Opened in 1978 at 696 Sainte-Catherine Street West in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Club Super Sexe was one of the city’s most notorious and recognizable strip clubs. During an era when Montreal was famous for its anything-goes nightlife, Super Sexe became a fixture of the city’s adult entertainment scene, attracting locals, tourists, and curious passersby for nearly four decades. Located along one of Montreal’s busiest commercial streets, the club was especially famous for its enormous neon sign featuring three scantily clad women wearing black bikinis, high heels, and flowing red superhero capes. The larger-than-life figures towered over the sidewalk, making the building an unmistakable landmark and one of the most photographed pieces of sleazy neon Americana north of the border.
Inside, Super Sexe offered the usual lineup of exotic dancers, drinks, and adult entertainment, but it also developed something of a reputation for its free weekday buffet. Yes, you could stop by for a little afternoon entertainment and grab a bite to eat while you were at it. The club was a throwback to Montreal’s glory days as North America’s so-called Sin City, when burlesque theaters, strip joints, cabarets, and neon-lit nightclubs helped give the city its famously permissive reputation. While the surrounding downtown district gradually cleaned up its image and many of its old-school adult establishments disappeared, Super Sexe stubbornly remained, its wonderfully tacky façade serving as a reminder of a more colorful chapter in Montreal’s history.
After nearly 40 years in business, Super Sexe closed its doors in January 2017, leaving its legendary neon sign overlooking Sainte-Catherine Street. Despite discussions about preserving the landmark, the building remained vacant and deteriorated over the following years. On October 30, 2021, a devastating fire swept through the property, destroying the former club and its iconic façade. The loss marked the end of one of Montreal’s most recognizable nightlife landmarks and another disappearing piece of the city’s gloriously seedy past. For generations of Montrealers, Super Sexe was more than just a strip club; it was a familiar sight, a cultural curiosity, and a reminder of the days when downtown after dark was a little wilder, a little weirder, and considerably less concerned with being respectable.
