Weekend Events & Activities in and around Victoria
Weekend events and activities in Victoria, including free, fun family & kids’ activities, live music, theatre & performing arts, sports, and exhibitions: Friday, July 31 – Monday, August 3, 2026.
I. Family & Kids Activities
Parksville Beach Festival
Known to locals as Beachfest, this 5½ week-long family-oriented festival runs from mid-July to the third week in August and includes: the Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition & Exhibition, Tim Hortons free Summer Concert Series, daily buskers, an artisan market, and a special weekend evening light up of the sculptures. Details
Exhibition | July 13 – August 16, 2026 | 9:30 AM – 8:30 PM
Parksville Community Park & Beach, 193 Island Highway East, Parksville
$5 Suggested Donation
Visit Victoria Bug Zoo
See the amazing world of insects, arachnids, and their many-legged relatives. Details
Weekday | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Weekend | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Victoria Bug Zoo, 631 Courtney St, Victoria
Regular Admission $8 – $18; Child Ages 4 & Under is Free
Victoria Butterfly Gardens
Victoria Butterfly Gardens offers a unique opportunity for people of all ages to experience the beauty and curiosity of a tropical jungle up close. Details
Monday – Wednesday | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday – Sunday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Victoria Butterfly Gardens, 1461 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay
Regular Admission $9.50 – $20; Ages 0 -4 is Free
Kidsdays
The BC Forest Discovery Centre celebrates kids this BC Day long weekend for 3 fun-filled days for families in and visiting the Cowichan Region. Train rides, entertainment, imagination station, and activities for the kids, prize draws, our almost famous BBQ, mini donuts, and a great educational experience, are only a few reasons for kids of all ages to come out to the event. Details
August 1 – 3, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
BC Forest Discovery Centre, 2892 Drinkwater Road, Duncan
$20 for Adults, $18 for Seniors/Youth; $14 for Children from 3 years to 12 years, Children 2 years and under are Free
II. Live Music
Tim Hortons Summer Concert Series
Enjoy free concerts every Friday and Saturday evening. Details
July 31 – August 1, 2026 | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
July 31 | Mid Island Blues Allstars (Blues)
August 1 | Maxwell Smart (Classic Rock)
Parksville Outdoor Theatre in the Community Park, 193 Island Highway East, Parksville
Free
Summer Entertainment at The Butchart Gardens
Take in a live performance at the outdoor stage on the Concert Lawn. Details
Friday, July 31, 2026 | 8:00 PM | John Reischman & The Jaybirds
Saturday, August 1, 2026 | 6:45 PM |Mostly Motown
Saturday, August 1, 2026 | 9:45 PM | Fireworks
Sunday, August 2, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Chris Millington
The Butchart Gardens, 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay
Regular Admission
Garden City Electronic Music Society’s Ambient Chillout
This event features live performances of ambient music by Manuel Chantre (Montreal), JenLi (Bali, Indonesia), and local acts Soft Error and Zügellos. Details
Monday, August 3, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Banfield Park, 521 Craigflower Road, Victoria
Free
Sunfest Country Music Festival
Featuring country’s biggest stars, exciting up-and-comers and local & regional favourites, Laketown Ranch is set to come alive this BC Day long weekend! Tyler Hubbard, Jon Pardi, Riley Green, Hannah MacFarland, Nate Smith, Tyler Joe Miller & many more. Details
July 30 – August 2, 2026
Laketown Amphitheatre, 8811 Youbou Road, Lake Cowichan
The Pit Stop Weekend Pass: $532.70
Lookout Lounge Weekend Pass $720.95
The Lawn Weekend Pass $438.20
Pepsi Pit Weekend Pass $448.70
Hillside Weekend Pass $77.43 – $343.70
VIP Weekend Pass $920.45
Thursday Kick-off Party Pass $120.35
Symphony in the Summer Festival
Join us for a multi-day summer music festival around some of Victoria’s most beautiful locations. Details
July 30 – August 9, 2026
Beethoven Symphony No. 8 | Thursday, July 30 | 7:30 PM @ Christ Church Cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave
Mozart Violin Concerto No. 1 & Dvořák Czech Suite | Saturday, August 1 | 7:30 PM @ Christ Church Cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave
Symphony Story Time: Effie the Singing Elephant | Sunday, August 2 | 10:00 AM & 11:30 AM @ Wingate Studio, Baumann Centre, 925 Balmoral Rd
Various locations, Victoria
Free and ticketed events
III. Live Theatre
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Travel to the glamorous French Riviera for the ruthlessly funny Tony-nominated musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, inspired by the hit 1988 film! A small-time con man and a successful swindler wage a side-splitting battle of wits to dupe an American heiress! Who will win the big bet? Recommended for ages 13+. Details
June 11 – August 23, 2026
Friday, July 31 | 8:00 PM
Saturday, August 1 | 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday, August 2 | 2:00 PM
Chemainus Theatre, 9737 Chemainus Road, Chemainus
$24 – $85
Parliament Past and Present Travelling Plays
This summer, join the Parliamentary Players on an award-winning interactive theatrical experience that takes visitors around the outdoor grounds of the Legislative Assembly and even back through time! The Travelling Plays are a perfect complement to your guided tour of the Parliament Buildings, so plan to include this as part of your visit. Details
