Free things to do this summer in Montréal
Outdoor Summer Culture, arts and heritage Festivals and events Leisure activities, nature and relaxation Museums and Culture
In a city that puts on a free show with lights, art, music and street performances most days of the year right in the centre of town, it’s always easy to find something amazing to do. Whether it’s the gratis public programming of one of Montréal’s famous festivals or more niche community events, there’s no need to spend to have fun. Consider this your guide to a free good time this summer.
A bon-vivant’s paradise
The free-est and most popular thing to do in Montréal with locals is walking. The city has garnered accolades for how walkable it is, and with dozens of lovely neighbourhoods that are easily accessible and connected, it’s a cinch to get out there and see the sights. For literal sites of note, a scenic walk along the Old Port of Montréal boardwalk is a great place to start — you’ll be next to the St. Lawrence River with views of the city, the iconic Habitat 67 and the Biosphère, plus you can make a stop at the famous BONJOUR Structure for that requisite selfie.
Continue on through Old Montréal towards Downtown to see the iconic Place Ville Marie and The Ring, not to mention Esplanade Tranquille and its beautiful 7,000 square foot rooftop garden. Chinatown and its cool gates are a next logical destination.
From verdant views, there’s nothing quite like the Kondiaronk Belvedere at the top of Mount Royal. Stroll around the two ponds at Parc La Fontaine (you might even catch a free show at Théâtre de Verdure!) and escape the city entirely in beautiful Parc Jean-Drapeau, where cyclists can ride around the pro Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve race track, home of the F1 Grand Prix in June, at no cost. While you’re on the island check out the free and petite botanical garden Jardin des Floralies, a local secret.
Speaking of gardens and parks, the Governor’s Garden — the green space behind the Old Port’s historic Château Ramesay museum — is free of access and makes for a quaint lunchtime pit-stop. For a longer trek, head north to Parc Frédéric-Back and the very beautiful Parc-nature de l’Île-de-la-Visitation.
If the weather does you dirty, it’s simple: head below ground to the Underground City, a 32 km long pedestrian network right downtown that’s packed with window-shopping, people-watching and public art to take in.
The best things in life are in Montréal — and they’re free!
Festivals for FREE
As the HQ for Montréal’s countless festivals, Quartier des Spectacles and its Place des Festivals in the heart of downtown is a go-to spot year-round for free entertainment. You’re pretty much guaranteed to get an eyeful, especially with the well over 100 free activities, exhibitions and experiences planned for the summer months. From interactive art installations to innovative performances and tons of live music, the Quartier des Spectacles has something for everyone at any time.
Among the events lighting up Quartier des Spectacles this summer there’s the Francos de Montréal in mid-June, a celebration of French-language music from around the world. In late June and early July, the mega Festival International de Jazz de Montréal turns up the heat in the whole area with dozens and dozens of free live concerts. Festival International Nuits d’Afrique offers tons of free world music concerts as well, from mid to late July, and the International First Peoples’ Festival presents lots of free Indigenous culture and creativity from Canada and around the world during the first two weeks of August.
The M.A.D Festival brings fashion, fashion, fashion to the area in late August, with free street animations and an open-air catwalk. La Virée classique presented by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal offers dozens of completely free classical music concerts throughout August.
In other neighbourhoods, festivals also shine bright: MURAL draws the best out of the city’s street art with free live mural painting and live music along Saint-Laurent Boulevard in the Plateau from early to mid-June.
Get an eyeful of colours at Holi - Festival of colours, at the Quai de l’Horloge in the Old Port in mid-June, a two-day festival featuring a rainbow of colourful powders sprinkled everywhere. The event also features yoga workshops, traditional Indian dances and live music fusing traditional Indian sounds and contemporary beats.
L’International des Feux Loto-Québec is a fireworks festival happening weekly from June to August that’s really expensive to attend officially, but its fantastic, festive colours can be appreciated freely from all sorts of viewpoints throughout the city.
From early to mid-July, MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE shows why Montréal is dubbed Circus City — and it’s not just because Cirque du Soleil grew up here. The streets will be filled with free programming full of acrobatics and jaw-dropping feats.
