The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is set to unleash its vibrant Festival Street for the eighth consecutive year expanding the excitement beyond the theatres and into the heart of the city. Festival Street, stretching along King Street West from Peter Street to University Avenue, transforms into an open-air experience accessible to the general public. On tap over the next few days is a slew of new and engaging activations, food vendors, photo opportunities, and musical performances. Here’s what’s happening.

Musical Extravaganza

A Night of Jazz (Sept. 7): Kicking off the festivities, the Festival Street Music Stage will host jazz legends Dave Young, Thompson Egbo-Ebgo, and the Jacob Chung Quintet, hosted by Raoul Bhaneja.

Nickelback on Stage (Sept. 8): Diamond-certified rock band Nickelback takes the Festival Street Music Stage to mark the premiere of the band’s TIFF gala presentation Hate to Love: Nickelback. Who knows what might happen!

Other Performances (Sept. 8-10): Electronica and powwow techno artist Classic Roots, RBCxMusic Artist Luna Elle, Toronto Dance Theatre, Doug Tielli, and the Godmother of Canadian Rap, Michie Mee, will grace the stage, providing diverse musical experiences for festivalgoers.

Cinema Park: Outdoor Screenings

Presenting classic films (Sept. 7-16): TIFF’s Cinema Park will showcase open-air screenings in David Pecaut Square. These screenings will feature classics connected to talent from TIFF 2023 Official Selection films, including The Spiderwick Chronicles, Batman, Contact, Superman III (40th-anniversary screening), Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (a tribute to Paul Reubens), Rocky, and four screenings curated by the Next Wave committee, featuring Addams Family Values (30th-anniversary screening), Clueless, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Where the Wild Things Are.

TIFF Next Wave Block Party with Finn Wolfhard

On Sept. 9, the TIFF Next Wave Block Party takes over and will feature performances by The Aubreys (featuring Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard), Alex Porat, daydream (winner of TIFF Next Wave’s Battle of the Scores), Sho Madjozi, and Grammy Award winner Zakes Bantwini.

Festival Street Art Market

The Festival Street Art Market runs from Sept. 7-16. It’s a bustling hub of fun activities celebrating art and community, featuring contributions from the city’s vibrant film festivals and arts organizations, including Inside Out Film Festival, imagineNATIVE Film Festival, Reel Asian Film Festival, Regent Park Film Festival, Hot Docs, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (NCCT), Muse Arts, REEL CANADA, and Workman Arts.

Festival Street Mural Project

Also running Sept. 7-10, the Festival Street Mural Project sees street artists Darcy Obokata and Tim Fukakusa create an evolving large art mural, a love letter to Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. The mural pays homage to Miyazaki’s influence on artists and film enthusiasts worldwide, coinciding with TIFF’s Opening Night International Premiere of Miyazaki’s latest work, “The Boy and the Heron.”

Additional Activities on Festival Street

• Falling in Love with Toronto (Sept. 7-16): The Myseum of Toronto’s “36 Questions That Lead to Loving Toronto” invites Torontonians to rediscover their love for the city through an engaging exhibition.
• Morning Mobility Session (Sept. 9): Enjoy a morning mix of movement and meditation in David Pecaut Square with the Group Morning Mobility session by Have a Nice Day Pilates Studio.
• Support for Local Businesses (Sept. 7-16): Festival Street also includes five additional vendors from BlackOwnedTO, contributing to the celebration of local businesses and communities.