting the Olympic Games. Challenges and puzzles are sprinkled throughout the exhibition, leading participants straight to victory—and the podium for a souvenir photo!

Beyond the Games: Montreal’s Olympic Story – Virtual exhibition

To complement the Museum’s physical exhibition, Beyond the Games: Montreal’s Olympic Story will go online in July 2026. Designed for young people ages 12 to 17 years, this virtual exhibition will offer an accessible, engaging look at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games: their bold visual identity, architectural innovations, the challenges that arose during the run-up to the Games and, of course, the athletic performances that captivated the world. Featuring exclusive content, this virtual exhibition will showcase the defining moments of a major event in Canada’s Olympic history.

This project was made possible thanks to the support of Digital Museums Canada