Pride is free to celebrate by all, and in Montréal that comes with a spectacular Fierté Montréal parade and an extended party throughout the Village, at Quartier des Spectacles and on the Olympic Park esplanade, throughout late July and early August.
Community fun for all
Check out the city’s pedestrian-only streets throughout the city this summer, from Wellington Street in Verdun to Avenue Duluth and Mont-Royal Avenue on the Plateau, where you’ll find open-air dining, impromptu entertainment and a host of other activities.
In the Village, the festival Mtl en Arts turns the pedestrian stretch of Sainte-Catherine Street E. into an open-air art gallery where can peruse all the art you like for free while soaking up a celebratory vibe. On the Main, the street closure to cars also turns into a party during BLVD Festival, a playful, family-friendly paradise featuring giant games, installations on every corner and a treasure hunt.
Around June 24, it’s the Québec’s national holiday, Fête nationale de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and the city lights up with free block parties, community gatherings and a huge downtown concert fiesta for all, for free.
Discover summer markets and pop-up entertainment throughout the city, including urban oases like the Old Port’s Marché des Éclusiers, Village au Pied-du-Courant and POP Montréal’s Marché des Possibles on the weekends, with live music, kid-friendly free activities, local food and drink.
On Sundays, head to Mount-Royal Park to add the festive gathering of the Tam-Tams to your reasons to love the mountain. The foot of the hill, all around the George-Étienne Cartier statue, turns into a free percussion spectacle as hundreds of Montrealers gather to make or enjoy music, dance, peruse knick-knacks and enjoy street food.
The city’s public markets may sway you to spend bucks with their beguiling produce, cheese and baked goodies, but they’re free to visit, at least! And they’re a feast for the eyes, especially the most famous, Atwater Market and Jean-Talon Market.
Each summer, Repercussion Theatre presents their free Shakespeare in the Park programming, featuring one of the Bard’s best plays performed live and for free in parks throughout the city. Bring your lawn chair and a picnic!
Free movie showings also pop up all over the city in the warm months, including the recurring Cinema-Parc Dante event throughout July, in Little Italy’s Parc Dante.
there’s no need to spend to have fun.
Art, art everywhere
May is synonymous with museums, so visit as many as you can! Among the museums to visit there’s the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (currently at Place Ville Marie), the McCord Stewart Museum, the Canadian Centre for Architecture and more. Be sure to book your tickets ahead of time.
Put a spring in your step by following Art Public Montréal’s itineraries for art-focused walking tours, from larger-than-life sculptures in Old Montréal to multi-storey murals. Some come with free podcasts, too, packed with extra insider info.
While exploring public art, stop by Place des Arts to see Orb, a four-metre-wide spherical sculpture perched atop a body of water, created by Spanish street artist Spy. And nearby at the Place Ville Marie Esplanade, The Ring, by award-winning landscape architects Claude Cormier + Associés, is a must for selfie-loving art fans.
Make a visit to the always-free admission PHI a priority when in Old Montréal to see expertly curated solo and group exhibitions of contemporary art by acclaimed international and local artists.
Discover more galleries and artist-run centres by gallery-hopping throughout the city, including the five floors packed with contemporary art spaces in downtown’s Belgo building (home to the Galerie Hugues Charbonneau, SKOL and more).
Visit downtown’s Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Galerie de l'UQÀM, Ellephant,Artexte and VOX, as well as Saint-Henri’s Bradley Ertaskiran and Griffintown’s Arsenal and Blouin-Division. In the Plateau and Mile End, go to Oboro, Galerie Simon Blais, Centre Clark, Dazibao and Optica, and in Little Italy you’ll find GalerieERGA.
Isa Tousignant
Isa Tousignant is an editor and storyteller with a curiosity that runs deeper than most. She has chatted life philosophies with celebrity chefs, gemologists, arena rockers and furries. (All were transformative.) Her favourite things include discovering new flavours and celebrating the creativity that defines her hometown, Montréal.