Summer is right around the corner, and Toronto is buzzing in anticipation! As energy spikes and parks and patios fill with sunseekers, everyone is itching to explore, connect and make new memories.
Thankfully, the city has plenty of options to satisfy the excitement, such as the return of cultural staples like the Beaches International Jazz Festival, Pride Toronto, Caribbean Carnival, Honda Indy and much more!
Whether you’re a music lover, theatregoer, Indy car enthusiast or looking to make the most of the hot weather with your family and friends, there’s a variety of events happening across the city all summer long.
Keep reading to find out more about the festivals taking place this summer in Toronto.
June
Pride Toronto – June 1 – 30
A hallmark of the city’s summer festival calendar, Pride Toronto promises a full-scale celebration of queerness in its many forms!
As well as the main festival weekend, everyone is welcome to join in on Pride’s month-long celebrations, including a rainbow Seniors Pride on June 15, a pride pool party at Grand Bizarre Supper Club on June 20, and Green Space festival from June 26-30.
The headlining Pride Parade is set to take place on June 30.
Toronto celebrates pride all month long, check out the events here.
TD Salsa in Toronto Festival – June 1 – August 31
Let your hips do the talking at the largest Latino-themed music and arts festival in all of Canada!
TD Salsa in Toronto takes over the city for its 20th year this summer and is marking the occasion with a vibrant program of events, punctuated by live music, dance, art shows, and authentic cuisine.
Partake in salsa dance parties, a lively parade, and the festival’s main event, the annual TD Salsa on St. Clair Street Festival, on July 6 and 7.
Midtown will be transformed into a massive Salsa party featuring internationally-recognized Latin musicians, Latin foods, and plenty of family-friendly fun.
Access to the event is free. For more information, click here.
Toronto Caribbean Carnival – June 15- Aug. 4
Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival, formerly Caribana Toronto, first began in 1967 and has since grown into one of the largest Caribbean celebrations in the world.
The festival, which officially launches on June 15 with a Carnival showcase at Scarborough Town Centre, has a variety of fun-filled events throughout the summer to get attendees in the Carnival spirit.
There’s the Junior King and Queen Showcase on July 14 where young masqueraders will compete in stunning costumes for the titles of Junior King and Queen, along with vibrant steelpan performances at OSA’s annual Toronto Panorama competition on Aug. 2 at Exhibition Place.
The Carnival closes with the extravagant Grand Parade on Aug. 3, where spectators can watch beautiful revellers and floats make their way through the Exhibition Place Grounds.
Parade tickets start at $25 for children and seniors, while adult tickets start at $45.
For information and to purchase tickets, click here.
July
Toronto Fringe Festival – July 3 to 14, 2024
The Toronto Fringe Festival has taken place every summer since 1989 and this year it returns with a selection of theatre shows and performances from companies in Canada and across the world.
Guests can attend performances at venues throughout the city that include comedy, drama, musicals, improv, storytelling, children’s theatre, and dance.
Toronto Fringe is a charitable organization that runs programs year-round designed to benefit youth, emerging artists, BIPOC artists, artists with disabilities, and the wider performing arts community.
Toronto Fringe Festival runs from July 3 – 14, for more information, click here.
Beaches International Jazz Festival – July 4 – 28
Every summer Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood is transformed by the ricocheting beats of Jazz into a music-filled enclave.
Located in the city’s east end, The Beaches is renowned for its relaxed, family-friendly environment and as a sought after summertime spot for city dwellers and visitors thanks to its sprawling shoreline.
A surefire celebration since 1989, head down to Queen Street East for the Beaches International Jazz Festival and enjoy street performers and stages in Leslie Grove, Woodbine and Jimmie Simpson Parks, and soak up the sounds and sights of this iconic festival.
Visitors can also expect drag shows, food trucks, fundraisers and more!
The Beaches International Jazz Fest runs from July 2 – 30 and is free to attend.
For more information, click here.
Honda Indy – July 19 – 21
Honda Indy’s 36th iteration of its downtown summer festival is back!
The weekend features ten races, interactive installations, a delicious selection of food trucks, beer gardens and more.
The races will take place on a 2.8-kilometre street circuit on the Exhibition Place grounds for round 12 of 17 in the IndyCar championship battle.
Multi-Toronto Indy winners Scott Dixon, Will Power and Josef Newgarden will be back racing alongside 2023 race winner Christian Lundgaard.
Ticket prices vary. For more information, click here.
August
National Bank Open – August 4 – 12
National Bank Open, previously the Rogers Cup, returns to the Sobeys Stadium hard courts this August, alongside the finest tennis players in the game.
This year, the women’s event will take place in Toronto and the men’s in Montreal, and the Open will feature 15 sessions of top-notch tennis over nine days.
See the likes of Bianca Andreescu, Leylah Fernandez and Rebecca Marino take the courts in Toronto.
Ticket prices vary depending on the round. For information, click here.
Waterfront Night Market – August 9 – 11
Taste the very best of Pan-Asian cuisine at Toronto Waterfront Night Market.
The Asian food and culture festival returns for its 15th year to Hotel X Exhibition Grounds, fusing an eclectic range of Asian cuisines with night time waterfront culture.
The celebration pays homage to the QiXi Double Seven Festival, Asia’s version of Valentine’s Day, and will feature plenty of delectable eats as well as Illuminasian, a floating lantern and music festival.
The event is 19+ only on Friday and Saturday, and open to all ages on Sunday.
Three-day passes start at $40. Single day tickets start at $15 for Friday and Sunday and $20 for Saturday.
To grab tickets, click here.
All tickets include one floating lantern and full access to the market’s features, including the pan-asian food festival, artisan showcase and floating lantern music festival.
Toronto International Buskerfest – Aug. 30 – Sept. 2
Woodbine Park will be bursting at the seams with unique performances in aid of Epilepsy Toronto.
Catch mime artists, acrobatics, clowns and fire jugglers in action at Buskerfest in aid of a good cause.
Purchase tickets online or bring cash for the $10 entrance fee and to tip the street performers.
Guests should also keep their eyes peeled for musicians, magicians and even daredevils getting up to no good.
Other attractions include a beer garden, photo contest, a family fun zone, a busker zone, a museum of illusions, carnival rides, a hula hoop dance party, magic shows and mentalism and aerial performances.
For more information, click here.
Indigenous Sounds Now (SummerSeries) – August 31 and September 1
Get lost in the sounds of Indigenous music at Ontario Place’s 2024 SummerSeries.
Indigenous music continues to grow in popularity, and its influences can be found across many genres.
So, in celebration of its ongoing influence, from August 31 to September 1, Ontario Place will be filled with the sounds of Indigenous voices for two free family friendly concerts thanks to its Indigenous Sounds Now series.
Looking for more things to do at Ontario Place? Their SummerSeries, free to attend and hosts a selection of live, arts culture, and wellness programming from July 13 to September 1.
Festivities include, Mixto Festival brings together communities from Brazil, Colombia, Toronto and beyond through live music, food, DJs dancing and more, and It’s OK* World, a free festival, showcasing talent within Toronto’s Black arts community.
Check out all the events happening courtesy of SummerSeries here.
For more events like this, check out the events calendar, powered by Now Playing Toronto.
To list your event, click here.
