Montreal Events and Attractions in August 2018

The province of Quebec celebrates Archaeology Month in August, with nearly 50 places participating. Montreal history and archaeology museum Pointe-à-Callière typically proposes family-friendly archaeology quests for the occasion. Consult the Archaeology Month website for the whole lineup.

The Montreal First Peoples Festival, an event packed with film screenings and concerts, takes place August 7-15, 2018. Don't miss free shows at ​Place des Festivals nearly every evening during the week-long event.

Starting in August, Repercussion Theatre presents this year's Shakespeare-in-the-Park production of Romeo & Juliet: Love is Love, a contemporary take on Shakepeare's classic tragedy. You can catch a show in one of Montreal's beautiful parks until August 8, 2018.

For world cosplay action, Japanese singing competitions, and meetups with Japanese pop and anime industry guests of honor, catch Otakuthon August 3-5, 2018, at Palais des congrès.

Montreal Italian Week runs August 3-12, 2018. Fashion shows, live opera, car exhibits, and addictive food anchor this annual street fest, which holds the bulk of its activities in La Petite Patrie's Little Italy.

The Montreal World Triathlon runs August 25-26, 2018. You can watch for free along the race courses lining the Old Port and Old Montreal, or pay for a VIP seat in the grandstands.

Look for the Great Montreal Poutinefest July 31 through August 5, 2018, at the Jacques Quartier Quay at Old Port. Sample more than 20 styles of poutine with everything from foie gras poutine to meatball poutine to mac and cheese poutine, and wash it down with selections from the city's microbreweries. You can get in for free, but bring money to pay for poutine.

Occurring from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays in August, Piknic Electronik is an outdoor electronic music event held at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

EDM music fest ÎleSoniq runs August 10-11, 2018, at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Headliners for 2018 include The Chainsmokers, DJ Snake, Diplo, French Montana, and Steve Angello.

Dubbing itself the “underside of pride,” Pervers/Cité is “a collaboratively organized summer festival that aims to make links across social justice groups, queer communities, and radical visions of pride. In a climate of corporatized gay agendas and whitewashed homogeneity amongst queers, Pervers/cité strives to provide a critical and accessible schedule of activities, designed to bring back the radical underpinnings to the pride movement.” 

Catch Pervers/Cité's Trans March as well as several talks and meetups in Montreal August 10-19, 2018.

Montreal's Pride celebrations kick into gear August 9-19, 2018, with the annual Community Day event taking place on August 18 in the Gay Village's pedestrian zone and the Montreal Pride parade on August 19.

From August 10-12, 2018, La TOHU hosts FALLA, a family-friendly event that ends in fire. FALLA promotes artistic expression and diversity, and in the spirit of the carnival traditions of Valencia, Spain, burns an enormous collective art piece to symbolize rebirth and renewal.

Starting on August 29, 2018, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal presents OSM Classical Spree, which includes its annual roster of concerts in the park. The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal kicks off the event with a free performance of Scheherazade with Cirque Éloize at the Olympic Park.

An annual tradition at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal, Matsuri Japan Festival, a one-day outdoor event featuring martial arts demonstrations, dance performances, Taiko drummers, Japanese food, and more, takes place on August 11, 2018. Free admission.

Join hundreds of yoga enthusiasts for a ​group yoga session at the Old Port on August 18, 2018. The $44 to $130 admission fee includes a goody bag and a complimentary yoga mat. You must wear all white yoga clothing to participate.

Paris got the ball rolling in 1988. And then the infamous flash dinner party Dîner en Blanc spread to several cities around the world, Montreal included. 

In 2018, Montreal's Dîner en Blanc takes place on August 16. The location won't be revealed until the last minute.

From August 17-19, 2018, catch Jackalope at the Olympic Park Esplanade, a free extreme sports event featuring free climbing, slacklining, base jumping, longboarding, BMX racing, a water gun fight, and more. In 2017, skate legend Tony Hawk attended.

Montreal's annual Fashion and Design Festival prompts outdoor catwalk action and industry talks over the course of four days. In 2018, it runs August 20-25.

Formerly called Nuit Blanche sur Tableau Noir, Réappropriation Urbaine (RU) is a street fair, a sidewalk sale, and a live arts creation festival all wrapped into one and running August 23-26, 2018, on Avenue Mont-Royal.

Experience a rodeo and immerse yourself in country music, gourmet food stations, and bull riding from August 24-27, 2018, at the Old Port with NomadFest. Admission ranges from $10 to $75.

Featuring films from across the globe, in many cases being shown to the public for the first time, the Montreal World Film Festival runs August 23 through September 3, 2018.

August 17, 18, and 19, 2018, is the second annual All Asian Night Market featuring morsels from more than 15 participating restaurants as well as entertainment for all ages at Village au Pied-du-Courant. Free admission but food costs money.

Pointe-à-Callière's Public Market on Place Royale in Old Montreal is held the last weekend of August. In 2018, that's August 25 and 26.

Vendors sell authentic 18th century foodstuffs such as maple syrup, cider, cheese, and sausages, jams, and spruce beer. Games for kids, historical reenactments, and storytelling are usually part of the package.