Well, July flew by. Summer in Montreal is too short. Even with all of the festivals, park events and nature activities, somehow August always creeps up on us, and we realize we’d better start savouring every moment of summer now. Luckily, my list of Montreal activities with kids for August 2026 is chock-full of opportunities to enjoy the season.

National Bank Open – August 1-13

The men are coming to Montreal for this year’s tennis tournament taking place at Stade IGA. While the tennis matches will certainly be the highlight, the tournament also offers lots of family friendly activities. August 1-2 will feature the Family Weekend with a slew of events including tickets starting at $20, a ball hockey tournament with NHL and PWHL players, a K-pop performance, family yoga, a giant lego wall, face painting and more.

Shakespeare in the Park – August 1-15

Grab a picnic and a blanket and head to the park to see Repercussion Theatre’s summer version of The Winter’s Tale. Through the beginning of the month, evening performances will be taking place in various neighbourhoods including: The Plateau, NDG, CSL, DDO, Montreal West and Westmount. Entry is by donation.

Lumiere St Michel – August 7-9

TOHU is celebrating the 4th edition of this light festival, kicking off with a 2km and a 6km run/walk with participants dressed in colourful 1980s outfits. Saturday is the actual lantern parade and Sunday features circus workshops and performances. Best of all, it’s all free!

First Peoples’ International Festival – August 4-14

This 36th annual festival will be taking place at and around Place des Festivals with concerts, movies, exhibitions and activities. There will be an archaeology day, a giant puppet parade, a skateboard painting workshop, traditional music and dance, and much more. The majority of events are free of charge.

Italfest – August 7-16

Didn’t get to Italy this summer? Celebrate locally at this annual festival bringing the best of Italian food, music, fashion, cars and more. While you may not get tickets to specific shows, head to little Italy to experience the culture, and stay for the Gelato pop up!

Orientalys Festival – August 13-16

This festival is a true journey to the Orient, with multiple countries being featured, from Japan to Turkey to Libya to Cambodia. Taking place in the Old Port quays, the festival will feature culture, music and food from the region. Some highlights include calligraphy workshops in various languages, baladi dancing performances, drumming and more. Free entry.

The Lion King – August 19 – September 6

Montreal gets another dose of Broadway as this hit musical comes to Place des Arts. The Tony-award winning Disney production will have various daytime and evening showings. Tickets start at $64.

18th Century Market – August 29-30

A back to school time staple, the Pointe à Callière museum hosts this annual market bringing visitors back to the times of New France. Visit for free and discover craftspeople from markets of the era, traditional games, an introduction to fencing, traditional music, songs, stories and more.