Latest Events in Toronto(June Updated)

The BTS WORLD TOUR IN TORONTO 2026 represents a significant milestone in the illustrious career of the South Korean boy band BTS, as it forms part of their highly anticipated fourth concert tour. Set to take place at Rogers Stadium from August 22 to August 23, 2026, this event is a key stop on a global journey that begins on April 9, 2026, in Goyang, South Korea, and concludes on March 14, 2027, in Manila, The Philippines. Spanning 79 dates across 34 cities in 23 countries, the tour marks BTS’s return to live performances following the completion of mandatory military service. Notably, this world tour is the group’s first headline series since their 2021–22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour, underscoring the excitement and anticipation surrounding their comeback. With stops across Asia, North America, South America, Australia, and Europe, the BTS WORLD TOUR IN TORONTO 2026 promises to deliver an unforgettable experience, showcasing the band’s enduring global influence and artistic evolution. As one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year, the Toronto concerts stand as a testament to BTS’s continued impact on the international music scene.

Starting in 1989 with only 27 enthusiastic teams participating, the Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival has grown into one of North America's premier dragon boat races. Now in its 38th year, the festival is not only a highlight of the city's summer activities but also a shining jewel in the North American dragon boat racing scene. This year's festival, co-organized by the Toronto Chinese Chamber of Commerce and GWN Dragon Boat, is being held on the picturesque Centre Island of the Toronto Islands—an iconic location offering stunning views of the city skyline and the perfect venue for thrilling water sports. Beyond the exciting races, the festival is a cultural feast, featuring food stalls, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities, showcasing Toronto's rich and diverse culture. Spectators can enjoy an unforgettable day by the water—cheering on their favorite teams, exploring the vibrant festival grounds, and feeling the exhilarating passion that makes this event so special. The 2026 Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival will deliver world-class competition, a vibrant cultural experience, and an unparalleled waterfront atmosphere, making it an unforgettable event both on and off the water, bringing together thousands of paddlers, fans, and families to participate in one of the city's most popular summer traditions.

This exhibition brings together two of the 20th century’s greatest painters—Rita Letendre (1928–2021) and Norval Morrisseau (1932–2007). Demonstrating the expressive potential of bold colour and line, these two artists pushed the boundaries of painting. During a career that spanned over sixty-five years, Letendre used brush, airbrush, palette knife, and her hands to make her work. Vibrating with physical and emotional energy, her paintings, —five of which are on view here, —embody her ongoing quest for connection and understanding. Morrisseau’s six-panel masterpiece, Man Changing into Thunderbird (1977), illustrates the theme of transformation, an idea central to Anishinaabe philosophy. This painting records the artist’s personal evolution into Miskwaabik Animiiki, or “Copper Thunderbird”, a name he received in a healing ceremony. The name carries connotations of protection, healing, mystery, and power, and Morrisseau used it as his signature. Merging personal narrative with intense colour and elaborate design, Morrisseau called this work, “the ultimate picture for me,” - it is featured here alongside two other works by him from the 1970s.

One of Canada's best-known printmakers, David Blackwood (1941–2022) put onto paper an enduring vision of Newfoundland. Born and raised on Bonavista Bay, his hauntingly beautiful images—suffused with struggle and myth—are drawn from childhood memories, dreams, superstitions, legends, and oral traditions. Tracing Blackwood’s career from his first days as an art student at the Ontario College of Art to his final drawing, this expansive retrospective brings together more than 80 drawings and prints, alongside proofs, copperplates, and archival materials. Thanks to the generosity of the artist and his family, the AGO is home to Blackwood’s archives, and the largest collection of his work in the world. Curated by Alexa Greist, Curator & R. Fraser Elliott Chair, Prints and Drawings at the AGO, this exhibition aims to reveal the creative evolution of a beloved Canadian artist.

Step into the world of bees and embark on a breathtaking new immersive journey, experiencing the perfect fusion of art and science. This exhibition, a collaboration between the National Museum of Liverpool and award-winning artist and sculptor Wolfgang Barthes, highlights the 120-million-year history of bees' adaptation and survival, telling the epic story of these amazing creatures and their close connection to us and the natural world.

Tracing Blackness through its many migrations and manifestations, the interdisciplinary artist Oluseye blends the ancestral with the contemporary and the physical with the spiritual. Inspired by merindinlogun, a Yoruba divination ritual, Oluseye presents a new installation that illustrates the spiritual, mythological, and biographical elements that have shaped his worldview and art practice. In Yoruba culture, cowrie shells symbolize wealth and prosperity and are used by diviners to communicate with ancestors and receive guidance. Paying homage to that cultural practice and his own narratives, Oluseye presents 16 large-scale bronze cowrie shells, resting atop a hand-carved divination tray.

Created by the Emmy®-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told.& Julietasks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way. Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, includingSince U Been Gone‚ Roar, Baby One More Time, Larger Than Life‚ That’s The Way It Is, and_Can't Stop the Feeling_—all from the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century. Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.

The Toronto Light Festival, renowned for its bold portrayals of Toronto's people, places, and stories, once again reimagines the city's image this year with the theme "PLAY." This year's theme aims to guide reflection on how an arts festival can truly "play" with the city. Experience imaginative and whimsical adventures that evoke childlike play; hear stories that focus on justice and reconciliation, boldly exploring equal play; and explore the ever-changing dynamics, the desire for victory, and the imbalances in power struggles. This year's program includes a series of inspiring, challenging, and uplifting dialogues.

Diego Marcon's first Canadian exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) showcases his cinematic vision, drawing inspiration from Hollywood musicals, horror films, melodramas, and farces to create works that are both unsettling and tender. Marcon employs computer-generated effects, prosthetics, and robotics to create a strange texture in his films: the images appear artificial, yet possess a peculiar vitality. The centerpiece of the exhibition is Marcon's latest masterpiece, *Krapfen* (2025). Set in a bedroom, the film tells the story of a child tormented by four characters—a glove, a scarf, a pair of trousers, and a sweater—who insist the child eat a krapfen (a type of German donut). The film resembles both a musical and a neurotic carousel, with these objects spinning around the child to music composed by Federico Chiari, as if performing a meticulously choreographed dance, constantly entangled in his antics.