Toronto will be bursting with activity in May, from wine tastings, to a world-renowned stage production of an epic novel, a global comic-book festival and a special concert inspired by video game soundtracks! The variety of May happenings is a true reflection of Toronto’s rich and expansive cultural fabric. Keep reading to find out what’s on this month in Toronto!
Festival
Best of Italy – Wine Tasting Event 2024
Experience the very best of Italian wine at this exclusive one-day tasting event at Liberty Grand.
Guests can sip on over 200 finely made wines including a selection of Brunello, Amarone, Barolo, Chianti, Super Tuscan and many more from key wine regions throughout Italy.
All that sipping will not go unappreciated; proceeds from ticket sales will support the Humber River Hospital Foundation.
The event takes place on May 6 at Liberty Grand. General admission costs $150, excluding tax.
Grab your tickets and find out more here!
Toronto Comic Arts Festival
This free festival is set to feature some of the most sought after comic books in existence.
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) has been held annually since 2003 and has grown to become one of the world’s largest festivals dedicated to the comic arts.
Taking over four floors of the Toronto Public Library’s Reference Library and neighbouring venues, the festival will feature hundreds of global creators, publishers, and comic organizations.
Guests can also attend talks, panels, Q&A sessions, workshops, kid-friendly activities, and more!
The festival takes place from May 8-10 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.
To find out more click here!
Freestyle Socials – A Hilarious Pop Culture Game hosted by hotDocs
Freestyle Socials is an epic live game show that hilariously critiques and dissects pop culture.
Hosted by Anthony Morgan, the show unpacks everything from loneliness, to the sub-cultures of quirky, little known communities, like international balloon twisting competitors and intergenerational nudists groups.
This interactive game lets audience members decide who wins!
Tickets cost $15 for non-members, $10 for members, and those under 25 can go free with a bronze hotDocs membership.
For more information on how to play, click here!
Afrique En Cirque
Cirque Kalabanté arrives in Toronto this month, for free shows full of awe-inspiring tumbles and tricks sure to leave audiences speechless!
This family-friendly circus is inspired by daily life in Guinea, featuring bright and beautiful costumes, acrobats, stunt-performers, human pyramids and traditional dance performances set to live Afro Jazz and West African drumming.
Cirque Kalabanté is performing from May 18-24 at the Harbourfront Centre
For more information, click here, admission to this event is free.
Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE in Bloor-Yorkville
Fleurs de Villes returns to Toronto from May 8-12 with its 100th show, Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE.
Hosted by the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, the five-day event takes the public on a free self-guided tour of over 35 floral installations, including its famous mannequins that honour the works of artists throughout history, among featured creations by revered local florists.
Guests can also enjoy refreshments and live music along the trial, stop by a floral workshop, and shop at the Saturday flower market.
Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE is best during the day. Most installations are in open areas from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily.
No tickets are required to attend. For more information, click here.
Stage
In Seven Days
A brand new theatre production exploring the acceptance of death is set to premiere at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre this month.
In Seven Days follows Sam Adleman, a man rendered immobile by chronic pain who reveals to his family over dinner that he has chosen to end his own life through medically assisted suicide, in seven days.
The production is happening from May 4-16 at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre.
Grab your tickets here!
To Kill A Mockingbird
An award-winning stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s prodigious novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” is showing at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre for a limited time only!
The story follows Scout and Jem Finch and their father, Atticus, a lawyer, as he defends a black man falsely accused of rape, for which Jem and Scout are relentlessly mocked.
The production was coined the most successful American play in Broadway’s history by the New York Times and “an emotionally shattering landmark production,” by Rolling Stone.
The globally acclaimed show runs from May 28 – June 2!
Tickets start at $60 and can be purchased here.
Game ON! Video Game Symphony with your Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Prepare to be mesmerized by Game ON! This magnificent concert experience celebrates the unparalleled joy of video games.
The show features soundtracks from Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft, The Witcher 3, Bioshock, Ori, Assassin’s Creed and many more and combines stunning musical arrangements with jaw-dropping, HD visuals.
Listen and watch in wonder as epic scores are performed live by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, led by composer and conductor Andy Brick.
The show runs for one weekend on May 24 and 25 at Roy Thomson Hall.
Tickets cost between $80-$130 and can be purchased here.
Art
Greater Toronto Art
Greater Toronto Art is back at MOCA with its second edition of its highly-anticipated triennial show.
The exhibit highlights artists from or with a connection to the Greater Toronto region and includes duos, and collectives whose works challenge individualistic values and focuses on the sanctity of connection.
The exhibition features 15 commissioned pieces and live programs intertwined with existing work made between the 1960s and the present.
Greater Toronto Art is on now through July 8.
Members and guests 18 and under are free, adult admission is $14, senior admission (65+) is $10, and student admission (19+) is $10, with valid student ID.
Banksy at Lighthouse
Catch a glimpse of Banksy’s world-famous art at this limited-time-only exhibition!
The Art of Banksy features more than 140 original Banksy works, including prints, canvases, screenprints, sculptures, and hand-drawn sketches, including his infamous Mona Lisa!
The show will be on at Lighthouse Art Space from May 29 to Sept. 2.
Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased here.
For more events like this, check out the events calendar, powered by Now Playing Toronto.
