If you name it, Toronto has a festival for it. In 2015, there are so many great unique festivals that brings people from all walks of life together. From beer to music, there’s a festival in Toronto for it.
Mad Decent Block Party
Fort York: Garrison Common | August 29th
Any time someone drops the words electronic music and block party, everyone knows it’s going to be a good time. This EDM festival brings the party to cities all over North America. This year’s performers are Major Lazer, Thugli, Jauz, Cashmere Cat, Riff Raff, Tyler the Creator and so much more! This is a one day only even you’re going to want to attend so here’s the link to buy your tickets, notify all your best buds to schedule off because this is the best way to say goodbye to the summer. Stay tuned to Love This City TV for all the updates on the Mad Decent Block Party.
Toronto International Film Festival
September 10-20
Toronto International Film Festival prides itself in bringing the best of Canadian cinema to the world. People travel from all over to attend such an event. When true moviegoers think of film festivals, they think of the Cannes and then Toronto International Film Festival. The festival runs from September 10-20. It’s a great time of year to practice your layering of fashion for those fall days. Submissions are still being accepted for aspiring filmmakers. To stay up to date on the lineup and tickets check out tiff.net.
Riot Fest
September 19-20
Riot Fest prides themselves in booking the bands you need to hear and not the punk rock/alternative bands that you want to hear. If you like punk rock music or alternative music, this is where you’re going to want to be on September 19 and 20th. The lineup hasn’t been released yet but judging by the photos it looks to be a riot alright. Tickets aren’t on sale yet but curious concert goers can check out riotfest.org for the lineup and tickets when they do come available. What a way to kick off fall than live rock, a beer and pull out your boots and wear something black.
Toronto Oktoberfest
September 18-19
Oktoberfest is a celebration of everything Bavarian Culture. September 18th and 19th expect lots of fun, entertainment and beer to take over Ontario Place. Bavarian dancers are performing this year and there is also an addition of a Bavarian village filled with games, contests, food and rides. They have a corn maze, Ferris wheel and life-sized Jenga. On the 19th from 11:30am-4:30pm kids under 16 are free and don’t need a ticket to enjoy the Bavarian Carnival. If you’re looking for an authentic experience, this is it! You’re gonna feel like you walked into Munich. Check out their site to buy your tickets.
Toronto Food & Wine Festival
September 18-20 | Evergreen Brick Works
You’re going to wish that Food and Wine weekend in Toronto was longer because you’re going to want to eat everything. This is the ultimate culinary experience highlighting local restaurants, breweries and wineries. You’ll brush elbows with quite the list of guest chefs from all over the globe. Some chefs include Curtis Stone, Daniel Boulard, and Tyler Florence. Guests can take part in cooking classes, tastings and a lineup of special events for such a culinary experience. If you like Toronto’s food scene, you’re not going to want to miss this. (tickets)
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
September 18-20
The only thing better than seeing great art is seeing free great art. The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition showcases some of the best local talent. It’s Canada’s largest outdoor exhibition and it’s free for the whole family. The opening party is on September 17th at Nathan Phillips Square. So don’t be afraid to tap into your inner artist and go look at some art.
Past Awesomeness
Ever After Music Festival
Ever After Music Festival is from May 30-31st in Kitchener, Ontario. Even on the website it says it’s not a show, it’s an unbelievable fairy tale experience full of great music, performances and stunning visuals. 20 of the top DJ/Artists in the world are put on a stage to give the show of their lives. Although, the two day lineup is hush, the artists are not so much. Diplo, Tchami, Destructo, Tommy Trash, DJ Snake and Caked Up are just a few performers slated to get on stage. Tickets can be purchased here starting at $80. Fans are already comparing this to Tomorrow Land and slating it as the festival of the year.
(Diplo “Where Are You Now” featuring Skrillex and Justin Bieber)
(Tommy Trash “Kill the Noise”)
Field Trip
June 6-7
Field Trip, held in Fort York and Garrison Commons is definitely a family filled event. The two-day festival stars De La Soul, Alabama Shakes, and Marina and The Diamonds to name a few. On June 6 and June 7 this is the place to be in Toronto. There’s music, food, drinks, arts, technology, fashion and more. If a friend leaves such an event without one compliment of the place, you may want to find a new friend. 2-day tickets are $120 or if you preferred a single day pass be prepared to cough up $85. The good news is children under 12 always get in free. Check out fieldtriplife.com for more info. Make sure to also have your shades ready for all the sunshine you’ll be catching while you’re there.
