Things to do in Montréal this August 2025

August festivals and unmissable events

Join the fun of Montréal’s famed summer festival season this month. Throughout the city, car-free pedestrian streets (including the BLVD Festival along Saint-Laurent Boulevard) are the place to be for outdoor festivals, dining, shopping and socializing. Keep your eye out for gourmet food trucks, too, especially at the First Fridays gathering at the Olympic Stadium every first Friday of the month!

One of the biggest outdoor musical festivals of summer, three-day festival Osheaga is an open-air party with The Killers, Glass Animals, Doechii, Tyler The Creator, The Chainsmokers, Olivia Rodriguez and many more stars and up-and-comers from August 1 to 3 in Parc Jean-Drapeau. 
The following weekend at Parc Jean-Drapeau, dance to the world’s biggest EDM sounds from Alesso to Black Tiger Sex Machine to Deep Dish to Sofi Tukker and more at ÎLESONIQ on August 9 and 10. Followed on August 15 and 16 by a bonanza of country music stars at LASSO Montréal with headliners Bailey Zimmerman, Sheryl Crow, Jelly Roll, Riley Green, Tucker Wetmore and more.

From August 8 to 10, help inaugurate the RISE Reggae Festival, a musical extravaganza at the Peel Basin that extends beyond reggae into dancehall, soca, reggaeton, afrobeat, konpa and zouk. Come dance!

Electronic music and digital creativity lovers will be awaiting MUTEK, running from August 19 to 24. Its 26th edition features over 80 performances in indoor and outdoor venues throughout Montréal’s entertainment district.

The city celebrates Fierté Montréal with flying colours until August 10: see beloved drag queens (including Ivy Queen, Iniko and Bimini), DJs and performers, join the non-stop feel-good atmosphere in the Village and at the Olympic Stadium, and catch the Pride Parade on Sunday, August 10, starting at 1 pm.

Electronic dance music takes over Parc Jean-Drapeau every weekend this summer

Otakuthon is the second-biggest anime convention in Canada, uniting cosplayers, manga fans and anime aficionados from far and wide to the Palais des congrès de Montréal from August 8 to 10. Check out the manga library, game room, talks and workshops by artists, and appearances by actors and anime industry experts.

August 8 to 10 is also when graffiti artists and street dancers gather at Place des Festivals for the annual celebration of Under Pressure, this time for its 30th edition. The festive street happening features live art, music and fun times for all ages, bringing together over 100 artists from around the world.

Annually in August Montrealers look forward to Orientalys, a festival at the Clock Tower Quai that celebrates Eastern cultures ranging from North Africa to China with food, shows, workshops and more from August 7 to 10.

Also at the Clock Tower Quay, AfroMonde Festival features African food, live music, modern and traditional dance, folktales, conferences, carnival parades, exhibits and more. Catch it from August 22 to 24.

Electronic dance music takes over Parc Jean-Drapeau every weekend this summer at Piknic Éléctronik, when the whole family can spend the day dancing, eating from food trucks and generally basking in the sun. Speaking of family-friendly activities, head to SOS Labyrinthein the Old Port to swing from the rafters — literally! The adventure sports site also puts on special activities throughout the season, including the popular Blackout nights every Thursday. 

Film lovers, convene with likeminded professionals at the Montréal Science Centre where from August 22 to 24 you’ll find the Montréal International Film Festival. Ranging in programming from shorts to feature length films by both early career filmmakers to masters, the event is conceived as an industry trade market and showcase of films that aim to enact global change.

Expect outlandish acts and large-scale amazement at the Cirque du Soleil’s latest show under the big top on the Old Port of Montréal, LUZIA. Let the amazement of Mexico wash over you before it ends on August 24.

Get an eyeful of far-out fashion in Place des Festivals during the celebratory 25th edition of Festival M.A.D., from August 21 to 24, when pop-up shops and catwalks take over and draw industry pros and style mavens alike.

