August is Lisbon at full heat. The days are long and golden, the beaches fill up, and locals often leave for the countryside. This means that the city center, while still busy with visitors, takes on a slightly slower, more relaxed pace than in July. However, the calendar certainly doesn’t slow down! Between a world-class jazz festival, one of the most eclectic music festivals in Europe, and an incredible David Guetta concert, there’s plenty to keep you busy all month long, regardless of when exactly you plan to visit it!
Before we discuss more details, keep in mind that August is the hottest month of the year in Lisbon. Temperatures regularly hit 30°C or above, so make sure to wear sunscreen at all times, drink water, and, if possible, avoid walking around the city between 10 am and 4 pm. The smart move is to front-load mornings with sightseeing, take a long lunch somewhere shaded, and save energy for the evening when the city cools down and comes back to life.
As such, here are the 8 of the best events in Lisbon in August 2026. Enjoy!
1. MEO Kalorama
When: August 28-30
Where: Parque da Bela Vista, Av. Alm. Gago Coutinho
How much: 65 EUR 1-day pass; 160 EUR 3-day pass
The festival that closes out the European summer season returns to Parque da Bela Vista, and the lineup is the strongest yet.
The program is split clearly by day. August 28 brings Robbie Williams headlining the MEO Stage alongside Grace Jones, Interpol, MARO, and Anna von Hausswolff. August 29 is headlined by Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Black Star. August 30 closes the festival with Deftones, Turnstile, Clipse, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, Peaches, and Wednesday.
2. Jazz em Agosto
When: July 31-August 9
Where: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Av. de Berna 45A
How much: Varies by event
Now in its 42nd edition, Jazz em Agosto is one of the most awaited events on Lisbon’s annual calendar. Under artistic director Rui Neves, this is a contemporary, experimental, and frequently confrontational festival that presents 14 concerts held in the Grande Auditório, Auditório 2, and the open-air amphitheatre in the Gulbenkian gardens.
The 2026 concert list includes German pianist Joachim Kühn opening with a rare solo set, Portuguese duo David Maranha & Rodrigo Amado on electric organ and tenor saxophone, the quartet Canyon (Sylvie Courvoisier, Lester St. Louis, Joe Morris, Jerome Deupree), Fred Moten & Brandon Lopez, Shardik, SML, Chicago Underground Duo, Anna Webber, and the Paris-based Bonbon Flamme featuring guitarist Luís Lopes.
Besides the incredible lineup, let’s not forget the setting, which is undoubtedly part of why so many people have already marked their calendars: open-air concerts held in the amphitheatre in the Gulbenkian gardens on a warm August night! A true delight!
3. Somersby Out Jazz
When: Every Sunday in August
Where: Parque Urbano do Jamor, Praça da Maratona
How much: Free!
Lisbon’s free Sunday concert series moves to Parque Urbano do Jamor for August, a riverside park just west of the city, about 15 minutes from Cais do Sodré by train.
The format stays the same: jazz, soul, funk, and hip-hop from 5 pm until sunset, entirely free, entirely outdoors. Bring a blanket, pack something to eat, and settle in for a couple of hours of music as the light fades over the Tagus.
4. Candlelight Concerts
When: Various dates throughout August
Where: Altis Grand Hotel (R. Castilho 11, 1269-072 Lisboa) and EPIC SANA Marquês Hotel (Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo, Pç do Marquês de Pombal 8, 1069-310 Lisboa)
How much: From 21 EUR
The Candlelight series runs year-round in Lisbon. August brings some of its most popular programs. Here are the concerts you can attend this month:
- August 1: Disney Love Songs
- August 8: Queen vs. The Beatles, Coldplay & Imagine Dragons
- August 14: The best of ABBA; Tribute to Pink Floyd
- August 28: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons; Queen vs. The Beatles
The format is ideal for a night when you want something beautiful and contained: about 60 minutes of live music in a candlelit hotel ballroom! An intimate, elegant, and memorable atmosphere for a night out by yourself, with a friend, or with your family.
5. Open-Air Cinema
When: Throughout the month
Where: Igreja da Graça (Largo da Graça 94), Palácio do Grilo (Calçada do Duque de Lafões 1), Quinta Mira Rio (R. do Joinal 2825, Caparica)
How much: 15 EUR
The open-air cinema menu for August is filled with options for everyone! Here are the films you can watch in Lisbon in August (in some of the city’s best locations!):
- August 4: In The Mood For Love
- August 5: When Harry Met Sally
- August 6: La La Land, Drive
- August 7: Grease
- August 8: No Country For Old Men
- August 9: The Breakfast Club
- August 12: American Psycho
- August 13: Reservoir Dogs
- August 14: Sinners
- August 18: Before Sunrise
- August 19: (500) Days of Summer
- August 20: Pride and Prejudice, Dirty Dancing
- August 21: Jurassic Park
- August 22: Bridget Jones’s Diary
- August 23: Toy Story
- August 26: The Talented Mr. Ripley
- August 28: Eyes Wide Shut
Another open-air cinema festival you can check out is the Cine Society, which offers daily screenings around Lisbon. You can see the full program here.
6. David Guetta, The Monolith Tour
When: August 2
Where: Parque Papa Francisco, Loures
How much: From 75 EUR
David Guetta returns to Portugal for what’s being billed as the most ambitious show of his career.
The Monolith is built around a colossal central LED structure (the monolith itself, actually) that functions simultaneously as a stage set and visual anchor. And let’s not forget about the 3D mapping, synchronized lighting, and a continuous audiovisual narrative designed for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The set combines Guetta’s global hits with his more recent Future Rave universe, featuring more techno-oriented music. The show runs six hours, starting from 5 pm, so come prepared.
7. Operafest Lisboa & Oeiras
When: August 5-15 (Lisbon and Oeiras)
Where: Convento da Cartuxa, Caxias; Âmbito Cultural El Corte Inglés; Teatro de Pesquisa
How much: Varies by events
Now in its 7th edition under the theme “Enigma,” Operafest is the “out-of-the-box” opera festival held in quite unexpected venues, including an 18th-century convent!
The 2026 edition opens in Oeiras at the Cloisters of Cartuxa Convent with Puccini’s Turandot (August 5-9), marking the opera’s centenary and starring Russian soprano Olesya Golovneva, directed by Daniela Kerck.
August 14-15 returns to the same venue for Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. On August 15, you can attend the Masterclass Olesya Golovneva in Lisbon, at Teatro de Pesquisa. If you’re still in Lisbon in September, you can also book your calendar for Anátema, which celebrates the Portuguese writer Camilo Castelo Branco at the Lisbon Museum Roman Theatre.
8. Teatro Anatómico – Exposição no Coliseu dos Recreios
When: August 6-29
Where: Coliseu dos Recreios, R. das Portas de Santo Antão 96
How much: 8 EUR
One of the most original exhibition concepts in Lisbon this summer takes over the grand interior of the Coliseu dos Recreios for the entire month!
Teatro Anatómico brings together the historical archive of the Lisbon Faculty of Medicine, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, and a group of contemporary artists. The exhibition explores the crossover between art, the body, science, and ecology under the concept of “One Health.”
The exhibition is co-curated by bioartist Marta de Menezes and Manuel Valente Alves, an expert in medical history. All in all, it’s a rare chance to see the Coliseu in an entirely different light!