Mississauga Waterfront Festival
Memorial Park, Port Credit
June 12-14
The Mississauga Waterfront Festival grew from a small community festival to a family festival that attracts 50,000 festival-goers a year. This festival is more than music and food. There will be princesses (Elsa & Ana) posing for photo ops with kids. Ontario Dock Dogs combines performances and puppies in exciting competitions. If that’s not enough to entice the whole family Sports Zone sure will. Sports Zone is an engaging one-stop shop physical activity. On June 13th you may want to snag you a pair of skates early because the Insauga Roller Jam is a party that you won’t want to miss. The Port Credit Arena is transformed into a roller rink with DJ D Smooth as well as some other local roller-skating DJs. The Night Market is a cultural market full of food and culture to go around. Music from Kira Isabella, Ty Baynton, Marshall Dane and The Blushing Brides is also expected. This is an event for the whole family and right on the waterfront. Click here to get all the details
Honda Indy
June 12-14
Car enthusiast or not, you’ll love the Honda Indy as it races into downtown Toronto and converts it into a 2.84km (1.75 miles) street course. From June 12th-14th expect fast and furious racing. There will be food, racing, stunts, entertainment and even a beer festival. Thirteen races in three days is impeccable and you won’t want to miss anything. The Energy Formula Off-Road race returns with jumps and a street course. Those who are car enthusiasts will love the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge featuring some very exotic cars. June 13th is Fan Friday where admission is completely free in exchange for a small Make a Wish Donation. For information on all things Honda Indy click here.
North By Northeast
June 17-21
Austin has South by Southwest and Toronto has North by Northeast. North By North East is in its 21st year and expect lots of concerts, showcases, and art. North by Northeast or NXNE throws events all over the Toronto and each venue is a bit different but every year there’s a free concert in Yonge-Dundas Square with headliners. Everyone from GZA to Iggy Azalea have graced the stage. This year expect Ty Dolla $ign and Casey Veggies just to name a few. Other performances headlining the festival are Sarah Buxton, Rae Sremmurd, Unique, Tink and Willow Smith. The five day festival always brings quite the crowd expect over 350,000 people. You will want to get to a lot of the concerts early because some of them are standing room only.
Toronto Jazz
June 18-27
(Tower of Power ft Candy Dulfer)
The Toronto Jazz Festival is known around the world for being one of the biggest jazz festivals. On average over 500,000 people attend this eleven day festival that showcases mostly Canadian Jazz artists. Greats like Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis, and Ray Charles have performed at the Toronto Jazz Festival. This year’s lineup includes Freddy Cole, Charles Lloyd, and Tower of Power just to name a few. Also expect The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra and their amazing swing music. On June 25th you can go beyond the big bands and hear some of the amazing Toronto are high school bands. There are 350 concerts and 1500 musicians that mostly take place in Nathan Phillips Square. Get your tickets now.
Pride Toronto
June 19-28th
Pride Toronto 2015 is aiming to be the largest ever Transgender Celebration in North America. Each year Pride Toronto gets bigger and bigger even when you think it’s impossible. On average 1.2 million people flock to Pride Toronto. The week long event includes eight stages of live entertainment, a street fair and a special Family Pride Program. Events start on June 19th and wrap up on June 28th. Expect icons like Pussy Riot, Chaz Bono, Cyndi Lauper and John Waters just to name a few. Opening night will include a huge kickoff party that you won’t want to miss. The thirty five-person drag king and queen show sounds like an event for the books. It’s hard to believe that Pride Toronto has gone on for thirty five years. This year’s theme is transgender awareness. This focus on the transgender community aims to not only raise awareness about the transgender community but also to make it a safe space for trans individuals. There will be a Trans Pride Fair, March, Space and a session on Transforming Pride. These events are free to the public. For more info click here.
Redpath Waterfront Festival
June 19-21
The Redpath Water Festival mixes live music, food, drinks and entertainment on Toronto’s waterfront. The festival will include DockDogs Championships where canine record holders showcase their skills. There will also be several extreme water shows. This a family affair and there’s also a Wine and Spirit Festival where guests can sample wines and beers and take part in seminars. The opening parade is Friday, June 19th and afterwards attend the Dance Pan American Style Party. For more info on all things Redpather Water Festival click here.