Street dance is at its best at JOAT Festival, running from August 26 to September 1 at Place des Arts — from incredible dance arts to live music and live art, it’s all an ebullient scene not to be missed.

Summer attractions & tours

Find out what to do every day in Montréal (and throughout the province) on the Vitrinewebsite, or in person at their office at 2 Sainte-Catherine Street East in the heart of Place des Festivals. From plays to concerts to dance shows and beyond, it’s your go-to resource for cultural goings-on.

We hope you make yourself at home in Montréal’s incredible hotels — there’s an accommodation option for everyone, from landmark hotels to family friendly hotels and boutique hotels galore. 

In Old Montréal, walk the cobblestone streets to the St. Lawrence River and visit the iconic Notre-Dame Basilica — see the gorgeous multimedia AURA Experience, a wonderful way to feel the grandeur of this landmark.

Downtown holds one of the city’s most lovely churches, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, where you can admire the beautiful stained glass during services or during the regular organ concerts.

In the Old Port of Montréal, after snapping a selfie or three at the glimmering BONJOUR structure, see views of the city and the river from the Grand Quay of the Port of Montréal, where you’ll find a cruise ship dock, marine history displays, green spaces and a stunning attraction: the Port of Montréal Tower. Nearby, treat yourself to bird’s-eye views on La Grande Roue de Montréal observation wheel, where the four-season cabins are always the perfect temperature. Or boost your adrenaline while zipping over the water on the MTL Zipline, or on North America’s tallest urban bungee cord at Montréal Bungee.

Explore the river on boat tours with Navark, Croisières AML, Bateau-Mouche, and Petit Navire. For the adventurous, ride the river’s waves with Rafting Montréal, take jet-ski tours with Wet Set MTL or try jet boating on the Lachine Rapids!

Have a drink on the Esplanade Place Ville Marie, where the massive art installation The Ring glimmers above you. Or take a break for entertainment and a snack at Esplanade Tranquille at the corner of Clark and Sainte-Catherine Street and at Jardins Gamelin near Berri-UQÀM metro. 

Looking for a place to hang, where lazy days gazing at the sunflower field with friends turn into entertainment-filled evenings? Espace Louvain by Aire Commune in the Chabanel district of Ahuntsic is that kind of place: a warm-weather haven where something exciting like live music, dance parties and cultural fairs is always bound to happen.

One of the best ways to discover the city is with expert guides on Montréal tours: bundle up and set your own agenda with private walking tours at your own pace. See the city like a local with MTL Detours, take a day trip outside the city with N-Tours, call upon the experts at Guidatours, or take yourself on self-guided audio tours thanks to TourBird. For an unparalleled taste of the city, savour one of the expert 2 or 3 hour walking tours given by Local Montréal Food Tours — they range from Mile End to Old Montréal.

If you’re wondering why Montréal has so many colourful murals, hear more about them and their artists on a street art tour with Spade & Palacio, including the most recent murals from the last MURAL Festival. For an electric bike tour of the murals, look to Fitz Montréal — their comfortable cycling tours cover anything from downtown Montréal to Jean-Talon Market. 
You can also devise your own self-guided art tour (or follow one of their expertly curated ones) thanks to Art Public Montréal, a fountain of information on Montréal’s hundreds of public artworks that are viewable for free year-round. Explore their selection of podcasts, too, for the inside scoop.

Summer in the shops

Shop for some new summer style staples in Old Montréal’s boutiques, downtown along Sainte-Catherine Street and in the Underground City malls. The Centre Eaton de Montréal and Place Montréal Trust are full of the latest looks from the hottest shops, including Uniqlo, Nike, Aritza, Decathlon and many more boutiques (and remember to ask for a VIP Visitor Card at Guest Services for exclusive discounts only for tourists). 

Keep your eye out for items made by Montréal designers, relaxing self-care staples and plenty of sparkly goods from the coolest Montréal jewellery stores.