Thursday to Monday
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, 501 Belleville Street
Free
IV. Sports
Pacific FC
vs. FC Supra. Details
Friday, July 31, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Starlight Stadium, Victoria
Tickets starting at $25
V. Exhibitions, Festivals & Other Events
Fireworks at The Butchart Gardens
Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy our world-class fireworks show with your friends and family. Each show features original aerial and ground displays choreographed to music and designed by Jennie Butchart’s great-grandson Christopher Ross. Details
Saturday, August 1, 2026 | 9:45 PM
The Butchart Gardens, 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay
Regular Admission
Tea at The Empress
A grand tradition for over a century, the world-renowned Fairmont Empress has served England’s most beloved ritual of afternoon tea to famed royalty, celebrities, and dignitaries alike. Reinvigorated in our timeless, sophisticated Lobby Lounge, Tea at the Empress will continue this quintessentially Victoria experience. Details
Monday – Wednesday | 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday – Sunday | 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Fairmont Empress, 721 Government Street, Victoria
$114 – $170
Guided House Tour
Built in 1865, the Gothic Revival Ross Bay Villa was built for Victoria businessman Francis Roscoe and his wife, Anna Letitia Roscoe. Located far away from the bustling streets of the upstart gold rush town and a short distance from the beach at Ross Bay, the property offered a bucolic country idyll for the Roscoes’ and their growing family.
Tour the meticulously restored house and gardens and learn about the Roscoe family, their myriad connections in Victoria and England, and Francis Roscoe’s political career as a BC Confederation advocate and Federal member of Parliament during the 1870s. Details
July 31, 2026 | 11:00 AM & 1:00 PM
August 1, 2026 | 2:00 PM
Ross Bay Villa Historic House Museum, 1490 Fairfield Rd, Victoria
$8.46
Flight Path: A Summer Birding Series
Beginning July 9, guests can enjoy live raptor education on Thursdays through Sundays, while birding activities and experiences continue every day of the week with guided walks, photography sessions, family-friendly programming, art, and expert talks.
From quiet moments in the forest to awe-inspiring encounters overhead, Flight Path is your invitation to explore, learn, and connect with the wild rhythms of the season. Details
July 9 – August 16, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Malahat SkyWalk, 901 Trans-Canada Highway
Complimentary with Admission
Flight Path: A Summer Birding Series
Each class is designed to help guests slow down, reconnect, and take in the beauty of Vancouver Island from a truly extraordinary vantage point. Thoughtfully guided and welcoming to all levels, these sessions blend movement, mindfulness, and nature to leave you feeling refreshed, balanced, and inspired. Details
Fridays – Sundays, June 20 – September 6, 2026 | 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
Malahat SkyWalk, 901 Trans-Canada Highway
$32
Pay-What-You-Can Fridays
Every Friday, we invite you to visit the museum and choose an admission price that works for you. This initiative is designed to ensure that everyone in our community can engage with our nautical stories, regardless of financial barriers. Details
Friday, July 31, 2026 | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
The Maritime Museum of British Columbia, 744 Douglas Street, Victoria
Pay-What-You-Can
Victoria Harbour Ferry Water Ballet
Experience the Water Ballet like never before! Our exclusive premium experience offers some of the best seats on the water for this one-of-a-kind performance in Victoria Harbour. Book your premium experience today! Details
May to September 2026
August 1 – 3, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Inner Harbour (best viewing in front of Steamship Terminal)
$47.70
Afternoon Tea at The Pendray Tea House
What could be more quintessentially British than Afternoon Tea? By the late 19th century, the concept of an afternoon break with tea and snacks had evolved beyond a simple light meal into a cultural phenomenon, with members of Victorian high society donning their finest to take part in the ritual of socializing over tea and refreshments. The Pendray Tea House offers a choice of delicious teas with an array of different flavours. Details
Daily | 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
The Pendray Tea House, 309 Belleville Street, Victoria
$25 – $70
Cowichan Valley Wine Festival
Discover the magic of Cowichan Valley this summer with our month-long wine festival, an unforgettable journey through our premier wine region. From August 1st to 31st, indulge your senses and explore the exquisite offerings of 11 renowned wineries, each with its unique charm and exceptional wines. Details
August 1 -31, 2026
Participating Wineries in Cowichan Valley
$55/ticket
Ancient Egypt Tour: Eternal by Design
Join us for a tour of the afterlife! Step into Ancient Egypt and uncover the quiet mysteries of the afterlife, where every ritual held the promise of eternity. From mummies to monuments, explore how a civilization obsessed with life turned immortality into an art, rooted in family, friends, and love.
