The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, and that means its annual pop-up street festival ‘Festival Street’ is returning, offering thousands of film fans the opportunity to see free entertainment and experience fun activations along King St. W. between Peter St. and University Ave. from Sept. 5 to Sept. 9.
The four-day celebration (along with free open-air screenings and activities at David Pecaut Square from Sept. 5–14) will include tons of food, drinks, art, and cultural activities for the whole family!
This Thursday on opening day, fans can experience the World Premiere of The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal directed by Mike Downie (the brother of Gord Downie, former singer/lyricist for the Tragically Hip). The four-part documentary series looks into the origins, impact, and legacy of one of Canada’s most legendary bands (click here for 10 other must-see films at TIFF 2024).
Following the screening, fans can get their vocals warmed up by singing along with Choir! Choir! Choir! as part of a giant outdoor sing-a-long taking place outside the Royal Alexandra Theatre onto Festival Street.
Movie lovers will be happy to know that Cinema Park is back with free open-air screenings (nightly at 10 pm, with open captions!) in David Pecaut Square, featuring screenings of some of the most popular classics, like Ghostbusters (Sept. 11), Footloose (Sept. 12), and The Karate Kid (Sept. 13); as well as screenings of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (September 5), Ghost (Sept. 6), Gattaca (Sept. 7), Arrival (Sept. 8), Drumline (Sept. 9), The Outsiders (Sept. 10), and Pitch Perfect (Sept. 14).
Folks into the indie scene can attend the Festival Street Art Market booths along Simcoe St. and King St., which will showcase some of the city’s most exciting community film festivals and arts organizations, with in-depth info about their initiatives, activities, and programming. Participants this year include the Toronto Film School, Inside Out Film Festival, Reel Asian Film Festival, imagineNATIVE, OCAD, Luminato Festival, Regent Park Film Festival, Muse Arts, Toronto Latin American Film Festival, REEL CANADA, and Workman Arts.
For partner activations, the Rogers Red Carpet VIP Experience will be the official first stop on the red carpet during TIFF! The elevated viewing space at Roy Thomson Hall will feature movie snacks and allow Rogers customers to catch the festival’s biggest stars and celebrity interviews. Similarly, the RBC Red Carpet Gallery will allow Avion Rewards members access to an exclusive viewing experience of the stars as they arrive at their Gala premieres at Roy Thomson Hall. The activation will feature interactive elements, including a fun photo booth experience that will allow fans to star in their own movie poster!
The Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre gives Visa Infinite cardholders priority line access and entry to the Visa Infinite Lounge, while the Campari Red Carpet Lounge on the Gala Red Carpet offers a fully immersive bar on the Gala red carpet for filmmakers and talent before their World Premieres (pre-screening toasts and conversations can be seen by all live in the South Fan Zone on the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall).
All festival-goers can get closer to their fav stars in the TIFF Fan Zone at the Gala Red Carpet. To gather mementos of the TIFF experience, visit Lavazza’s immersive photo booth as part of the Lavazza Festival Village Experience. You’ll probably be hungry at this point, so sample some gourmet bites by celebrity chef David Rocco at the House of Peroni Nastro Azzurro before dropping by the Pizza Nova booth for a slice or two of freshly prepared pizza! Families can also enjoy plant-based Beyond Meat burgers or take a moment to relax and enjoy some rich chocolate at the Ferrero Rocher Golden Lounge.
Before you leave the street festival, make sure to take part in their annual scavenger hunt (Sept. 6-8, 12-6 pm) for a chance to win prizes, including movie tickets and TIFF merchandise! All you have to do is find the eight landmarks around Festival Street and take a picture of yourself in front of each landmark sign (click here for more info).
Festival Street will result in the full closure of King St. W. between Peter St. and University Ave. from 5 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5 until 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 9. The following streets will also be fully closed during this time:
• John Street between King St. W. and Wellington St. W.
• Ed Mirvish Way between King St. W. and Pearl St.
• Simcoe Street between Wellington St. W. and Pearl St.
The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival takes place between Sept. 5 and Sept. 15. To help you sort out your plans, here’s a guide on everything you need to know before attending TIFF as well as a list of stars attending this year.
