Festivals and events in Ontario, Canada
Ontario, Canada is home to a host of fantastic, fun and creative festivals and events taking place throughout Spring and Summer.
The Shaw Festival
This year sees the 50th anniversary of the famous Shaw Festival from April until November. The Shaw Festival celebrates 50 years of showcasing the works of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. Set in idyllic and historic Niagara-on-the-Lake, the summer-long festival is the only one of its kind in the world. shawfest.com
Bard to Bieber
The town ofStratfordhas hit the headlines lately as the birthplace of teen pop star Justin Bieber, but long before he hit the chartsStratfordhas been paving the way for the very best in classic Shakespearean theatre and contemporary favourites at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Christopher Plummer, Alec Guinness, Julie Harris and William Shatner are just some of the famous names that have graced the stage during the festival which runs from April to November. stratfordfestival.ca
Ottawa
Ottawawill be a colourful place once more this May as it celebrates the 60th Anniversary Canadian Tulip Festival. The world’s largest tulip festival commemorates the beauty of spring and symbolizes international friendship. What began as a Dutch gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs has grown into an annual event featuring some 3 million tulips. tulipfestival.ca
Jazz and blues fans flock to the capital for the Ottawa International Jazz Festival, June 22 to July 3, everything is catered for from the avant garde to big band and swing. wwwottawajazzfestival.com
Not to be outdone the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, Canada’s largest blues festival, takes to the stage from July 5 – 17. ottawabluesfest.ca
The Parliament buildings will provide a stunning backdrop as part of a dramatic sound and light show called Mosaika. The event which starts on July 6 until September 11 celebrates accomplishments and experiences of Canadians in a spectacular way. mosaika-sl.ca
Toronto
Toronto’s festival of arts and creativity Luminato, puts Torontoin a whole new light. Artists working across all disciplines come together between June 10-19 for ten days of unique collaborations and an incredible showcase of talent, making this festival one of the highlights of the summer events calendar. luminato.com
Toronto’s Pride Week, June 24 to July 3, celebrates the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities. The parade attracts around 750,000 people making it one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world. pridetoronto.com
For more information, visit: ontariotravel.net/uk