Friday's your green light — Jazz Fest is live, Cirque's under the tent.

It's Friday, the real start of your weekend kicks tonight, and you've got the light till nearly 9 PM—that's close to 16 hours of daylight. Seventeen degrees means you'll want a layer in your bag, but nothing heavy. UV's sitting at 5.0, so if you're outside for stretches, sunscreen's smart. Mostly cloudy keeps the heat down; there's drizzle around, but nothing that'll wreck your evening plans.

Heads up on the roads: the Honoré Mercier Bridge is closing one lane each direction starting July 17 through early August, so file that away for your planning—nothing today, but good to know. If you're crossing the Jacques-Cartier, there's a police investigation into a suspicious death near the bridge; no major delays flagged, just be aware.

On the harder stuff—Gatineau's dealing with its third homicide after a June assault, and closer to home, there's still 2,100-plus households scrambling to land housing before July 1 hits. Real pressure on people right now.

On the lighter side, Brendan Gallagher just got named an honorary citizen of Montreal, which is solid. And Dunkin' Donuts is coming back to Canada—Montreal's in the first wave of openings, so that's a thing if you've got nostalgia for it. Worth noting: Chinatown picked up a $5K hit for health violations, so think twice if you've got a regular spot there, and if you're hunting the best Montreal sandwich or hot dog, there's good intel floating around if you want to chase it down.

For tonight, you're spoiled. Jazz Fest is in full swing—Diana Krall's on the bill if that's your thing. Cirque du Soleil's Echo is running under the big top down at the Old Port at 4 PM, and if you're into electronic, Four Tet's at Parc Jean-Drapeau same time. Pink Floyd tributes are happening at Le Dome at 5:30 if you want to sit in a room and lose yourself for a couple hours. Everything's covered from the drizzle, so weather's not the excuse.

If you're into sports, the Montreal Alliance host the Niagara River Lions tonight at Verdun Auditorium, 7:30 tip.

Weather-wise, you're golden for being outside most of the day, and the drizzle won't kill your evening if you pick the right spot. Get out, catch some live music, grab something good to eat—this is the night the city starts breathing a little easier into the weekend.

Stay warm, stay dry. See you out there.