Toronto cancels all major events for second summer in a row

The City of Toronto is cancelling all major in-person events this summer due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19.

The City made the announcement on Friday, saying they hope to slow the spread of the virus by extending the Toronto-wide cancellation of all City-led and City-permitted outdoor events until September 6.

This cancellation includes all festivals and gatherings that would be held at outdoor sites managed by the City or on other public locations such as roads, parks, and squares. That means iconic Toronto events like The CNE, Caribbean Carnival, and Taste of the Danforth will not happen this year.

“The City and the vast majority of Toronto residents are doing everything we can right now to stop the spread of COVID-19 and get vaccinated,” said Mayor John Tory.

“Following the public health measures and getting vaccinated as soon as you’re eligible will help us bring this pandemic to an end so that we can safely gather together once again. We will continue to support the City’s major events through these tough times and will do everything we can to make sure they come back stronger in 2022.”

The full list of cancelled events includes:

Taste of the Middle East
Taste of Lawrence
Honda Indy
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair
Afrofest
Salsa in Toronto
49th Annual Festival of India
Bloor West StreetFest
Beaches Jazz Festival
Oss Fest
Caribbean Junior Carnival
Scarborough Ribfest
Caribbean Carnival, King and Queen Competition, Pan Alive and Grand Parade
Taste of the Danforth
Vegandale Food Drink Festival
Bollywood Film Fair
Waterfront Night Market
Canadian National Exhibition
Mabuhay Philippines Festival
Toronto Chinatown Festival
Labour Day Parade

See also:
- Queen West KFC and sneaker store to be replaced by a new park
- Fully vaccinated people in the US no longer need to wear a mask indoors: CDC

This mass cancellation, however, does not include any permits issued by the City’s Parks Forestry and Recreation Division, as well as any other City facilities and sites that are permitted under the Province of Ontario’s framework.

Professional sporting events are also not included in this decision, as the allowance of these events is determined by provincial and federal regulations, in addition to Toronto Public Health.