Toronto’s sizzling hot festival scene heats up this winter, with can’t-miss events for the whole family.
Winter 2026 is a stellar year for many of Toronto’s top festivals. The winter festival season picks up steam late January and brings light into dark winter nights with a range of programming the whole family will enjoy.
Showcasing the best music, art, design and culinary offerings in the city, here are 10 winter festivals in Toronto worth venturing out in the cold for.
DesignTO
DesignTO (January 23–February 1, 2026) is Canada’s largest celebration of design. With over 100 in-person and virtual exhibitions, the festival curates an array of events, exhibitions and window installations across Toronto.
If you’re fascinated by art, architecture, graphics, urban design, furniture and industrial design, this is the event for you.
Previous festivals have included ikebana floral art, the photography of Toronto-based Ghanaian Nigerian photographer Delali Cofie, making a fried egg at a hands-on embroidery workshop and so. much. more.
Winterlicious
Winterlicious (January 30–February 12, 2026) is the best way to try Toronto’s buzziest (and most luxe) restaurants, as they offer affordable, prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menus.
With more than 240 restaurants across the city participating, it’s one of the city’s most anticipated foodie events. Be sure to book your reservations early to grab seats at some of Toronto’s most in-demand restaurants.
Downtown Chinatown Lunar New Year
Celebrate the Year of the Horse downtown at the Dragon City Mall and Chinatown Centre (February 21 & 22, 2026).
The Lunar New Year festivities kick off with an opening ceremony and lion dance followed by live performances, activities and interactive games for the whole family.
Since the celebrations are in Chinatown, it’s a breeze to pop into nearby shops, bakeries and restaurants to pick up Lunar New Year decor and explore the neighbourhood’s humming food scene.
KUUMBA
Harbourfront Centre’s KUUMBA (February 1–28, 2026) honours Black accomplishments through a month-long showcase of artists in multidisciplinary fields.
Guided by the unifying theme, Sounds of Blackness, KUUMBA 2026 will feature performances in a variety of artistic disciplines, including music, theatre, dance, spoken word and visual art, as well as wellness, family-friendly events, and masterclasses.
What sets KUUMBA apart from other festivals is its focus transcends the past to look to the future of Black art, culture and society within the communities that make up Toronto.
Toronto Black Film Fest
The Toronto Black Film Festival (February 11–16, 2026) returns this year with six days of film screenings, panel sessions and cultural experiences for the public and industry professionals.
The festival is known for innovative, diverse, and bold programming, with several world and Canadian premieres debuting at each year’s festival.
The festival’s free panel discussions and workshops feature renowned industry professionals offering professional insight and thought-provoking conversations on social issues.
The Rhubarb Festival
The annual Rhubarb Festival (February 4–7, 2026) transforms Buddies in Bad Times Theatre into a hub for new work by local and international queer playwrights, actors and other creatives.
The festival's programming challenges the parameters of what art can or should be. They include thought-provoking theatre, performance art, musical expression and more.
Roundhouse Winter Craft Beer Festival
The Roundhouse Winter Craft Beer Festival (February 21, 2026) brings some of the best brewers in Ontario to the outdoor park space just outside Steam Whistle Brewing.
With a live DJ, food vendors and a wide selection of beers, this one-day festival is a great way to enjoy crisp alfresco refreshments and try a new brew (or two). Don’t worry: with cozy campfires and a free festival toque, you’ll stay toasty at this 19+ event.
RELATED: Toronto Brew Pass: How to Enjoy a Craft Beer Crawl the Easy Way
Wavelength Winter Music Festival
Wavelength Music Festival + Conference (March 19–21, 2026) returns over the Spring Equinox weekend, expanding its programming open to all ages across various venues citywide, including its home base, St. Anne’s Parish Hall.
The weekend includes panels, walking tours, workshops and even a petting zoo, alongside performances by emerging Canadian artists and international guests from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Portugal and the United States.
Explore new music, ideas and experiences while connecting with Toronto’s creative community.
Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival
The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival (March 4–15, 2026) is Toronto’s longest-running live comedy festival.
The 11-day festival brings the best live and scripted comedy to the city… lots of it.
The full festival pass gains you access to as many of the 200 writer-performers as you can fit into your schedule, but comedy fans can also opt for individual shows and festival workshops.
Toronto Comicon
Toronto Comicon (March 20–22, 2026), also known as Fan Expo, returns to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for a weekend of celebrity panels, appearances and workshops to see your favourite television and movie stars up close.
Toronto Comicon highlights pop culture with themed events on iconic franchises, plus an array of interactive and open-play activities.
While this year’s celebrities have not been announced yet, past Toronto Comicons have featured faves like Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Gordon Cormier, Doctor Who’s Christina Chong and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Anson Mount.
This story has been updated with new details since it was first published in December 2024.
