Yorkville Murals returns to Toronto August 22-23, 2026

Before Yorkville became synonymous with luxury shopping, it was Toronto’s creative epicentre, a neighbourhood where musicians, poets, artists and cultural icons helped shape generations of Canadian culture. This August, that legacy comes to life once again. Presented by INK Entertainment, Taglialatella Gallery and the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, Yorkville Murals (YVM) returns August 22–23, transforming the neighbourhood into a vibrant open-air celebration of visual art, fashion, photography, music, poetry and design.

The free festival will welcome more than 70,000 visitors to discover internationally acclaimed artists, emerging creative voices, monumental public art and live cultural experiences unfolding throughout the village.

Now in its seventh year, YVM has grown into one of Canada’s leading multidisciplinary cultural festivals, reimagining streets, courtyards and public spaces as places to experience art, creativity and connection. Guided by this year’s theme, JOY, the festival celebrates the belief that culture has the power to bring people together and transform the way we experience our cities.

“Great cities are remembered for their cultural moments,” says Alan Ganev, Founder and Creative Director of YVM. “We’ve always believed Yorkville could become one of those places. This year, the festival brings together visual art, fashion, photography, poetry and music to create an experience that feels alive at every turn. We want people to leave inspired—not only by the artists they discovered, but by what’s possible when culture becomes part of everyday city life.”

THE FESTIVAL BEGINS WITH A VOICE

Yorkville Murals opens with New Voices, New-New Voices, Something Wonderfully Lush, featuring a live recitation of The Village Corner – Yorkville by Lillian Allen, City of Toronto Poet Laureate, Dub Poet and two-time JUNO Award winner.

Commissioned exclusively for YVM, The Village Corner – Yorkville is a new work celebrating the neighbourhood’s extraordinary creative legacy while looking toward the artists shaping Toronto today. Weaving together references to Yorkville’s storied past, from Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot to Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Leonard Cohen and bpNichol, the poem reflects on the neighbourhood’s role as a place where music, literature and artistic movements flourished while making space for the next generation of creative voices.

Following the performance, New Voices, New-New Voices, Something Wonderfully Lush will remain on view as a striking 20-foot public art installation in the heart of Yorkville. Developed in partnership with OCAD University, the installation invites visitors to participate through two on-site typewriter poets who create custom, one-of-a-kind poems, alongside a third interactive station where festivalgoers can contribute their own words. Together, these contributions form a living portrait of Toronto through the voices of its residents.

YORKVILLE AS THE CANVAS

At the centre of this year’s festival is The Sunset Garden, a monumental wraparound courtyard mural by internationally acclaimed artist Ola Volo. The immersive installation transforms the Taglialatella Gallery courtyard into a vibrant world inspired by mythology, transformation and nature. Throughout the weekend, the courtyard comes alive with live DJs, drinks and all-day programming, creating an open-air gathering place where art, music and community converge. Through PATTISON Outdoor’s Community Connections program, the work also extends beyond Yorkville to TTC platforms and digital billboards across Toronto, bringing the festival into the everyday lives of commuters.

The festival also welcomes internationally celebrated designer and two-time Grammy Award winner Stefan Sagmeister, whose newest exhibition, Before We Forgot Things Were Worse, encourages visitors to rethink optimism through art. Presented both inside Taglialatella Gallery and through a large-scale installation at Bay Station, the exhibition brings one of the world’s most influential creative voices directly into Toronto’s public realm.

Beyond the courtyard, Taglialatella Galleries presents a special exhibition by internationally acclaimed British artist duo The Connor Brothers, whose bold, text-based works have become some of the most recognizable in contemporary art. The exhibition offers visitors another reason to step inside, further blurring the line between public art and the gallery experience.

PHOTOGRAPHY, POP CULTURE AND VISUAL STORYTELLING

Making its Toronto debut, TOLIETPAPER Magazine, the influential Milan-based image-only publication founded by artist Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari, brings its unmistakable visual universe to Yorkville. Celebrated around the world for its surreal, saturated and often absurd imagery, the publication’s immersive installation blurs the boundaries between photography, fine art and contemporary pop culture, inviting visitors inside one of today’s most recognizable creative brands.

The internet comes to the streets with Great Advice for Shitty People, the cult-favourite Instagram account known for its witty, brutally honest observations. Created exclusively for YVM, the collaboration transforms the account’s signature text-based humour into a playful public art installation where visitors are invited to write and share their own advice in real life, sparking conversation and connection.

FASHION TAKES TO THE STREET

Fashion becomes performance through RCHIVE, Toronto’s multidisciplinary fashion and creative platform dedicated to supporting the next generation of designers, artists and cultural innovators.

Across both festival days, emerging designers Zoe Stone, Alexander Nicholson and Maya Ali will transform Yorkville into a live fashion studio, creating original avant-garde collections before festival audiences. On Saturday, each designer will create a conceptual menswear look, followed by an original womenswear look on Sunday. Rather than ending on the runway, the completed garments will be installed throughout Yorkville as sculptural public artworks, blurring the boundaries between fashion, performance and installation.

WATCH ART HAPPEN

Toronto’s Crybaby Gallery, curated by Mony Zakhour, transforms Yorkville Ave into a live creative studio, bringing artists Joshua Advincula, Matthew Walton and Moises Frank into the heart of the festival. Throughout the weekend, visitors can watch each artist create an original large-scale 3D artwork in real time, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creative process. Once complete, the works become part of the festival’s public exhibition before being made available for purchase.

AFTER DARK

As the sun sets, Yorkville transforms once again. The Cumberland Parkade turns into an immersive digital canvas through large-scale architectural projections presented by Anker, while DJs, rooftop celebrations and unexpected performances bring new energy to the neighbourhood.

Visit

Location: Yorkville Village Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood, Toronto

Festival Hours: Saturday, August 22: 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Sunday, August 23: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

About Yorkville Murals

Toronto’s Yorkville Murals is an annual cultural event that celebrates contemporary muralism and public art. Through the creation of artistic murals in Yorkville, and the implementation of cultural activations such as art installations, art talks, and art exhibitions, this project focuses on making Yorkville a landmark in Toronto for public art and an ultimate tourist destination.

Now in its 7th year, the event is presented by Taglialatella Galleries and INK Entertainment, and organized in partnership with the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area. YVM builds on Yorkville’s reputation as a historic enclave of Toronto’s early twentieth century art scene. The event has been designed as a safe, self-guided experience in the heart of Toronto.