Will he slam Donald Trump? Will he sing, or drop a mic?
Expectations were running high in Montreal ahead of this evening's speech by former U.S. president Barack Obama.
"I just want to hear his thoughts on the current state of the world," said Suzanne George, who was one of the first to arrive at the Palais des Congrés convention centre.
Some 6,000 people managed to secure tickets to today's event, Obama's first speech in Canada since stepping down in January.
He is scheduled to deliver a 30-minute speech around 5:40 p.m. ET. He will then take part in a question-and-answer session with Sophie Brochu, the president and CEO of the Quebec energy provider Gaz Métro.
Ticketholders were asked to arrive early, several hours before Obama takes the stage, in order to go through extensive security checks.
Along with thousands of Obama fans, the speech is attracting a number of politicians, both active and retired.
Premier @phcouillard on what it means to have @BarackObama here. #Obamamtl pic.twitter.com/45NL2OgLCc
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@sarahleavittcbc
Yolande James, Quebec's first black cabinet minister and self-described Obama "super fan," was seen in line. So too was former premier Jean Charest.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre is expected to be in attendance along with a number of provincial cabinet ministers.
"I expect him to talk about the environment, trade," Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said as he made his way into the convention centre.
"One of the most important geo-political relationships in the world is the Canada-U.S. relationship," the premier added. "It has to remain strong and friendly. That's probably something he's going to be talking about."
Speech comes at 'opportune time'
The event's organizer, the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, has given Obama carte blanche as far as the topic of his speech goes. No one knows precisely what he'll talk about.
But in a briefing with journalists ahead of the speech, Michel LeBlanc, the chamber's president, said Brochu's questions will focus on issues like the environment and geopolitics.
Former U.S. president Barack Obama is expected to begin speaking in Montreal around 5:40 p.m. ET. (Sarah Leavitt/CBC)
In recent speeches, Obama hasn't hesitated to deliver pointed, if subtle, jabs at his successor, Donald Trump.
Close to 70,000 people turned out to see Obama speak at an outdoor event in Berlin last month. He told the crowd: "We can't hide behind a wall" — a pointed reference to both the Cold War barrier that divided the German capital and Trump's controversial proposal for a wall at the southern U.S. border.
LeBlanc noted that Obama's speech comes at "very opportune time" given Trump's recent decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.
How much does an Obama speech cost?
The lecture circuit can be lucrative for former presidents. Obama will reportedly received $400,000 US, according to the New York Times, for speaking at a health-care conference hosted by a Wall Street firm this fall.
The Montreal Chamber of Commerce has declined to say how much the former president is being paid for today's speech.
Tickets ranged in price from $57 to $373 and sold out in less than a half hour.
Leblanc said that Obama was probably attracted to Montreal because he embodies what minorities can do, just like French Quebecers in Canada
CBC Montreal will have full coverage of Barack Obama's speech later today. The event will be live streamed on our website and on our Facebook page beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.
We will also live blog the event.