Toronto’s Luminato Festival kicks off this week with a seminal showcase of distinctive and eclectic contemporary art.
Setting the city alight since 2007, the festival has been long recognized as a staple of Toronto’s increasingly rich cultural fabric.
From June 7-18 Luminato will feature two awe-inspiring weekends of art, music and celebration.
Its headlining installation will be the Canadian premiere of Walk with Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee who has traveled to 90 cities in search of her mother since 2021. Here, she will walk through the GTA for five days, accompanied by artists of all kinds, civic leaders, children and elders, community organizers and refugees in a symbolic embrace of hope and recognition.
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Nearly 1,000 artists are set to display their work over the course of the festival alongside “an incredible program featuring stories from Toronto and around the globe,” Luminato Toronto CEO Celia Smith said in a statement. “This festival continues to be a place for thought-provoking art and conversations that reflect our world,” she added.
Luminato will also hold the world premiere of Mi’kmaq artist Jordan Bennett’s travelling installation Echoes Calling Back, a large-scale inflatable on view at College Park. Constructed in his signature style, Bennet’s piece aims to unearth the artifacts of North American megafauna, whilst serving as a forthright reminder that the city we call home was once expansive wilderness.
Moreover, following the success of last year’s concert series at Woodbine Park, Luminato 2023’s musical acts will take residency in David Pecaut Square on Saturday June 17 and Sunday June 18. The weekend promises a melting pot of melodic mastery, with everything from Moneka Arabic Jazz, to Yaya Bey’s soul and RnB.
Saturday evening will kickstart with a set from Polaris Music Prize winner Pierre Kwenders, followed by a double bill of Indigenous hip-hop from Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and Latiné New Yorker Princess Nokia. Sunday is poised to be packed with performances from the Lusophone ensemble, Ayom, the unmissable NOLA vibes of Tank and the Bangas, and an electrifying performance from the crown prince of Samba, Zeca Pagodinho.
For a full itinerary of the festival, including dates, show timings and a comprehensive list of featured artists, visit their official website.