Luminato Festival
June 19-28th
Luminoto Festival is a festival celebrating the arts by transforming Toronto’s theatres, parks and public spaces. This festival celebrates diversity and all forms of art. Jason Colette is returning with his popular Basement Revue series. Kid Koala will host a satellite concert where the audience will be sectioned off in groups of four. They’ll each have a turntable effects. Expect legendary Morton Subotnick and many more performers. Over the eight years the festival has presented over 94000 artists to 850,000 people. The majority of the events are free. Check out all things Luminato here and stay tuned because art is constantly being added.
Be Festival
June 23
Be Festival is a week long unconventional festival on all things European art. Starting June 23, 2015 the festival goes all day and all night with many mediums of art. Expect theartre, dance, comedy, circus, music and visual art. All the festivities take place in Birmingham. Tickets can be purchased here for £100 (including meal) or £60 (excluding meal). Day tickets are sold for £22 (including meal) £14 (excluding meal) with concessions available.
On June 24th there will be a free outdoor performance at Birmingham Repertory Theatre involving a gravity-defying trampoline and collage. Opening night welcomes last year’s first prize winner Antonio Tagliarini with a showing of his tragic, ironic and charismatic show. Expect over twenty shows from nine countries. The full program can be checked out here.
Bud Light Digital Dreams Festival
June 27-28
Bud Light is into having a good time. We know this from the promo for Whatever, USA. So it’s no surprise that Bud Light knows how to do festivals. Electronic musicians like Zedd, Steve Angello, and Armin Van Buuren are set to grace the stage for the electronic music festival Digital Dreams. If that wasn’t enough to sell you on it, this festival takes place on the shoreline of Toronto. Digital Dreams sounds like a dream come true and takes place June 27 and 28th. General admission tickets are $189 and VIP tickets are $279. Keep in mind the lineup includes 36 acts. That’s a lot of music playing in two days. Stay up to date with everything Digital Dreams Festival here.
Fvded in the Park
July 3rd-4th
Fvded in the Park is something for everybody when it comes to festival lineups. Everyone from Deadmau5 to The Weeknd will be there at Holland Park performing. Single day passes are $95 and that’s awesome compared to a lot of festivals of this caliber. There’s food, bars,, and even a Beer Garden. You don’t want to miss this festival. It’s definitely going to be something to remember. So grab your best friend and buy your tickets today!
Fringe Festival
July 1-12
For the art and film lovers Toronto hosts the Fringe Festival with over 155 independent shows in the lineup making it the largest Toronto theater festival. Fringe runs during the first twelve days in July. It’s great for breaking out a pair of shorts and a cute crop top. Ladies, you’re most definitely going to need sneakers because the venues go on for days. The Fringe Festival doesn’t just stop at movies. There are buskers, bands, tent talks and lots of art and the best thing about it is some of the art and activities are free. Check out Fringetoronto.com to keep up to date with all the Fringe activity.
Pemberton Music Festival
July 16-19th
Pemberton Festival is a four day experience that brings the best of the best from all genres of music to Pemberton. Not even wildfires in British Columbia could cancel such an event. This years lineup is just as hot it includes the likes of Kendrick Lamar, The Black Keys, J.Cole, Tiesto, Hozier and even Missy Elliot. You can check out the entire lineup here and make sure you grab your tickets because you and your friends are going to want to see this. If that doesn’t entice you I bet you the ball pit will.
Unity Festival
July 22-25
Unity Festival is an annual four day event that represents diversity, self-expression and given back. It’s a huge hip-hop celebration and this year’s lineup is pretty awesome. Talib Kweli, Kid David, Ball-Zee and Biz Markie have all headlined this event. This year’s headliners are GZA, John River and Babeli. Most events don’t cost more than $5 and know every ticket is worth it because proceeds go to support Unity Charity which helps youth express themselves through art.
Edge Fest
July 23rd, July 29th, and August 15
Edgefest started in 1987 making it the longest running rock festival in Canada. The Edge and Live Nation team up for this annual event and it does not disappoint. This year’s lineup includes Elle King, Milky Chance, The Zolas and Mother Mother. You’re going to want to grab all of your friends and rock out at this even at Echo Beach. You’re going to want to get your tickets. Live Nation also offers a mega ticket to all three events.