Find foodstuffs from local artisans as well as imported delicacies at Montréal’s public markets, and shop local and eco-friendly at the most fabulous vintage boutiques in the city. Pick out the perfect new books for friends and family from Montréal’s bookstores, and dive into a wide world of music at Montréal’s excellent vinyl stores.

Forgot to pick up souvenirs? Fear not, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) has got you covered. The focus on local goods in both the domestic and the international zones range from foods to goods, including scarves and bags from m0851, yoga gear from Lolë and novels by local authors. Start your foray at Découvrir Montréal. 

TO GET AROUND TOWN

To get where you’re going hassle-free, public transportation is the way to go. The STM has special offers on fares and a handy tool to plan your trip quickly and efficiently. You can also download the Transit and Chrono apps for up-to-the minute bus schedules. 

August art and exhibitions 

Summertime is alive in museums and galleries around town, so get the full low-down in our seasonal exhibition overview. 

See the world’s best and most moving news photography at the World Press Photo Exhibition, presented at Marché Bonsecours in Old Montréal starting on August 27.

Explore the art of globally acclaimed, Montréal-based artist Jana Sterbak in the admirably curated solo exhibition Corpus Insolite, happening until August 24 at the Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. Throughout her career, Sterbak has explored power, desire and the fragility of existence in works that often incorporate unconventional materials, so this pairing of her work with objects from the hospital museum’s own collection is particularly prescient and playful. 

At PHI, take in Lap-See Lam: Shadow Play, the artist’s first major exhibition, featuring 30 bold and subversive beaded sculptures. While there also catch Nico Williams: Bingo, two immersive installations inspired by Chinese folklore, where ancestral stories and myths come to life.

Visit the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts to enjoy Bad Girls Only until August 10, an exhibition of rarely seen works from the museum’s collection of early modern prints and drawings showcasing northern European depictions of “sinful” women. On view you’ll also find Berthe Weill, Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-garde and Worlds of Wonder: The Surrealist Journey of Alan Glass.

At the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal in Place Ville Marie, catch the exhibition Skyscrapers by the Roots, running until August 10. It explores the long life of late modernism in the field of architecture by bringing together a series of works created over the last decade by Shannon Bool, Kapwani Kiwanga, Rachel Rose and Jonathan Schouela, a new film installation by David Hartt, as well as works by Lynne Cohen and François Dallegret produced in the 1960s and 1970s.

Go to Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex in Old Montréal for their summer exhibition Knights, bringing these legendary figures back to life through an exceptional selection of objects, including the collection of European weaponry and armour from the Stibbert Museum in Florence, Italy. Also on view throughout the month, Building Montréal is a testament to the men and women who shaped the city, from the past to the present. Explore Montréal’s history in this astonishing exhibition that offers a uniquely captivating and engaging experience.

You’ll also be near the kid-friendly Montréal Science Centre, where you can explore interactive exhibitions that investigate the scientific world, like the permanent exhibition Human: a voyage to the very heart of human evolution through a fully interactive and highly energetic environment.

The McCord Stewart Museum bridges past and present in its exhibitions, which throughout the month of August include Pounding the Pavement, a fascinating look at the history of street photography in Montréal. Featuring over 400 photographs, the exhibition explores different facets of the street: as a public arena, a site of protest, an assertion of collective identity, an architectural environment, a setting for local culture, or simply a place where things — sometimes incredible things — happen.

Visit MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises, a cutting-edge museum dedicated to the voices of Montrealers presiding over the corner of Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Sainte-Catherine. During the summer you can catch A Mile in My Shoes, an exhibition by the Empathy Museum featuring a re-imagined shoe shop where every pair of shoes has a story to tell, relayed in an audio portrait of a significant moment in the life of the shoes’ owner.

At the Montréal Planétarium, tickets to any of the shows gets you access to Rouge 2100: A Martian Adventure, an exhibition running throughout the month that offers a journey in five chapters and as many rooms, where we realistically imagine the first steps of a rare humans in 2100 on the fascinating red planet. A fantastic world that also questions the place of humans in our universe and the fragile balance that must be maintained if all species are to prosper.

