Heads up Toronto, we are officially halfway through 2024 and we have another round of arts and culture events around the city. Summer in Toronto is unmatched and there are just some things you have to do to complete the season. Not limited to beach visits, music festivals, and theatre productions, this city has so much to offer if you just look in the right places! We have presented this week’s round of Best Bets to get you outside.
Courtesy of Fringe Festival
Toronto Fringe Festival
A summer in Toronto is incomplete without the Toronto Fringe Festival and lucky for you it is returning for another year of programming! Watch the city come to life with comedies, dramas, musicals, dance, storytelling and more at over 77 shows across 16 venues.This is such a great way to round out the theatre watching experience, so many voices will get a chance to present their projects. There will be free events and entertainment as well for those interested! Come out and support local theatre as all ticket revenues will go straight to the performers to better support the local arts scene as well. More info.
When: July 3-14
Where: Venues across Toronto
Courtesy of the AGO
Bright Signs: Spotlight on Video Art
Cityscapes and bright signs are synonymous with one another, and yet not many people stop to admire the art that shapes their surroundings. Reverberating with sound and light, Bright Signs: Spotlight on Video Art brings together works by 11 leading contemporary artists. Spanning three decades, this exhibition will include cinematic video installations, neon sculptures, paintings, and photographs, many of which have yet to be seen at the AGO. This range of work will draw from the AGO’s collection of contemporary works and address social issues including perceptions of history, visibility, and power. More info.
When: July 3 – October 14
Where: Art Gallery of Ontario
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BLOOM: A Cirque Garden Masquerade
There are so many one-of-a-kind immersive experiences happening all around, but this one in particular will give you stories beyond imagination. Back by popular demand, an immersive dance, circus, and garden experience will feature Toronto’s top aerialists. You will be led through lush gardens to a series of secret indoor and outdoor performance locations. There will be aerial silks, hoop, sling, and more by Toronto’s top aerial artists. This program is suitable for all ages and graces the stage with beauty, humour, grace, and a little bit of magic to keep the mind young. More info.
When: July 5-7
Where: Toronto Botanical Garden
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Beaches Jazz Festival
Take a trip to the East End and enjoy The Beaches International Festival held each year in the lakeside Beaches community. It is now one of Canada’s largest free jazz festivals with nearly one million attendees throughout its month-long span. The festival takes place across a number of venues along the two kilometre stretch of the Beach mainstreet. You can find artists to add to your playlists from internationally acclaimed jazz performers to local talent including the “new generation” of jazz musicians. More info.
When: July 5-28
Where: The Beaches
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BAM! IN THE SUMMER
It’s market season in Toronto, and what would a weekend be in the city without a summer market to frolic in? BAM! is back for an all-new summer market to support local talents in the diverse communities of the city, giving emerging, mid-career and established artists a space to be seen. There will be over 25 professional artists highlighting multimedia projects. This event will be in collaboration with TD Salsa on St. Clair 2024, so you can meet Latino artists, creators, food vendors, and more as well! More info.
When: July 6
Where: Wychwood Barns
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Spin – In Concert
What would the world be without bicycles? Well, as a worldwide fan favourite transportation, SPIN is an innovative production that celebrates bicycles. Evalyn Parry’s SPIN is an innovative production that has toured the continent for over a decade. It was inspired in part by the true story of Annie Londonderry, the first woman to ride around the world on a bike in 1895. From the nineteenth century onwards, this production will cover women’s emancipation to the present day to forge time and history. This is a show for everyone who loves riding or better yet, learning. More info.
When: July 6
Where: Guild Festival Theatre
Courtesy of Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill
M****
Our Best Bet lists are never complete without mention of a local gallery. Mercer Union is presenting M*****, a solo show by Vancouver-based artist Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill. It will feature a range of works from different mediums such as sculptures, drawings, and a film installation to take up the ideologies and practices of motherhood. Across the space, Hill brings together a body of work that speaks to motherhood as a disembodied experience through the bonds it forms. This exhibition is a must-see, it encourages conversations about motherhood and examines systems of exchange, circulation, and ownership. More info.
When: July 6 – August 31
Where: Mercer Union
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TOPS: Modern Times
It is Toronto tradition to enjoy the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show at the city’s most scenic parks. Luckily for you, they are screening Modern Times this week at Christie Pits. This visits the transitional period between silent and sound cinema. In Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 masterpiece, the bumbling protagonist Chaplin works a series of precarious jobs. This fun film confronts the travails of modern life with humour. This is a family favourite that will have anyone at the edge of their blankets! Grab your favourite snacks, best friends, and shoot a few photos to enjoy a beautiful night out in Toronto. More info.
When: July 7
Where: Christie Pits Park
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Sunfest x DROM Taberna: DEF MAMA DEF
The queens of Senegalese music are conquering the world with their dynamic sounds and breathtaking shows. DEF MAMA DEF is the brand new “girl power” project carried by two artists from Dakar and Saint Louis, Mamy Victory and Defa. Expand your musical borders from Senegal to Toronto for an evening of live music. More info.
When: July 8
Where: DROM Taberna
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Gabrielle Zevin on Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Friends to lovers is a great trope, and the yearning, pining, and everything in between gives it the accolades it deserves. Join Gabrielle Zevin for a conversation on her bestselling novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. It follows the story of Sam and Sadie, two college friends, often in love but never lovers. The two are creative partners in crime in a dazzling and intricately imagined world of video game design. This is a love story unlike any you’ve read, so sit in to explore the book’s multifarious themes of identity, disability, failure, and the redemptive possibilities in play. More info.
When: July 8
Where: Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
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