From holiday pop-up bars to sparkling lights, traditional Christmas performances to multicultural celebrations, Toronto is Holiday Central. Here’s where it’s all going down, right now.
Toronto is one of the best cities to experience holiday magic in all its wonder. From exclusive, immersive Christmas pop-ups to world-class performances, the city keeps reinventing how locals and visitors celebrate, turning every weekend into a series of “you have to be here” moments.
Think of this as your insider cheat sheet to Toronto’s buzziest, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them holiday experiences. Because why wait for next year when the city is this dazzling right now?!
Pop-up Bars & Dining Experiences
Eat, drink and be merry at these only-in-Toronto, only-during-the-holidays events and pop-ups.
The Elf Bar
Wednesdays to Sundays, now through December 21, 2025
A sprinkle of North Pole chaos and hundreds of playful elves make the Elf Bar one of the city’s most popular pop-ups. Sip on themed drinks and jump into playful games that will unleash your inner Elf. Santa’s little helpers don't hold tables, so make sure you pre-book your spot as dates and times vary.
Miracle Toronto
Now through December 28, 2025
📍Bloorcourt, Waterfront
Miracle Toronto is back, sparkling brighter than ever with two locations this year. Their new Harbourfront spot welcomes all ages for family-friendly fun, while the original keeps its signature grown-up merriment. Sip a classic Christmapolitan or the limoncello-soaked Dancing Sugarplums, feast on a Santa pancake brunch, and soak in immersive, tinsel-filled atmospheres guaranteed to make even the grumpiest scrooge grin.
Hotel pop-ups & dining experiences
Now through January 2026 (click links for details)
📍Yorkville, Entertainment District
At The Four Seasons Toronto (Yorkville), guests can enjoy the Gingerbread Café pop-up with gingerbread lattes and French pastries, savour Afternoon Tea featuring Chef Daniel Boulud’s creations with premium teas and champagne, or join Fondue Nights with artisanal cheeses and baguettes.
The Shangri-La Toronto (Entertainment District) offers a winter sanctuary with fireside festive cocktails, live piano music, and the Nutcracker Afternoon Tea featuring seasonal sweets and sparkling drinks.
At 1 Hotel Toronto (Entertainment District), guests can mingle through the “12 Days of Cocktails,” while a chilly Sunday is best spent at brunch at 1 Kitchen with holiday plates and bubbly cocktails.
Immersive Art & Light Installations
Immersive yourself in the sparkle and glow of these Toronto holiday installations and light shows.
Enlightenment by EONARIUM
Now through December 19, 2025
This mesmerizing sound-and-light journey by Swiss collective PROJEKTIL reimagines Vivaldi's The Four Seasons through choreographed visual projections. Set inside Toronto's 115-year-old Knox Presbyterian Church, the show transforms every architectural detail so audiences are immersed in a “living artwork.”
Having captivated millions across Europe, this immersive experience welcomes all ages and is fully wheelchair accessible.
Stranger Things 5 Immersive Experience
Now through January 4, 2026
While a show about otherworldly demons terrorizing a small town isn’t exactly festive fare, Netflix is bringing Stranger Things to surreal life at Toronto’s Distillery Winter Village to celebrate season five and its winter debut.
Fans can step inside Hawkins, Indiana and relive the iconic Byers’ living room, complete with the alphabet wall and flickering Christmas lights, for an immersive pop-culture experience perfect for those who love to celebrate the unexpected.
Cavalcade of Lights
Now through January 7, 2026
Toronto’s flagship holiday celebration, the Cavalcade of Lights, dates to 1967 and features over 300,000 lights illuminating Nathan Phillips Square nightly.
This year’s festival celebrates diversity and winter activity through music, dance and visual arts, including the lighting of Toronto’s official Christmas tree (November 29, 2026), followed by weeks filled with one of the city’s most cherished traditions: skating on the reflecting pool, with Saturday skating parties and free rentals.
Fleurs de Villes NOËL
December 3–7, 2025
Stroll a bucolic floral trail through the always-decked-out Bloor-Yorkville, brought to life by Toronto’s premiere florists. Discover over 25 fresh-floral installations, including mannequins inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas, while making merry with holiday carolers and floral-inspired cocktails.
Browse the pop-up flower markets for a special take-home treat. From the “Luminato in Bloom” doorway at Luminato Gallery to “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” at Manulife Centre, the trail sparkles with nature’s finest gift.
Pro tip: Visit during daylight to see the blooms at their most vibrant.
Casa Loma: Christmas At The Castle
December 5, 2025–January 3, 2026
Toronto’s only historic castle offers a glimpse into the city’s Gilded Age, making it the perfect venue to feel the spirit of celebration. Inside, the Great Hall dazzles with a 20-foot Christmas tree and plus a handful of designer trees, while live performances—including aerialists, Olaf and winter princesses, magicians, and Canada’s Got Talent semi-finalists—bring the cheer.
Kids can meet Santa and send letters to the North Pole, and the tunnels, gardens, and pathways glow with holiday lighting displays.
Refer to Casa Loma’s online accessibility guide for information that can help you plan your visit.
Seasonal Concerts & One-off Shows
These classic holiday arts experiences will capture your senses while captivating your festive spirit.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Merry Murdoch Mysteries in Concert
December 2, 2025
Combining seasonal spirit with suspense at Roy Thomson Hall, Merry Murdoch Mysteries in Concert invites audiences to watch a brand-new festive “whodunit” episode of the CBC series unfold on the big screen while TSO performs the score live, bringing every twist and turn to life.
With special cast appearances and plenty of holiday cheer, this one-of-a-kind event makes for a joy-filled seasonal outing—ending with the inevitable post-show question: So, who did it?
