Explore the Toronto Biennial of Art 2026, September 26–December 20. Find free exhibitions, artists, locations, venue hours and registered events.
Categories: FREE EXPERIENCES · Arts & Culture
When:
Where:
Art Museum at the University of Toronto, 15 King's College Circle, Toronto, ONCost: Admission varies by venue and program
The Toronto Biennial of Art’s fourth edition, Things Fall Apart, runs September 26–December 20, 2026. Curated by Allison Glenn, it brings more than 30 artists and collectives and 16 commissions to a network of galleries, public spaces and community sites across Toronto. The organizer describes the Biennial as largely free, but admission rules vary by partner venue and individual program. Rebecca Belmore’s Gichigami opened the Biennial on September 26 with a procession from the Queen Victoria statue in Queen’s Park to the Art Museum at the University of Toronto. The performance date has passed; the commissioned work remains on view as an installation at the Art Museum for the Biennial’s duration. Registration was required for the opening performance. Check the Art Museum for current installation access. The October 16–18 convening An Arrival, A Grounding, A Departure is a separate free program with required registration. October 16 centres Indigenous perspectives and practices at the Native Canadian Centre, with a shared meal, a conversation with Bonnie Devine, Rebecca Belmore and Taqralik Partridge, and a drum social. October 17 gathers at Scarborough Gurdwara around Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu’s sculpture, with an artist talk, Simran, music and Punjabi-language remarks. The organizer offers a complimentary bus for registrants who reserve that ticket type; others meet at the Gurdwara. October 18’s farm visit and gathering at Downsview Park includes a farm visit, tasting and conversation, then a tour of the central exhibition. Complimentary buses are available to registrants, but independent visitors should follow their confirmation for the meeting point. All three convening days require registration. Remaining registration or shuttle capacity has not been independently confirmed; check the organizer’s live registration pages before travelling. Published schedules are subject to change. There is no single daily opening schedule for every Biennial artwork. The published visiting hours below belong to each host venue, not a guarantee that every artwork or gallery is available throughout those hours. The Art Museum at the University of Toronto lists its Art Centre and Justina M. Barnicke Gallery separately; Friday hours for those galleries were not clearly specified in the Biennial’s venue information. Confirm holiday closures and artwork access with the host before making a special trip. ROM’s Free Main Floor program runs September 25–November 29, 2026, and offers free access to designated first-floor galleries. The ROM explicitly requires advance free tickets. This is a separate ROM offer, not a blanket free-admission promise for the Biennial or all museum galleries. Use the organizer’s interactive location map to plan a route. It includes exhibition venues and the Native Canadian Centre’s October 16 program site. The Toronto Black Farmers and Food Growers Collective farm is not pinned here: the organizer has not supplied a precise public meeting point for independent arrivals. The Biennial’s event booking instructions should guide registered attendees. October 16 schedule · 1:00 p.m. opening remarks and cultural teachings; 1:30 p.m. shared meal; 2:15 p.m. conversation with Bonnie Devine, Rebecca Belmore and Taqralik Partridge; 3:30 p.m. break; 3:45 p.m. drum social; 4:45 p.m. closing song and reflections. Venue: Native Canadian Centre, 16 Spadina Rd. The day runs 1:00–4:45 p.m. October 17 schedule · 12:00 p.m. bus departs the Art Museum for registrants who selected bus transport; 1:00–1:30 p.m. arrival and refreshments; 1:30 p.m. artist talk with Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu, Allison Glenn and Bhai Harpal Singh; 2:15 p.m. Simran; 2:45 p.m. Dhadi Jatha Bibi Veerpal Kaur Khalsa; 3:30 p.m. remarks in Punjabi and English; 4:00 p.m. speaker Bhai Harpal Singh; 4:15 p.m. return bus departs; 5:30 p.m. arrival near Union Station. An optional 6:00–7:00 p.m. social has an unannounced location, followed by an optional 7:00 p.m. collective viewing of Andrés Ramírez Gaviria’s Sources (Toronto) on the CN Tower. Venue: Scarborough Gurdwara, 905 Middlefield Road. The program runs noon–7:00 p.m.; attendees may stay or leave during the speaker session. October 18 schedule · 10:00 a.m. bus departs the Art Museum for registrants; 10:45 a.m. farm arrival; 10:50 a.m. farm visit; noon introduction to the Collective Hub; 12:15 p.m. tasting and conversation with Céline Semaan and Jean-Marc Bullet; 2:00 p.m. closing remarks; 2:30 p.m. return bus departs; 3:30 p.m. arrival at the Art Museum for an exhibition tour. The organizer lists the farm at 70 Canuck Ave, but does not provide a precise public meeting point for independent arrivals. Follow registrant instructions. Published host schedules · Art Museum at the University of Toronto Art Centre and Justina M. Barnicke Gallery: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday noon–5:00 p.m.; Wednesday noon–8:00 p.m.; Sunday and Monday closed; Friday not clearly specified. Mercer Union: Tuesday–Saturday 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; special Sundays September 27, October 18 and December 13. Gallery TPW: Wednesday–Saturday 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; special Sundays September 27, October 18 and December 13; closes after December 13. AGO: Tuesday and Thursday 10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday until 9:00 p.m.; weekends until 5:30 p.m. ROM: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Aga Khan Museum: Tuesday 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Wednesday until 8:00 p.m.; Thursday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Monday closed. Important exceptions · Harbourfront Centre outdoor art is accessible 24 hours, but its indoor venue is closed October 5–18. Sankofa Square is a public square accessible 24 hours. Scarborough Gurdwara’s outdoor artwork is accessible 24 hours; follow Gurdwara etiquette. CN Tower’s exterior light artwork can be viewed after sunset from the street without tower admission. Pearson airport is open 24 hours, but art access depends on terminal location. St. George Station access is subject to TTC station and fare-gate rules. ROM Free Main Floor · September 25–November 29, 2026. The ROM requires advance free tickets for access to designated first-floor galleries. This does not make all ROM exhibitions or all Biennial partner venues free.
Find it under: Free Experiences · Events · Arts & Culture · Things to Do · Art · Toronto Biennial of Art · October 2026 · November 2026 · December 2026
Visit the official Biennial website — Program schedules, venue hours, admission, registration and shuttle availability may change. Check the organizer and host venue before setting out.
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