Toronto’s getting a 10-day art celebration next month with experiential installations

DesignTO Festival returns to the city next month, bringing Canada’s largest annual celebration of design to the streets. Toronto will transform into a citywide artistic playground this January, and this year, it’s sure to spark some imagination.

Starting Jan. 23, 2026 and for 10 days thereafter, DesignTO will decorate the streets with creations that “inspire you to feel through interaction, immersion, wonder and surprise.”

According to organizers, the event will feature more than 100 free events and exhibitions. This will take place online and in-person, across the city.

Most of the events and exhibitions will be free, but others require an RSVP or purchased tickets.

The full festival schedule can be found online and allows visitors to filter which pieces they are most interested in seeing.

However, if you’re looking for experiential installations, the team has shared four of the most-see creations for 2026:

Beneath One Sky

“Suspended, cloud-like mesh forms hover overhead, creating a bright, airy environment that invites visitors to wander, look up, and feel held within a shared sky.”

When: Jan. 23, 2026, to Feb. 1, 2026
Where: 2 St. Clair Ave. W.

S.A.D.

Check out the eight digital screens at Sankofa Square, which display luminous, intimate photographs, transforming urban surroundings into moments of light and reflection.

When: Jan. 1 – Jan. 31, 2026
Where: Sankofa Square – 1 Dundas St. E.

Suspended Vessels

This piece features hand-blown glass droplets hanging in clusters, glowing an “ethereal green under ultraviolet light and transforming a window into a luminous, shifting constellation,” according to the artist.

When: Jan. 23, 2026, to Feb. 1, 2026
Where: The Drake Hotel – 1150 Queen St. W.

The Weather Holds

Experience this playful, immersive environment where air, mist, and temperature shape intimate, unexpected spaces outdoors.​

When: Jan. 23, 2026, to Feb. 2, 2026
Where: The Bakery – 2 Fraser Ave.

“At a time when cities are reimagining public space and connection, DesignTO Festival puts community experience at its centre, offering Torontonians meaningful opportunities to gather, create and experience design together,” shares the team.

“From glowing fields of glass raindrops at the Drake Hotel to serpentine soundwaves at the Toronto Sculpture Garden, this year’s Festival brings the city’s – and Canada’s – diverse arts and cultural mosaic to life, reminding us that design is something we inhabit and feel with each other.”

Start the new year off on a thoughtful note and explore what creatives have in store.

DesignTO

When: Jan. 23 to Feb. 1, 2026
Where: Across Toronto and online
Cost: Free unless otherwise stated

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