After months of anticipation, the FIFA World Cup officially kicks off in Toronto and across North America this weekend. There is extra service on GO Transit and TTC and road restrictions so make sure to map out your route if you are heading to Toronto Stadium or the FIFA Fan Festival at Fort York.
The FIFA World Cup officially kicks off in Toronto this Friday afternoon with the opening match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 3 p.m.
The FIFA Fan Festival will also be running all weekend for those who were lucky enough to snag tickets. If you don’t have a ticket to the game, there are many restaurants, bars and free spots across Toronto that will be hosting watch parties.
Find everything you need to know about FIFA in Toronto including road closures, TTC and GO transit adjustments and watch parties here .
While Italians won’t be able to cheer on their national team in the World Cup, they will be able to celebrate their neighbourhood. Taste of Little Italy is back, shutting down College Street all weekend long.
The massive street festival will feature food, live music, extended patios and multicultural vendors. They also are welcoming fans from around the globe to cheer on their country on College Street.
College will be closed to traffic from Bathurst to Shaw Streets from 10 a.m. Friday to 3 a.m. on Monday.
A full list of events and performances can be found on their website.
The annual North by Northeast (NXNE) festival is back, launching the next wave of artists in Toronto with packed club shows and industry talks.
Festival passes are still available for the five-day music extravaganza happening at venues across the city. Over 300 artists, including MGK, Jessie Reyez, and IllScarlett will be performing at over 30 venues.
For more details on all the shows and venues, you can visit their website.
The annual Na-Me-Res Traditional Pow Wow will happening at a new location this year ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day.
The family-friendly event open to all who wish to experience the vibrant traditions of Indigenous culture is happening at Dufferin Grove Park this Saturday.
There will be drumming, dancing, singing, craft and food vendors, and community booths. Grand Entry begins at noon and the event runs until 5 p.m.
The Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival is back, but this year it has been officially recognized as a Dragon Boat Canada Race Series Event.
Crews from all parts of North America will head to the Toronto Islands to compete and celebrate the sport that blends cultural heritage, athleticism.
The festival will also feature food vendors, live entertainment and family-friendly activities.
The event will take place on Centre Island on Saturday and Sunday. A full race schedule on their website.
Those participating in the global protest against the use of oil and urban pollution will be in their birthday suits this weekend with the annual World Naked Bike Ride.
It’s happening this Saturday at 1 p.m., but riders are encouraged to gather at 10 a.m. for body painting and bike decorating. The ride starts at Coronation Park and will follow a route along several major streets in the downtown core before ending back at Coronation Park
There will be no TTC and GO closures this weekend but there will be enhanced service will be in place for those attending FIFA events.
You can find full details on enhanced service on Friday for the TTC here. All the details on GO enhanced service can also be found on their website.
Weekend closures
Taste of Little Italy
College Street will be closed from Shaw Street to Bathurst Street beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12, and will reopen on Monday, June 15, at 3:00 a.m.
FIFA World Cup
From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Lake Shore Boulevard West from Bathurst Street to British Columbia Road and Strachan Avenue from East Liberty Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West is is fully closed in both directions as well as all roads inside Exhibition Place. There is local access only for Liberty Village residents and businesses below King St from Dufferin St to Strachan Ave.
Fleet Street is fully closed from May 18 to July 31 between Fort York Boulevard and Strachan Avenue.
Gardiner Expressway long-term closure
As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway , a stretch of the westbound Gardiner has been reduced from four lanes to three. The westbound lane closure will stretch from Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue in southern Etobicoke. The eastbound lanes along the same stretch will be narrowed, but with no lane reductions, from April 2025 to December 2026.
For full traffic and closure updates, click here for the latest information from 680 NewsRadio Toronto.
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