Festival of Beer
July 24-25
(Naughty by Nature “Jamboree”)
What’s better than beer, food and bands? Sounds like heaven. Festival of Beer is held twice a year in Toronto and definitely brings the best of all these festivals together. Festival goers can check out indie brews and bands and there’s even some grilling going on. There’s grilling sessions from famous chefs and many food trucks. One thing about this festival is that you will not die of thirst, hunger or boredom. This year’s headliner performances include Naughty by Nature (famous for their hip hop classic “Jamboree”) and 54-40. Beer enthusiasts can check out the Festival of Beer on July 24-25. Tickets start at $39.50 and go up to $79.50. A V.I.P ticket will get you early access and a good view of the stage. Check out Beerfestival.ca for more info on the lineup and breweries involved. You can actually win the ultimate foodie experience at Beer Fest this year. Click here to enter the contest.
Pan Am Food Festival
July 30-August 3
Attend Pan Am food festival and your taste buds will become your best friends. This festival celebrates food, cultures, and diversity. There will be lots of free food demos and family fun. Expect lots of chefs, restaurants, and if you leave hungry you’re doing it wrong. This year’s featured country is Mexico and you and your taste buds are going to want to be at Daniels Spectrum.
Way Home
July 24-26
Way Home is a three-day Toronto festival in Ontario. With headliners like Sam Smith, SZA, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and ALT-J, how could someone fail to be impressed? July 24-26 one’s ears can be blessed with all sorts of good music to the point where you wouldn’t want it to end. On the festival website, founders have described the festival as a kaleidoscope of different things coming together. There’s art, music and food and everyone leaves with a little something. This festival is so hot (like the weather) that all the $209 tickets are gone. Tier two tickets are $229.99 and can be purchased at wayhome.com.
Veld Music Festival
August 1-2nd
Veld Music Festival is one of the most popular electronic dance music festivals in the world. With headliners like Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Kaskade, Hardwell, DVBBS, Above & Beyond and over thirty artist total, there’s a reason why this is the place to be August 1st and 2nd at Downsview Park. Tickets range from $125-$200 and can be purchased here. Also expect A$AP Rocky, Nicky Romero, Carnage and Hot Since 82 to make appearances. This annual event is the personification of electronic music and Downsview Park is the perfect venue for it. In the 90s it was dubbed “Canada’s first urban national park” and hosts numerous events and Veld Music Festival is an annual occurrence that will have talking about it for an entire year.
OVO Fest
August 2-3
“If the owner of the Molson Amphitheatre is here, I should just buy it because I already own it.” That’s the mentality that Drake approaches OVO Fest with every year. He takes it upon himself to take over the city of Toronto with all things October’s Very Own (OVO) and rap music. On average 40,000 people flock to OVO Festival to see the festivities firsthand” — These are Drake’s words and OVO Fest has become sort of a holiday for Canada. It’s gotten so big that Drake is even considering bringing the celebration to Houston. Tickets sell quickly and your going to be the envy of all your friends when they discover you went to OVO Fest and brushed elbows with all the celebrities. The food is great too but you’ll be having way too much fun to eat. Headliners include J.Cole, Big Sean, Jeremih and more. Get your tickets here.
Wolfe Island Music Festival
Wolfe Island | August 7-8
It’s a party on Wolfe Island and you’re not going to want to miss this music festival. The lineup includes Constantines, Hayden, The Attic Kids and a bunch more of groups. and artists. You can catch tickets and the complete lineup here.
Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival
John Street Roundhouse & Roundhouse Park | August 8-9th
Thanks to the lovely people at Steam Whistle Brewery, Roundhouse Craft Beer Fest is back. You and your friends get the opportunity to relax and try and variety of local crafts and feed your soul with food from Toronto’s tastiest food trucks. Bring your buddies, a blanket and a basket and have yourself a picnic. The sampling mugs are included in the ticket so all you have to do is buy your tickets. They’re $20 in advance and $25 at the door. One thing is you and your friends won’t leave hungry or thirsty.
City Fest
Canoe Landing Park | August 22nd
Enjoy arts and crafts, food and drink and even a kid zone while listening to local talent perform. City Fest food vendors include the popular and tasty Smoke’s Poutinerie, Funnel Cake Express and Buster’s Sea Cove. There’s also a beer garden so you won’t be thirsty. This year’s headliners are Manzone & Strong and Vincent LaRoche. The complete lineup is a little hush but you can stay updated on all things City Fest by staying tuned to Love This City and checking out their website. Showing up is free but feeding your belly might cost you.
There are lots more Toronto festivals and the list could probably go on for days. Here are some of the most talked about festivals. What Toronto festival are you hyped up about? What would your dream lineup be?
