A local guide to arts, entertainment & nightlife in Toronto. Explore trusted picks, practical details and local context from WTFToronto.
Showing 97–108 of 108 experiences.
One of Canada's oldest folk music festivals — Mariposa Folk Festival has celebrated Canadian and international folk, roots, and world music for six decades. The festival's outdoor stages on Toronto Island or the waterfront create an extraordinary summer music experience unique to Toronto.
Time needed: Plan for a full afternoon and evening—at least 5–7 hours, including ferry travel.
Annual improv comedy festival celebrating long-form and short-form improv with troupes from across Canada and internationally. Workshop sessions during the day, performances every night — the Toronto improv community is deep and the festival showcases its best.
Time needed: 2–4 hours per evening event; workshops run 1–2 hours each.
One of the world's three most important film festivals — TIFF runs 11 days every September with 300+ film premieres, A-list celebrity sightings on King Street West, and the festival energy that turns Toronto into the global movie capital. The People's Choice Award winner has gone on to win Best Picture eight times.
Time needed: 2–4 hours per screening session, or spend a full day to catch several films and soak in the festival atmosphere.
One of the world's largest sketch comedy festivals — ToSketchFest runs every winter with 60+ companies performing original sketch comedy across multiple Toronto venues over two weeks. Canadian, American, and international sketch comedy companies compete for the best room in the city.
Time needed: 1–3 hours per show; 2–4 hours if venue-hopping or catching multiple acts.
Every summer, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra takes its music into the city's parks — free outdoor performances at Nathan Phillips Square, Mel Lastman Square, and other parks bring world-class classical music to the public at no charge. Canada Day at Nathan Phillips Square is the centrepiece event.
Time needed: 1.5–2 hours per concert
One of Canada's finest orchestras performing 100+ concerts per year at Roy Thomson Hall — the TSO's season covers the full classical canon, film score concerts, holiday specials, and innovative crossover programming. The Ray Massey Chair at Roy Thomson Hall is named for a Canadian legend.
Time needed: 2–2.5 hours (typical concert duration, including intermission)
One of North America's premier theatre cities — Toronto's stages host Broadway pre-runs, major musicals, world-class drama, and intimate fringe productions year-round. The Princess of Wales, Royal Alexandra, Mirvish, Crow's Theatre, Soulpepper, and Factory Theatre serve every taste from blockbuster to experimental.
Time needed: 2.5–3.5 hours, including arrival and intermission.
Toronto's most sociable bar — Track & Field has full shuffleboard lanes, bocce courts, and a crokinole table (Ontario's own wooden dexterity game) alongside excellent cocktails on tap (including non-alcoholic options), craft beers, and genuinely friendly staff. The only rule is that you come to play.
Time needed: 2–3 hours, especially if you're booking a lane or court.
Toronto's LGBTQ+ institution since 1989 — Woody's and Sailor is where the city's drag scene lives. Multiple times a week, the drag talent that defines Toronto nightlife performs here. The seasonal decor changes (full-time interior designer on staff), the crowd is welcoming, and the history on these walls is the real story of Toronto's village.
Time needed: 2–4 hours, especially if you stay for a drag show.
Home of Soulpepper Theatre in the Distillery District — the Young Centre is a purpose-built theatrical complex inside the historic Victorian industrial architecture of the Distillery. Soulpepper's classical and contemporary programming is among the most respected in Canada.
Time needed: 2–3 hours (typical show length plus arrival and intermission).
Canada's largest professional theatre company for young audiences — the Young People's Theatre on Front Street produces full professional productions designed for children aged 4–18. Productions range from classic stories to new Canadian work, with actors who take the audience as seriously as any adult theatre company.
Time needed: About 2 hours (typical show length with intermission).
The iconic Canadian comedy club chain that launched Jim Carrey, Norm Macdonald, and a generation of Canadian comedians. Yuk Yuk's Toronto is the flagship — a traditional stand-up comedy club with a proper two-drink minimum, rotating headliners, and the energy of a room built entirely around the laugh.
Time needed: About 2–2.5 hours, including pre-show drinks and final curtain.
First-timers should start with the CN Tower observation deck for city views, then walk the Distillery District and Kensington Market for culture and food. Add Ripley's Aquarium, a Harbourfront walk, and St. Lawrence Market on a Saturday morning. For a full plan, see our 48-hour first-timer itinerary.
Check our Events page for live concerts, sports, and festivals happening this weekend. Regulars include the Distillery District on weekends, Kensington Market, Saturday morning at St. Lawrence Market, and the Toronto Islands by ferry. In summer, look for outdoor festivals along the waterfront.
Toronto is excellent for families. Top picks: Ripley's Aquarium of Canada (the shark tunnel alone is worth it), the Toronto Zoo, Ontario Science Centre, High Park, the ferry to Centre Island, and the CN Tower glass floor. The waterfront and Harbourfront Centre also have excellent free kids programming in summer.
Some of the best free activities include exploring the Toronto Islands (ferry costs $9.38 return), walking the Harbourfront, visiting High Park and the Scarborough Bluffs, browsing the Distillery District and Kensington Market, and checking out the Art Gallery of Ontario on the first Wednesday of the month from 6–9pm. Graffiti Alley is always free.
Toronto is famous for the CN Tower, the Distillery District, world-class food markets like St. Lawrence Market, its multicultural neighbourhoods (Kensington Market, Little Italy, Greektown, Chinatown), and being a major sports city home to the Raptors, Maple Leafs, and Blue Jays.
3–4 days is ideal to see the main highlights including the waterfront, CN Tower, Distillery District, Kensington Market, and a few neighbourhood restaurants. A full week lets you explore more neighbourhoods, do a day trip to Niagara Falls, and enjoy live events or sports.
June to September is peak season with warm weather, patios, festivals like TIFF and Caribbean Carnival, and outdoor events. May and October offer fewer crowds with still-pleasant weather. Winter is great if you love skating, the Christmas Market, and indoor culture.
Downtown Toronto is very walkable — most major attractions, restaurants, and hotels are accessible on foot or via the TTC subway and streetcar. The PATH underground network connects many downtown buildings. The Harbourfront trail is a beautiful flat walk along the lake.
WTF Toronto creates guides using independent editorial research, official sources, local knowledge and firsthand experience where available. Commercial relationships are disclosed where applicable.