Luminato Festival Toronto has unveiled the programming lineup for Luminato in the Square, the festival’s central location at David Pecaut Square.
For 10 days from June 7 – 16, 2024, David Pecaut Square will be transformed into Luminato in the Square, where festivalgoers will have free entry to enjoy concerts, performances, interactive activities, food vendors and bustling markets. This lively outdoor festival atmosphere complements the recently announced June program to create a rich experience that will animate the city in fresh and surprising ways.
Luminato in the Square is created by esteemed programmers and industry partners who have curated extraordinary arts experiences featuring exceptional local, Canadian and international artists. The festival hub promises to be a sensory extravaganza, showcasing an exciting blend of music, dance, visual arts, interactive activities, and immersive experiences.
Attendees will have opportunities to participate in Indigenous, Latin American, Black, and South Asian cultural art experiences, and dance to Latin, Brazilian, Afrobeat and Caribbean rhythms. Discover programming that celebrates artistry from queer and disability communities. Join an Elders’ circle where people of all ages can play and unwind in a welcoming environment. Listen to the immense talent that independent music scenes in Toronto and abroad have to offer.
An opportunity to indulge in more serene activities will also be available with You are swimming here, an AR experience dealing with climate change and human impact on nature, and Evanescent, an immersive, large-scale, and Instagram-worthy public artwork.
Luminato in the Square 2024 Program
Dates: June 7 – 16, 2024
Location: David Pecaut Square, 215 King Street West, Toronto
Presented by the Province of Ontario with support from TD Bank Group.
Earth Garden: Aki Gitigaan
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Curated by FabCollab’s Miigwech Collective and Luminato Festival Toronto
Date: Friday, June 7
Entry: Free
Categories: Outdoor, Family Friendly, Music, Dance, On Stage, Workshops, Visual Art, Literary, BIPOC Art, Indigenous Art
As collective humanity, we feel Mother Earth’s heartbeat through the power and beauty of music and art. Let us experience this together as we move through the garden and encounter different elements based on the Seven Grandfather Teachings, including language, culture and Medicine workshops and demonstrations, live traditional music and dance, collective painting, stories and poetry, and an Elders’ circle where all ages are invited to play and relax in a shared space. Together, we will learn, participate, observe, and share in the beautiful Earth Garden: Aki Gitigaan.
As the sun moves lower in the sky, join us on the main stage as Elder Duke Redbird shares the gift of his wisdom and original poetry, featuring dancer and Miigwech Collective member Cotee Harper. In a glorious return to the Luminato stage, this time with his band, is Polaris Prize and Juno-winning song carrier Jeremy Dutcher, who will regale the audience with his inimitable blend of musical genres. To finish the evening on a note of joy, DJ Classic Roots will lay down a dance party that will serve as the ultimate connection to Earth Garden: Aki Gitigaan.
Presented by TD with support from OLG and The Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation.
The Indie Scene
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Curated by Wavelength Music
Date: Saturday, June 8
Entry: Free
Categories: Outdoor, Family-Friendly, Music, On Stage, Interactive, Visual Art, Literary, BIPOC Art, Indigenous Art, Black Art
Wavelength Music brings its unique Toronto independent music community vibe to Luminato in the Square. Branching out from its usual local scene orientation, The Indie Scene will feature international guests including Ethio-jazz legend Hailu Mergia, post-punk icons Protomartyr (including Kelley Deal of The Breeders), indie-folk rising star Cassandra Jenkins, Sub Pop drone-popster Lael Neale, and NYC experimental composer Peter Zummo, alongside local heroes Mother Tongues and more.
Art activations, installations, and an indie market will recreate the vibe from Wavelength’s signature festivals and year-round concerts. Bring the kids and come early for family programming including a musical treasure hunt, DIY video games, a collaboration with the Indigenous Music Summit, featuring Tinge, an interactive set with African music-maker Njacko Backo, and a performance by grads from Girls Rock Camp Guelph.
Afro Ascension
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Curated by the Global Coalition Against Systemic Racism and for Reparations, Fondation Michaëlle Jean Foundation, and Luminato Festival Toronto
Date: Sunday, June 9
Entry: Free
Categories: Outdoor, Family-Friendly, Music, On Stage, Immersive, Interactive, Workshops, Visual Art, Film, Literary, BIPOC Art, Black Art, Latin American Art, Indigenous Art
Afro Ascension celebrates the tremendous global impact of Black artists from Canada and abroad. The evening will be headlined by Grammy-winning Somali-Canadian rapper K’naan, and will also feature Haitian-Canadian musician Vox Sambou, Puerto Rican trombonist William Cepeda, Cuban hip-hop/dancehall queen La Dame Blanche, and Ghanian singer-songwriter Rocky Dawuni, all coming together for the highly anticipated third edition of the International Concert Against Racism.
There’ll be plenty of family activities throughout the day, including an Afrobeats and Reggae set by R.I.S.E. Edutainment, a dancehall lesson led by Edz Gyamfi and a percussion workshop by steelpan musician Joy Lapps (first-timers welcome!) Explore Medecins Sans Frontieres’ photo exhibition ‘Side by Side’ and create interactive art with MSF and Oddside Arts. If film is your thing, don’t miss a sneak peak of Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land, part of the National Film Board’s love letter to reggae.
Chill at Luminato in the Square
Dates: Monday, June 10 – Wednesday, June 12
If you’re looking for a more laid-back vibe, come Chill at Luminato in the Square, and immerse yourself in unique experiences that are more relaxed on a hot summer day!