July 31, August 1, 3, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Royal BC Museum – 2nd Floor, 675 Belleville St., Victoria
Meet just outside the Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life exhibition space for the start of the tour.
Included with Admission
Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life
Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life is an immersive exhibition exploring ancient Egyptian rituals, beliefs and artistry. Visitors are invited to move through intimate, atmospheric spaces that recreate a journey through death, rebirth and the afterlife. See striking embellished coffins, powerful grave goods, jewelry, and everyday objects intended to accompany souls into eternity. Through evocative light, sound and scent displays, the exhibition evokes Egypt’s reverence for life and the hereafter. Whether you’re drawn by archaeology, spirituality or sheer wonder, Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life reveals the enduring humanity behind the mysteries of an ancient civilization.
June 5, 2026–January 3, 2027
Daily | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Royal BC Museum, 675 Belleville St., Victoria
Included with Admission
Helmcken House Open House
Come visit historic Helmcken House, on the east side of the museum building.
Helmcken House was built by Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, a surgeon with the Hudson’s Bay Company. It is one of the oldest houses in British Columbia still on its original site. Dr. Helmcken set up the house in Victoria when he married Cecilia Douglas, the daughter of Governor James Douglas in 1852. He went on to become a statesman and helped negotiate the entry of British Columbia into Canada, as a province. The doctor’s original 19th century medical kit is among the interesting items on display.
July 1 – August 31, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Royal BC Museum, 675 Belleville St., Victoria
Free
Government House Public Tours
Explore the art and rooms of this unique residence, and learn about the ceremonial and constitutional roles of the Lieutenant Governor, and the role the Office of the Lieutenant Governor has played in the history of Victoria and the province of British Columbia. Details
Saturday & Monday, August 1 & 3, 2026 | 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM & 12:00 AM
Government House, 1401 Rockland Avenue, Victoria
Free
Malahat SkyWalk
Experience the true beauty of Vancouver Island where the forested mountains drop away to the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy the journey on the 600m elevated walkway to the breathtaking views as far as the eye can see from the 40m SkyWalk tower. Details
Monday – Wednesday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday – Sunday | 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Malahat SkyWalk, 901 Trans-Canada Highway
$35.95 – $49.95
Sooke Fine Arts Show
The Sooke Fine Arts Show provides the opportunity for the finest artists from Vancouver Island and BC’s coastal islands to showcase and sell their work each summer. Details
July 25 – August 3, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
July 28 – Family Day – closes at 7 pm
July 30 – M-ART-ket night – closes at 9 pm
July 31 & August 3 – show closes at 5 pm
SEAPARC Recreation Centre, 2168 Phillips Rd, Sooke
Adult (18-64) $17, Student (18+) /Senior (65+) $12, Children & Youth (17 and under) Free
Farmers Market
- Esquimalt Farmers Market on Thursdays in Memorial Park, April – September | 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM. Details
- Gorge Farmers Market on Mondays in Esquimalt Gorge Park, June to September | 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM. Details
- James Bay Market on Saturdays, May 2 – October 3, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM @ the corner of Menzies and Superior. Details
- Moss Street Farmers Market on Sundays, May to October 2026| 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM @ Sir James Douglas School. Details
Bookmark this page and check back next week for more weekend activities.
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