Toronto is coming to life right now, with World Cup and Pride Month festivities everywhere you turn. For more event recommendations, this week our Best Bets picks represent Toronto’s diverse arts & culture landscape. Choose from more outdoor cultural festivals and art marketplaces, as well as live theatre, comedy shows, and a book soirée. Featured events include Soulpepper’s MEDUSA, Indigenous Arts Festival, Global Fest Canada, and more!
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FIVARS Festival
FIVARS Festival, the Festival of International Visual and Augmented Reality Stories, is occurring at OCAD University for a rare in-person immersive experience. FIVARS offers immersive storytelling through VR, AR, WebXR, 360/spherical video, live performance, projection, and much more. Discover immersive, Canadian-made exhibitions like “Us Cave People” an interactive cave mural projection, or “Oko Ayo: A Pilgrimage Through the Future of African Mining.” With ticketing based on 2-hour blocks, you’ll be able to play and explore with multiple exhibits, guaranteed to immerse and fascinate you. More info.
When: June 15-19
Where: OCAD University
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South By Southeast Festival
This is the perfect place to watch a soccer match and celebrate Asian and Latin American food, music, sports and culture. Located at Nathan Phillips Square, in the span of 3 days watch up to 11 matches for free surrounded by passionate sports fans and a rich display of culture. Enjoy tasty bites from local vendors and electrifying performances including Chinese lion dance, Bollywood showcases, Latin DJs, salsa dances and mariachis. More info.
When: June 17-20
Where: Nathan Phillips Square
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Sweet Ephemera
Presented by DanceWorks, Sweet Ephemera is a double bill that explores queer intimacies of diasporic ritual. Featuring Eilish 미정 Shin-Culhane’s Peel Me and Jose Miguel “Miggy” Esteban’s pahinga ka muna, these performances also provide ASL interpreted performances on Saturday, June 20. Peel Me asks you to peel back your layers — using mess as an access for catharsis, while pahinga ka muna invites you to take part in an improvisational ritual of mourning that traces the multisensorial mad and queer routes of the artist’s Filipinx diasporic inspirations. Both performances offer an experimental and poetic examination of care and discovery. More info.
When: June 18-20
Where: The Theatre Centre
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Comedy Legends: Under the Neon Palms
Ava Val, the award-winning Canadian comedian, is coming to the iconic rock venue El Mocambo to headline a Canadian comic stand-up all-star night. Featuring Ben Sosa Wright, Sasha DC, and Kari Johnson, Ava Val is promising a legendary night of comedy. With two back-to-back shows and an after-party, Comedy Under the Neon Palms will be an unforgettable and unpredictably entertaining night. More info.
When: June 19
Where: El Mocambo
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Ontario Artisans Marketplace
Ontario Artisans Marketplace has returned to showcase premier handmade goods and spotlight local talent set in the vibrant High Park. This three-day marketplace offers creativity, craftsmanship and community. The event will bring together talented artisans, designers and creators offering their unique, high-quality products ranging from fine jewelry to art, home decor, and gourmet treats. Come and enjoy live artisan demonstrations, interactive workshops, and local vendors located in one of Toronto’s most lively and scenic parks. More info.
When: June 19-21
Where: High Park
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MEDUSA
Soulpepper’s MEDUSA offers an immersive headphone experience that places the audience inside Medusa’s mind. This fearless retelling of Medusa is a raw, electrifying story about female rage, power, and transformation. Through whispered voices and immersive sounds delivered directly into the audience’s headphones, MEDUSA draws you in as the action unfolds live on stage. Written by award-winning playwright Erin Shields, this unflinching reimagining of one of Greek mythology’s most iconic and feared figures will thrill you. More info.
When: June 19-July 12
Where: Soulpepper Theatre
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Indigenous Arts Festival
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Month at Biidaasige Park, Toronto’s newest large-scale waterfront park filled with vibrant art and performances honouring the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Turtle Island. This family-friendly festival includes traditional and contemporary music, dance performances as well as artisan and food market stalls, offering authentic handmade crafts, artwork, and cuisine. Guided by the Seven Grandfather Teachings, this festival allows you to experience, learn, and appreciate Indigenous workshops, activities, and live performances throughout the day. More info.
When: June 20
Where: Biidaasige Park
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Wavelength @ St. Anne’s Block Party
Wavelength @ St. Anne’s is hosting a lively 2-day block party packed with live music, food trucks, art installations, and an indie market full of local food vendors. This family-friendly event features incredible national and international musicians that offer jazzy, electronic and dreamy performances. More info.
When: June 20-21
Where: 270 Gladstone Ave
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Global Fest Canada
This multicultural festival taking place in Sankofa Square is right on time as we celebrate and honour countries from all over the globe. This vibrant festival offers a celebration of culture, community, and connection in a free, family-friendly environment. Taste authentic dishes from a diverse selection of food vendors, enjoy high-energy cultural performances, have fun with soccer-inspired activities designed for all ages, and celebrate surrounded by community in the heart of the city. More info.
When: June 21
Where: Sankofa Square
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Books & Bottles: A Queer Soirée for the Bookish
Enjoy a night of good vibes, book talk, dinner, drinks, dessert, and more. Taking place at Now & Later, a cozy and beautiful bar and restaurant, experience an evening devoted to queer literature, and take part in raffle prizes, reading recs, and a customized “speed-friending” event to meet new people in a relaxed, queer, and friendly environment. More info.
When: June 22
Where: Now & Later
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