Storytelling Toronto presents the 2026 Toronto International Storytelling Festival! Our 48th annual celebration of the oral tradition of storytelling from whispered folktales to spoken word, from memoir to myth, the 2026 Festival celebrates the stories that connect us—seeking the common ground where truth and lives intersect.
The festival features storytelling from compelling Indigenous, Canadian based and international experts alongside interactive events and workshops. International tellers include DANIEL MORDEN (Wales) RACCONTAMIUNASTORIA (Italy), and JACQUI DU TOIT (South Africa/Ottawa) Indigenous tellers include OZAAWAA and LENORE KEESHIG, and Toronto-based tellers include MARIELLA BERTELLI, ITAH SADU, BRIANE NASIMOK, QUEERS IN YOUR EARS, and PARENT-CHILD MOTHER GOOSE PROGRAM.
Toronto International Storytelling Festival will take place in different venues across Toronto, including the Palmerston Library Theatre, First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto, Wynchwood Barns Storytelling Toronto Studio, Toronto Reference Library Atrium Lobby, and The ArQuives.
“This is my first year working with Storytelling Toronto and I am excited by the opportunity to program their flagship festival,” says Justin Shaw, this year’s artistic director. “What most excites me is the vast range in both genre and form in storytelling the festival has to offer – there’s a little something for everyone. But whether folk or personal stories, I am most interested in experiencing the personal truth that draws the story to the teller – and I believe that personal truth isn’t bound by a form or genre. And in these divisive times, common ground is valuable real estate.”
Tickets and full itinerary are available now at www.storytellingtoronto.org. Sign up for Storytelling Toronto’s Newsletter and follow Storytelling Toronto on social media for updates. Instagram & Facebook
