Travel Blog

2 Aug

Things to Do in Montreal: August 2-8

osheaga music festival

The outdoor days continue in Montreal as August begins to slow the pace of the city down – but there’s still plenty to do: Place des Festivals and Parc Lafontaine host live music; the Old Port hosts dance parties; gourmet food trucks are out in full force across the city; the world’s best tennis players are here; film and theatre abounds; and there’s plenty to rock out to after Osheaga…

(live music) Massive music and arts festival Osheaga, whose lineup is stacked with great Montreal bands, rocks the daytime hours all weekend, while the Osheaga Official After Parties take over the Corona Theatre each night, with Rich Aucoin covering Daft Punk and DJ sets by Diamond Rings, Azari III, Hot Chip and more.

osheaga music festival mont

Also on August 2, electro-dance the night away with Rone, Jimmy Edgar and Machinedrum at the SAT and Baauer Friends at New City Gas. Another awesome option for the weekend: the MEG festival of pop and electronic music, with affordable shows around town and a night-time boat cruise on August 3. On August 6, Backstreet Boys are back with a new album and the dance moves to go with it, at the Bell Centre. On August 7, sway to the electro-pop-rock of Wild Cub at Divan Orange, or hear the Orchestre de la Francophonie go electro at the SAT. On August 8, help a town in the aftermath of tragedy at Benefit Concert For Lac-Mégantic, with music by Sam Roberts Band, Planet Smashers and more on August 8 at Club Soda. Also on Thursday, tap in to the melodic RB and hip hop of Australian’s Hiatus Kaiyote at Petit Campus, and listen to the sweet sounds of locals Blue Hawaii and D’Eon at Cabaret Playhouse.

(cultural abundance) Montreal’s First People’s Festival takes over Place des Festivals downtown this weekend, with food, music, dance and more. The festival joins music festival MEG for the major outdoor show Électrochoczaps on August 2, featuring Inuit throat singing music from composer Katia Makdissi-Warren, hip hop and reggae from Innu artist Shauit, and dance music from Montreal electronic musician and DJ Poirier and Martinique-Haiti-Montreal collective Sous le Ground. On August 3, watch the Nuestramericana friendship parade at Place des Festivals, while in the evening Quebec musician Richard Desjardins plays an intimate show called L’Existoire ultime, at Club Soda. Meanwhile, at Parc Lafontaine this weekend, Haiti on Fire! celebrates Haitian culture in its many forms, with live music, food kiosks, workshops and an art marketplace: see Black Parents play their mix of kompa and reggae music on Friday night and Haitian folkloric percussion ensemble Chaynanm on Saturday night.

(outdoor action) Montreal’s fleet of gourmet food trucks heads to the esplanade outside Olympic Stadium on August 3 for the monthly First Fridays event – eat, drink and participate in activities for the whole family, including the Mini Rogers Cup, tournament for young tennis hopefuls, coinciding with the summer’s biggest tennis event, the Rogers Cup at Uniprix Stadium: watch the world’s top male tennis pros face off August 2-11. Meanwhile, stay satiated and healthy as six food trucks and a fruit vendor park downtown at Place Émilie-Gamelin on August 8, with live music courtesy of the M pour Montréal festival. And on August 7-8 at Peace Park next to the SAT, grab some gourmet barbeque and watch short films under the stars. And Saturday night marks the grand finale of the L’International des Feux Loto-Québec fireworks competition, held at La Ronde on Parc Jean-Drapeau, with excellent views from the Old Port.

Divers Cite 2013

(big gay fun) One of the biggest parties of the summer happens this weekend at Divers/Cité, an LGBT-and-friends event at Quai Jacques Cartier in the Old Port of Montréal. On August 2, hit the Clock Tower beach for a dance party in the sand, and kick it up a notch on August 3 and 4 at the festival’s biggest shows: the Sunset Party and La Grande Danse, with DJs David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Hector Romero, and more, plus North America’s largest drag show, Mascara on August 3.

Festival Mode et Design Montreal Fantomes Jean Charles de Castelbajac

(street fashion) The 13th edition of Montreal’s Festival Mode Design walks the runway outdoors on McGill-College Avenue downtown until August 3. Over 50 fashion shows, events hosted by guest of honour French artist Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, an outdoor bar and restaurant, and
live music from Plastik Patrik, UN, Jef Barbara, and more. The festival culminates on August 3 in 10 p.m. performance of Mutations by Geneviève Borne, a concept show of fashion, rock n’ roll and imaginings of a robotic future.

(screen stage) See rare and long-awaited international premiers of horror, suspense, Asian and art-house films at the Fantasia International Film Festival, to August 7. Among the many films, see Japanese time-travel comedy Thermae Romae, the latest in the horror series The Curse of Chucky, Josh Johnson’s documentary on the VHS tape, Rewind This!, Caradog James’ sci-fi film The Machine, Edgar Wright’s The End of the World, and much more. The program also includes  a live theatrical production of Clive Barker play The History of the Devil, on stage at Place des Arts’ Cinquieme Salle to August 3.

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TourismeMontreal/~3/ITeI7N0LtZI/