National Ballet of Canada: The Nutcracker
December 5–31, 2025
The National Ballet of Canada presents a limited run of its hugely popular Nutcracker at the divine Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, enchanting audiences with moving lavish sets and Tchaikovsky’s timeless score.
Get into the spirit before the show with fancy finger sandwiches and sweet treats at the Shangri-La’s Nutcracker Afternoon Tea.
Mari-onka: A Mariah Carey & Willy Wonka Holiday Drag Brunch
December 7, 2025
Enjoy a prix-fixe brunch, sassy cocktails, and the chance to win prizes at this can’t-miss event that merges Mariah Carey’s iconic glam with the whimsical world of Willy Wonka, plus a troupe of fierce queens who werk it with lip-syncs, comedy, and realness from the 6ix.
Arrive serving lewks in sequins, candy-cane colours, and Mariah-worthy glamour. Drag is for everyone, and this all-ages event invites audiences of every generation to join the fun!
Factory Theatre: Holiday! An Improvised Musical
December 10–20, 2025
A completely unscripted adventure where the cast improvises a new holiday musical every night, based on audience suggestions. Expect big laughs and heartwarming holiday chaos as the performers create original stories and show-stopping numbers on the spot. No two performances are the same, making Holiday! An Improvised Musical a high-energy seasonal treat perfect for anyone who loves LOL comedy, singing, and spontaneous fun.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Handel’s Messiah
December 16–21, 2025
Handel’s Messiah returns with the heavenly voices of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at Roy Thomson Hall. Seats for this Toronto tradition will vanish faster than a snowflake, so be sure to grab your tickets while you can!
UNION WINTER: Holiday Opera Express
December 18, 2025
Union Station’s West Wing becomes a musical hub with its free annual holiday concert series.
Featuring Canadian Opera Company teaching artists and acclaimed performers, each performance reimagines seasonal favourites through the expressive power of opera. The series opens with the iconic “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah, performed by Tafelmusik, Canada’s renowned baroque orchestra and choir. Feeling festive? Bring your own score and join a community sing-along to lift your spirits sky-high.
Choir! Choir! Choir! Un-Silent Night: An Epic Holiday Sing-Along
December 20, 2025
Choir! Choir! Choir! turns audiences into a harmonizing choir, with hundreds joining to sing pop culture’s most iconic songs. Part concert and part community gathering, this shared experience is legendary in Toronto, and this holiday season they’re amping up the fun with holiday hits and revivals at Massey Hall.
You’ll laugh (possibly cry), sing your heart out, and leave feeling connected and part of something bigger after one of the most welcoming and powerful live music experiences out there.
Forte Toronto Gay Men’s Chorus: Warm for December
December 20, 2025
With harmonies that warm the heart, Forte Toronto Gay Men’s Chorus turns up the fuzzy feelings with Warm for December, a choral concert at Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church (known for its exquisite acoustics), celebrating queer joy and the beauty of chosen family.
Expect a dazzling mix of compositions from storied composers, Benjamin Britten and Conrad Susa, plus holiday hits by pop sparkle divas Kylie Minogue and Ariana Grande. It’s an evening that is emotional, heartfelt, and deeply rooted in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Flash Markets & Art Fairs
Ace your holiday gift shopping—don’t forget to treat yourself!—at these Toronto holiday markets and special events.
City of Craft Holiday Market
December 5–7, 2025
The City of Craft Holiday Market showcases over 60 local and Canadian makers from Ontario and beyond, featuring artisan and hobbyist craft artists across diverse disciplines at the Theatre Centre in West Queen West (a.k.a Parkdale).
Pick up the best in indie literature at the Small Zine and Paper Goods Market taking place downstairs. (That’s where all the cool kids will be!)
East End Arts Holiday Market
December 6, 2025
📍Riverdale
The East End Arts Holiday Market offers artist-made goods by emerging and local creators, paired with warm treats like cider and cookies, with a community-driven initiative collecting non-perishables for local food banks.
The Disability Collective Holiday Market
December 7, 2025
The Disability Collective Holiday Market at Wychwood Barns celebrates the work of disabled artists, highlighting inclusivity and diversity with interactive activities including a free photo booth, card-making station, and food from local vendors.
Wychwood Barns itself is worth a gander for its cool indie studios and galleries.
Toronto Art Crawl Christmas Pop-Up
December 7, 2025
Meanwhile, the Toronto Art Crawl Christmas Pop-Up brings together over 120 Toronto artists and artisans in the eclectic West Queen West neighbourhood’s Great Hall, offering everything from art, photography, and sculptures to home decor and unique gifts, with food vendors and a kid DJ keeping the holiday spirit lively.
Winter Glow Festival
December 11–21, 2025
At the family-friendly Winter Glow street festival in Sankofa Square, the whole fam can jump into classic winter fun with carnival-style treats and games, a towering 45-foot Ferris wheel offering perfect city views and photo ops, sip mulled wine and spiked cider at the Polar Point Bar, or catch a special live performance by My Pop Choir, kicking off a cheerful celebration of the season.
Plan Your Holiday Visit
Santa starts his party planning early, and so should you!
Act fast
Many popular events sell out quickly—with some requiring timed-entry tickets—so it’s best to book early to make the most of your holiday adventures.
Navigating the city
Getting around town is easy with Toronto’s convenient TTC public transit system, including wheelchair-accessible buses and streetcars, plus an extensive subway network (many stations are equipped with wheelchair and stroller-friendly elevators), perfect for avoiding parking hassles.
If you drive, look for local parking lots and follow street signage to avoid getting a parking ticket.
Get the lowdown on Toronto’s top holiday events by exploring Holiday Festivals in Toronto.
This story has been updated with new details since it was first published in November 2021.
