Yorkville Murals turns Bloor-Yorkville into an open-air festival of art, fashion, poetry and music on Saturday and Sunday, August 22-23, 2026. Presented by INK Entertainment, Taglialatella Gallery and the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, the seventh annual festival is built around this year's theme, JOY. It has grown into one of Canada's leading cultural festivals, turning its streets and courtyards into venues for art and community. Organizers expect more than 70,000 visitors to see work from Canadian and international artists throughout the village.
Before Yorkville became known for luxury shopping, it was Toronto's creative centre, home to the musicians, poets and artists who shaped Canadian culture. Yorkville Murals opens by returning to that history: a new poem commissioned for the festival, recited live, threads the neighbourhood's past voices - Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Leonard Cohen and bpNichol - with the artists working in Yorkville today.
The Festival Begins With a Voice
Yorkville Murals opens with a live recitation of The Village Corner - Yorkville, a new poem by Lillian Allen, City of Toronto Poet Laureate, Dub Poet and two-time JUNO Award winner. Commissioned for the festival, the poem marks Yorkville's creative history while making room for today's artists.
The piece then stays on view as a 20-foot public art installation developed with OCAD University. Two on-site typewriter poets write custom poems for visitors all weekend, and a third lets visitors add their own words to a growing portrait of the city.
Yorkville as the Canvas
At the centre of the festival is The Sunset Garden, a wraparound courtyard mural by artist Ola Volo that turns the Taglialatella Gallery courtyard into a mythology-inspired scene. DJs, drinks and programming keep the courtyard active all weekend, and through PATTISON Outdoor's Community Connections program the artwork also reaches TTC platforms and digital billboards across Toronto.
Two-time Grammy Award winner Stefan Sagmeister presents Before We Forgot Things Were Worse, an exhibition on optimism shown inside Taglialatella Gallery and at Bay Station. Taglialatella Galleries also hosts an exhibition from British duo The Connor Brothers, known for bold, text-based work.
Fashion, Photography and Live Art
RCHIVE, Toronto's fashion and creative platform, turns Yorkville into a live design studio for the weekend. Designers Zoe Stone, Alexander Nicholson and Maya Ali build collections in public view - a menswear look Saturday, a womenswear look Sunday - and the finished garments become public art around Yorkville.
Milan's TOILETPAPER Magazine, founded by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, debuts in Toronto with an installation, and the Instagram account Great Advice for Shitty People turns its humour into a piece visitors can write on themselves. On Yorkville Avenue, Crybaby Gallery, curated by Mony Zakhour, brings artists Joshua Advincula, Matthew Walton and Moises Frank to build large-scale 3D artworks live, later available for sale.
After Dark
After sunset, the Cumberland Parkade becomes a large-scale projection canvas presented by Anker, and DJs and rooftop gatherings carry the festival into the evening. The Transitions® Lenses Lounge gives visitors a place to gather through the day and night, built around the brand's shifting play of colour and light.
A Free Festival for Everyone
What sets Yorkville Murals apart is that the entire weekend carries no admission charge and stays self-guided, open to the more than 70,000 visitors expected to pass through the neighbourhood. Now in its seventh year, the festival has grown from a mural project into one of Canada's leading cultural events, aiming to make Yorkville a lasting home for public art.
The festival is presented by INK Entertainment, Taglialatella Gallery and the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, with support from Transitions® Lenses, Supreme Pizza, Anker and Labatt, and programming collaborators Soho House Toronto, Caudalie, Othership, Equinox, rCHIVE and Roll-Out.
Event Details
Date & Time: Saturday, August 22, 2026, 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM | Sunday, August 23, 2026, 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: Yorkville Village, Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood, Toronto
Admission: No ticket required, self-guided across both days.
For more information, visit here.
Yorkville's cultural calendar - art festivals, gallery openings, and neighbourhood happenings - reflects its position as Toronto's luxury lifestyle destination. Follow @mr.yorkville for curated event updates and neighbourhood insights.
Contact Nissan Michael and Grace M Chan at Mr. Yorkville Real Estate Group for real estate expertise in Yorkville and Toronto's luxury neighbourhoods.
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