Our Top 6 Toronto Arts & Culture Events for Spring
This spring, discover Toronto’s vibrant arts scene with our Top 6 events supporting local institutions and programs. From gallery exhibitions to outdoor art installations, immerse yourself in creativity and culture. Join us in celebrating the talent and diversity of Toronto’s artistic community while contributing to its growth and sustainability.
-
NEXT WAVE FILM FESTIVAL
TIFF Next Wave film festival returns for its 13th edition to champion new and emerging storytellers. Programmed for youth and by youth, this festival offers free Official Selection films for anyone under 25.
This year’s Official Selection promotes nine debut and sophomore features — from Canada, China, Sweden, Madagascar, India, Brazil, USA, and the UK — that explore gripping and authentic stories of teenager-hood and coming of age in communities across the globe.
-
NEW IDEAS FESTIVAL
Toronto, Canada – November 9, 2020: Alumnae Theatre building in Toronto. Founded in 1918, Alumnae Theatre is the oldest theatre society in Toronto. Proudly entering its 36th year, the New Ideas Festival is Alumnae Theatre’s annual showcase of new and experimental one-act plays. Attendees will witness theatrical history in the making with bold premieres from both emerging and established artists.
This year’s festival runs two weeks from April 24th through May 5th. It features eight separate productions that will take their audiences from the dinner table to the asylum, while exploring material as far ranging as DNA test kits and deals gone awry.
-
Hot Docs Festival
Running April 25 to May 5, the 31st edition of the Hot Docs Festival will take place in cinemas across Toronto. Attendees will discover the world’s best documentaries, celebrate storytelling, and learn from inspiring conversations.
At the time of writing, the festival has announced 14 films to screen in the 2024 Special Presentations program. These films feature intriguing subjects, visionary filmmakers, and riveting storytelling that offers a critical lens on current issues.
-
The Power Plant
Terence Gower, Baghdad CS 1: United States Embassy, Baghdad, 1960. Josep Lluis Sert Papers, Graduate School of Design Archives, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. This spring, the Power Plant presents Terence Gower: Embassy, the largest exhibit in Canada of the New York-based artist. Gower, who has lived and worked internationally for many years, employs a range of media to investigate postwar material and intellectual histories, particularly as they connect to art and architecture.
These expansive artistic constellations, including archival documents, sculptures, videos, and works on paper, are the outcome of the artist’s extensive research process.
-
SCOTIABANK CONTACT Photography Festival
Nuits Balnéaires, Adahonlin 6, from the series the Power of Alliances, 2021. courtesy of the artist and band CONTACT was created to inspire communities through the power of photography. This year marks the 28th edition of the festival which will span the month of May at museums, galleries, and public spaces throughout Toronto.
Committed to cultivating an inclusive and accessible approach to the medium, CONTACT builds community by providing a platform for dynamic collaborations and productive engagement between Canadian and international photographers, curators, partner organizations, and audiences, locally and globally.
-
NXNE
Toronto has one of the greatest live music scenes in the world, and NXNE works with the city’s remarkable music venues to showcase top emerging Canadian and international acts throughout Festival Week.
Presenting the future of music, since 1995, discovery is at the core of NXNE. Many prominent musicians played intimate NXNE gigs early in their career including: Billy Talent, The Arkells, Daniel Caesar, Feist, the Weeknd, Sam Roberts, Knaan, Lizzo, the Lumineers, and thousands more.
Festival admission is through low-cost festival passes or single venue tickets, and NXNE is committed to eliminating financial barriers for artists. Performers are not charged to apply and all bands are paid to play