Travel back in time as you tour the rooms of Château Ramezay and visit historical site Château Dufresne near the Olympic Stadium.  

Not far from the city, climb aboard railway cars, learn about the history of the railroad and explore miniature railways at the Exporail the Canadian Railway Museum.

Discover the vivid history and present of Québec ceramics at the Musée des métiers d’arts du Québec. And for another slice of Québec history, visit Montréal’s stunning churches and sacred sites.

Experience a massive immersive art experience in surround-sound and laser light at OASIS Immersion, where Rolling Stone presents AMPLIFIED will take you on a wild rock’n’roll ride through some of music’s most magical moments. You can also see Root for Nature, which extrapolates on biodiversity in all its splendour.

Speaking of immersive experiences, the brand new Fabulous FAB Exhibition is an all-around trippy space spanning three floors in the Centre Eaton de Montréal, where you can experience no less that 20 extraordinary worlds. See it to believe it.

And don’t forget Montréal’s plethora of small, independent art galleries, from Bradley Ertaskiran to Hugues Charbonneau, Galerie B-312, SBC Gallery and Ellephant downtown, Oboro and MAI in the Plateau, Centre Clark and Dazibao in Mile End, Galerie d’Outremont in Outremont and many, many others in every neighbourhood.

Onstage in August

Montréal’s cultural calendar is packed this season, with entertainment for everyone on the city’s many stages. 

Among the world-class theatre, dance, opera, circus and more gracing the city’s stages throughout August, you’ll find Hamilton: yes, Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton! The epic saga of Alexander Hamilton, based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography, is finally coming to the Montréal stage at Place des Arts’ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, starting on August 19 and running into September. Set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education, and it’s our turn to see why. 

Don’t miss the fun-packed ABBA Celebration at Espace Saint-Denis: this dinner-and-a-show extravaganza features 13 talented musicians and dancers in a venue that you’ll see transform into a giant disco ball, as legendary hits sound one after the other. Catch it before August 31.

In the cultural centre of Montréal at Place des Arts, catch illusionist Luc Langevin throughout until August 31 at Théâtre Maisonneuve. 

Starting on August 31 at the Segal Centre, Big Stuff is a rip-roaring two-person play starring Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus that unpacks the emotional and absurd aspects of loss — from basement clutter to memories that linger.

Onscreen in August

An unmissable high point of the year for genre film fans, the Fantasia International Film Festival comes to big screens in the city until August 3. Discover unseen releases on the big screen in Montréal for the first time and expect the wonderfully weird.

Lovers of Asian cinema will get more to see this month with the Festival International du Cinéma Canada Chine, presented at Cinéma Impérial until August 10.

Convene with likeminded professionals at the Montréal Science Centre where from August 22 to 24 you’ll find the Montréal International Film Festival. Ranging in programming from shorts to feature length films by both early career filmmakers to masters, the event is conceived as an industry trade market and showcase of films that aim to enact global change.

Running until August 30, catch FREE outdoor screenings of interesting indie and local movies all over town thanks to the Cinéma sous les étoiles fest. Bring your own deck chair and snacks!

The Montréal Science Centre’s IMAX cinema puts nature on the giant screen in all its glory — this month you can see the incredible T. REX 3D: Greatest of all Tyrants throughout August, where you can discover the most gripping and scientifically accurate portrait ever made of this titan and its formidable carnivorous cousins. 

Film lovers who enjoy classical music will get a twofer at the month’s film soundtrack concerts at Place des Arts: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba In Concert on August 10 and Marvel Studios’ The Infinity Saga Concert Experience on August 15 and 16, both at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.

See independent features, family films, documentaries and more at Montréal’s indie cinemas including Cinéma Moderne, Cinéma du Parc, Cinéma du Musée at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, and the iconic Cinémathèque québécoise in the Quartier des Spectacles (the city’s entertainment district). 

Explore the city through cinema in these Hollywood movies made in Montréal.