AR experience, You are swimming here, co-conceived by Luke Garwood and Heidi Strauss guides audiences on an independent and interactive wayfinding mission which considers climate change and human impact on the natural world. Real and virtual worlds intersect in a playful and tender provocation to slow down.
Evanescent by Atelier Sisu (presented by Brookfield Properties), is an immersive piece of ‘art-chitecture’ which appeals to our universal playfulness and childlike wonder. It is about living fully in the moment and not taking life, in all its beauty, for granted. This large-scale public artwork is Instagram-worthy, yet its magical message might just encourage you to put your phone aside.
Toronto Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
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Curated by Toronto Arts Council
Date: Thursday, June 13
Entry: Free
Categories: Outdoor, Family-Friendly, Music, On Stage, Interactive, Visual Art, Literary
The Toronto Arts Council believes in art. That is why, for 50 years, Toronto Arts Council has supported the arts in Toronto with innovative and responsive funding opportunities that empower artists to explore, create and thrive. Join us for an all-ages celebration of dance, music, visual/media art and community as Toronto Arts Council launches its 50th anniversary. This public event invites everyone to celebrate the amazing contributions of artists and arts organizations to our city. Performances by Pan Fantasy, Cris Derksen, Berma x Inter Access and Tapestry Opera will showcase just some of the dynamic work that Toronto Arts Council funds while family-friendly interactive arts activities will give attendees the opportunity to create and innovate together. As a community-led organization, Toronto Arts Council is hosting this event to give collective thanks to their artists for shaping the city we see today while they look ahead to 50 more years of cultural growth and care. Join us, and together, let’s keep believing in art.
Welcome to Char Bagh
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Curated by the Tawoos Initiative
Date: Friday, June 14
Entry: Free
Categories: Outdoor, Family-Friendly, Dance, Music, On Stage, Performance Art, Immersive, Interactive, Workshops, Visual Art, BIPOC Art, South Asian Art, Literary
Welcome to Char Bagh, an outdoor celebration of South Asian music, visual arts, dance, architecture, and artisans. Based on the historic botanical gardens from pre-colonial South Asia, this is a night celebrating both queer and hidden histories of the subcontinent, bringing together a mix of the classical and the contemporary, with a South Asian bazaar featuring food vendors, textile crafts, artisanal vendors, and more. Come down and enjoy palm and tarot readings, intricate mehendi artwork, and textile workshops. Watch Kathak dance performances, listen to Hindustani ghazals, follow classical ragas, groove to Bangladeshi pop, and end the night with the stunning North American debut of Pakistani pop icon, Natasha Noorani, and veteran producer Talal Qureshi (presented in collaboration with Small World Music and Virasat), guaranteed to have you on your feet and dancing.
Lulaworld
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Curated by Lula Music & Arts
Date: Saturday, June 15
Entry: Free
Categories: Outdoor, Family-Friendly, Dance, Music, On Stage, Interactive, Workshops, Indigenous Art, Latin American Art, Visual Art, BIPOC Art, Literary
Lulaworld, the programmers behind Toronto’s lively and colourful west-end Toronto music venue Lula Lounge, have curated an immersive and family-friendly celebration of Latin, Brazilian and Indigenous music and dance, gathering international legends and local stars.
Artists from Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Cuba take us on a full-day exploration of psychedelic cumbia, contemporary son, Cuban indie jazz, rumba, forró, samba reggae, Latin pop and more. Bring the whole family to dance to the rhythms of Colombia, Brazil and Cuba with beginner workshops taught by local and international instructors.
Arrive early to make something to carry or play in the community parade, led by drumming ensemble Tdot Batu, shop for some vintage vinyl and indulge in the tropical food and drinks from the day’s featured regions.
The party continues with DJ sets by Sonic Sancocho and performances from Juno-winning vocalist Dayme Arocena, Rio de Janeiro’s Forroçacana (presented in collaboration with local community Uma Nota Culture and Showzaço) and the legendary Los Mirlos, known as the uncrowned kings of Peruvian Cumbia and originators of the style of cumbia known as chicha.
The Finale
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Curated by The Disability Collective and Luminato Festival Toronto
Date: Sunday, June 16
Entry: Free
Categories: Outdoor, Family-Friendly, Dance, Music, On Stage, Immersive, Interactive, Visual Art, BIPOC Art, Black Art, Literary
Come celebrate an unforgettable experience at The Finale of Luminato in the Square, featuring a lineup of renowned artists and familiar faces.
Join Canadian icon Measha Brueggergosman-Lee for a gospel hour featuring Canadian hip-hop and gospel artists, and step into the New Orleans Second Line tradition with the Heavyweights Brass Band.
Get hands-on with the Geary Art Crawl’s pop-up installation, featuring activities for the whole family by some of the Crawl’s favourite artists. Enjoy The Disability Collective’s variety show featuring Deaf and disabled drag, dance, and jazz performers, and discover their pop-up artisan market highlighting handmade goods made by disabled artisans.
The energy will continue to rise with hometown heroine, Polaris and Juno-winning rapper/songwriter Haviah Mighty. New Orleans’ Queen of Bounce, Big Freedia, will light up the stage with her signature style of hip-hop and dance to wrap up Luminato’s 2024 festival season in style (supported by Pride Toronto).
Learn more about Luminato Festival Toronto 2024 at luminatofestival.com.