This weekend, Toronto’s waterfront is turning into a massive outdoor dance floor, and you won’t need to spend a cent to join the party. Mixto Festival is returning to Trillium Park this Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, with live music, DJ sets, food, art and family-friendly activities beside Lake Ontario as part of Ontario Place’s SummerSeries.
Bonus: admission to the all-ages festival is free on both days!
The festival is produced by Toronto non-profit Uma Nota Culture and was created to showcase the range of musical cultures and communities found across the city without treating “world music” as a single, fixed genre. On Saturday, the program features Orbital Ensemble and Friends, Raf Reza, Fethi Nadjem and Lavender Town. DJs Murderith, Silvera and other artists will keep the music going between live performances.
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But one of the weekend’s biggest international names is Jamaican dub engineer and producer Scientist! The influential producer began engineering and mixing at King Tubby’s studio as a teen before going on to work at Channel One and Tuff Gong, and he’s known for his creative approach to dub music.
Mixto is also teaming up with City Hall Live for Sunday’s program, which will be led by Jamaican singer Naomi Cowan, whose album Welcome to Paradise won Reggae Recording of the Year at the 2026 JUNO Awards. The lineup also includes Brazilian samba artist Gabriel da Muda, Toronto-based Black Iraqi singer Tara Moneka, Jer, Kaia, Negin and Sandwavv.
And there’s much more than music. Visitors can expect food and craft vendors, art installations, a licensed bar, snacks from the festival tuckshop, programming for younger attendees and more!
There’s no parking directly at the festival grounds, so try biking, walking or taking transit (the 510 Spadina and 511 Bathurst streetcars travel to Exhibition Loop, and the Exhibition GO Station is only about a 15-minute walk from the park).
Mixto Festival takes place at Trillium Park at 955 Lake Shore Blvd. W. on Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Follow @mixtofestival for updates.
