June 4-22, 2025
Various Location
Luminato Festival returns from June 4-22, 2025, to ignite Toronto with bold, playful, and transformative art experiences. Under the leadership of CEO Celia Smith and Artistic Director Olivia Ansell, this 19th edition is more ambitious than ever, inviting the public to experience the city in a whole new way.
A Festival of Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences
“Luminato presents once-in-a-lifetime, inclusive art experiences that showcase the best of Toronto, our country, and the world,” says Celia Smith. “We create moments that inspire and connect us, leading to positive change in our everyday lives.”
This year’s theme, DAY:NIGHT, explores the 24-hour rhythm of urban life. From the first breath of dawn to the last dance at night, Luminato 2025 invites audiences to reflect on how they engage with time and space as a community.
A City Transformed: Art From Dawn to Dusk
Luminato will immerse audiences in a dynamic mix of music, dance, theatre, and family-friendly public art. With the city as its canvas, the festival will bring encounters to outdoor spaces, transit stations, theatres, galleries, and neighbourhoods. Over 1,000 artists from around the world will reshape Toronto’s cultural landscape through 12 world premieres, eight commissions, and 14 exclusive productions from 10 countries.
Festival Highlights: Opening and Immersive Installations
The festival kicks off with Dawn Chorus, an operatic symphony at Union Station by visionary Krystian Lada (Poland). Award-winning photographer Nadya Kwandibens (Anishinaabe/Ojibwe) presents Night/Shifts, capturing the lives of Toronto’s night workers, displayed across the TTC. At Harbourfront Centre, First Breath by UK artist Luke Jerram celebrates new life with a breathtaking light installation, while Terceradix Luminarium by Architects of Air (UK) creates an immersive, otherworldly structure of colour and light.
Innovative Theatre and Dance
- Hamlet (Teatro La Plaza, Peru) – A groundbreaking adaptation featuring eight actors with Down syndrome.
- An Oak Tree (UK) – A mesmerizing play by Tim Crouch, where each performance features a surprise guest actor, presented with TO Live.
- Red Like Fruit – A powerful exploration of power and complicity by Hannah Moscovitch, co-presented with Soulpepper and 2B Theatre.
- Queen of the Night Communion – A reimagining of baroque opera, co-produced with Tapestry Opera.
- What the Day Owes to the Night (France/Algeria) – A stunning fusion of capoeira, martial arts, and Sufi dance, presented with TO Live and Fall For Dance North.
- HANS: My Life in Fairytales – A magical theatrical experience using puppetry and clowning to bring Hans Christian Andersen’s stories to life.
- Theo x Travis: Jazz is Dead – A high-energy fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and R&B featuring Theo Croker and Travis Knights.
Unmissable Free Public Art
Luminato will feature stunning free public installations, including:
- THAW (Australia) – An eight-hour performance highlighting climate change, featuring a 2.7-tonne ice block suspended over Sankofa Square.
- Rainbow Dreams (Hiromi Tango, Japan/Australia) – A trio of interactive rainbow-filled environments at Brookfield Properties, promoting well-being.
- Dandyism (Ziza Patrick, Rwanda/UK) – A joyous celebration of African style through contemporary and street dance.
Luminato at Harbourfront: A Vibrant Festival Hub
Harbourfront Centre will be a central hub for free, all-day cultural experiences, featuring:
- Sangam – A rhythmic fusion of South Asian sounds curated by The Tawoos Initiative, with performances by Pakistani rap legend Faris Shafi and electronic producer Talal Qureshi.
- Miigwech Collective – Showcasing Indigenous artists such as blues and country singer Crystal Shawanda, pop artist Alicia Kayley, and electronic artist Tica.
- Lulaworld – A celebration of Latin and Indigenous music, featuring Colombia’s La Pambelé orchestra and the electrifying Kombilesa Mí.
- SANTÉ – A thrilling acrobatic spectacle by Cirque Kikasse (Quebec), performed atop a food truck.
With world-class performances, immersive experiences, and groundbreaking public art, Luminato Festival 2025 promises to transform Toronto like never before.
