The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is just around the corner, and if the costs of some of the more luxe dining experiences are a bit too steep, there are other wallet-friendly activities that will draw you to the downtown core during festival season.
From Sept. 10 to 13, TIFF’s Festival Street will transform King St. W. between Peter St. and University Ave. into a massive, free celebration filled with live music, food trucks, art installations and even free outdoor movies! And it’s going to be packed. The street is expected to welcome close to half a million people over the four-day event.
Here’s what to look out for.
Free outdoor movie screenings
While many movie lovers have been venting about the ridiculously high costs of festival tickets, you can head to Cinema Park at David Pecaut Square for free outdoor movie screenings every night at 10 p.m. The lineup begins with Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights on Sept. 10, followed by the Toronto-set rom-com The F Word on Sept. 11, Madagascar on Sept. 12 and Now You See Me on Sept. 13.
And bonus: the outdoor movie series will continue even after Festival Street wraps, with films playing nightly through Sept. 19. Later screenings include Strangers on a Train, Freaky Friday, Hoosiers, Spy Kids, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and The Great Muppet Caper.
Festival Street will also feature the Little Free Cinema, a magical installation that explores the intersections of film and architecture through a rejection of conventional cinematic space (keep an eye out for flicks by Canadian experimental filmmakers, like Philip Hoffman, Lindsay McIntyre, Martin Heath and Christina Dovolis.
One of the biggest film-related attractions will be Fellini Forever, the world’s largest privately held archive dedicated to Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini! The touring exhibition will feature original artifacts and rare materials connected to his films.
DJs and giant art installations
DJs like Nino Brown, Young Teesh, DEROSE, Classic Roots, Cozmic Cat, Big Sound Barbie and Paul Chin will spin on three stages as festival-goers browse through huge art installations, including SLOW, filmmaker Naomi Jaye’s life-sized participatory zoetrope, and the aptly named Disco Speakers, an installation made with disco balls, speakers and LED lights that create audio-reactive visuals.
Grab some food, play games and meet cute dogs
For grub, the Festival Street Food Market is returning for its third year, bringing together local food trucks and hospitality partners. New additions this year include Eataly, Fox on John and GRETA (there will even be a dedicated patio for festival-goers to take in the action).
For sports fans: Players from AFC Toronto will make an appearance, while the Toronto Tempo will host activities like pop-a-shot and a spin-the-wheel, with prizes and giveaways up for grabs.
And yes, celebrities will be strutting the red carpet, but the festival’s most adorable stars will be brought in by Toronto Animal Services! Come out to meet dogs looking for their forever homes (there will be tons of opportunities for meet-and-greets and snuggles).
Other free things to check out
The Festival Street Art Market is returning with arts and community organizations including Inside Out, Reel Asian, imagineNATIVE, Workman Arts, Regent Park Film Festival and the Toronto Public Library. And there are a bunch of Festival Street partner activations offering free samples and giveaways (like Ferrero Rocher Elevated Experiences, where guests can sample Ferrero Rocher Bars and discover flavours that match their cinematic taste!)
The TIFF Shop Pop-up will also return beside the TIFF Lightbox with a new collection of festival merchandise, so pick up a few souvenirs for the road.
Celebrity spotting
Even at a free experience there’s a good chance you’ll spot a celebrity or two. King Street and the area around Roy Thomson Hall will become some of the city’s biggest celebrity-spotting destinations, especially as stars arrive for premieres throughout the festival.
TIFF runs from Sept. 10 to 20, 2026 | TIFF Festival Street runs from Sept. 10 to 13, 2026 (King St. W. between Peter St. and University Ave.) | Cinema Park screenings run from Sept. 10 to 19 at 10 p.m.