Toronto 
The BIG on Bloor Festival will be taking over the 10-block Bloordale strip on Bloor Street West from Dufferin to Lansdowne on July 19 and 20.
Big on Bloor
The free festival will transform Bloor Street West, from Dufferin to Lansdowne Avenue, into a vibrant hub of artistic expression and community engagement.
This year’s theme, BIZARRE, highlights the unconventional elements of local creativity and community life. Programming includes workshops and installations led by BIPOC artists, focusing on cultural identity and expression.
The festival offers a range of public installations, murals, and window displays designed to attract visitors safely, while supporting local businesses and underrepresented artists. A community tapestry project will invite public participation and be publicly displayed.
Main stage performances, curated by Uma Nota Culture, will take place at Emerson and Bloor, featuring a diverse lineup of local and international acts. At St. Clarens, Relife Vintage introduces a retro Pac-Man arcade with over $1,000 in prizes, gift cards, and a vintage-themed treasure hunt.
Bloordale bakery ruru baked curates DJ performances to the south, while the Busker Zone at Brock South includes fire dancers, stilt walkers, drumming, singing circles, and performances by Clay & Paper Theatre. Earth Echoes Reptile Centre also returns, showcasing reptiles at Russett and Bloor.
Brock North hosts the return of PULP: art party CARD-YARD, with kid-friendly installations made from recycled materials, interactive architecture, and performances. Pop-up architecture by PULP: Make will feature modular play structures built from plywood and cardboard tubes.
Additional programming includes “Portals”—a mural series on community doors by Toronto artists, collage workshops, and live, pay-what-you-can poetry by Marc Nair.
BIG on Bloor 2025
When: July 19 & 20, 2025
Saturday – Noon to Midnight
9:00 pm to Midnight: Nighttime festival including parades, projection presentations, beer gardens, and mainstage performances.
Sunday – Noon to 9 p.m.
Where: Bloor Street West, between Dufferin to Lansdowne.
If you are heading to the festival, remember that Bloor Street West between Dufferin Street and Lansdowne Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic from 8 a.m. on July 19 until 2 a.m. on July 21. So, plan your trip accordingly.
