theBUZZ

Squeeze return to North America for a tour with fellow 80s comrades Adam Ant and Haircut 100, along with Leon Tilbrook—bringing one of the UK’s most beloved songbooks back across the Atlantic at a moment of renewed creative momentum. There are two Canadian stops, one in Toronto on Aug 31, and the other in Vancouver on Sept 12. Marking 50 years together, Squeeze’s new album Trixies is both a revelation and a full-circle moment.

New wave icon Howard Jones brings his “Things Can Only Get Better” North American to Toronto for the only Canadian stop on August 23, 2026, the final date of the tour. The feel-good 80s event of the summer features a bill curated and headlined by Jones himself, with support from fellow British 80s greats Wang Chung, The English Beat and Modern English, and will be hosted by SiriusXM’s DJ  Richard Blade.

The 147th Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is taking summer entertainment to new heights this year, literally and figuratively, with not only Canada’s largest immersive space exhibit, but also one of the tallest high diving shows where skilled daredevils will plunge from heights up to 80ft into a massive pool – and with nightly performances engulfed in flames! Each year, more than 1.4 million visitors make it an end-of-summer tradition to experience all that the CNE has to offer from the...

UpFRONT Festival of Indigenous Arts, Music & Culture is a dynamic three-day celebration of Indigenous creativity, community, and cultural expression taking place August 14–16, 2026. The festival’s music programming features an exceptional lineup of Indigenous artists representing a wide range of genres and cultural traditions. Beginning Friday afternoon and continuing throughout the weekend, the festival will transform the area into a vibrant hub of Indigenous artistic excellence.

Amplify Recovery Theatre (ART) Productions presents Monty Python’s Spamalot! What if the greatest quest of all wasn’t for the Holy Grail—but for hope, laughter, and a second chance?

As the city prepares for a summer of celebration, The Alchemist and Vancouver Is Awesome are joining forces to introduce a new signature event to the Vancouver Pride landscape: the “Pride Is Awesome Party.” Start your Pride weekend early with the ultimate after-work celebration! Taking place on Thursday, July 30, from 6 to 10 p.m., the event will be hosted at the historic Bayside Lounge, located in the heart of the West End at Davie and Denman.

Brewery & the Beastis turning up the heat this summer with the addition of twelve new restaurants to its 2026 festival lineup, including: Azura, Alebrije, Burger Drops, Cafe Renee, Eataly, Enigma, Good Behaviour, Mozy’s, Pai, Rodney’s Oyster House, Romi’sandTaline.

Tracy & Martina: Goin’ Out West follows two best friends Tracy and Martina from Cape Breton who have never travelled outside of Nova Scotia. When they hear promises of big opportunities “out west,” the pair pack their clothes into shopping bags and hop on a flight to Alberta to do a mini-tour with a local rock band. What starts as a dream trip quickly unravels: internal tensions, surprise expenses, and cousins who are nowhere to be found.

Toronto Fringe is proud to announce programming for the 38th Annual Toronto Fringe Festival, taking place June 30-July 12, 2026 with 123 shows in 27 venues across the city. Tickets and passes are on sale now at www.fringetoronto.com. Chosen by lottery, Toronto Fringe is the home for first-time performers, celebrated collectives, TikTok stars taking to the stage, and award-winning theatre pros presenting their new works.

DanceWorks presents Sweet Ephemera, a double bill running from June 18 to 20,2026 at The Theatre Centre in Toronto. This bill showcases two new works by emerging Toronto artists exploring identity, faith, queerness, and the parts of ourselves we’re taught to hide. Sweet Ephemeraasks what it means to carry culture, identity, and grief in the body, and what happens when we allow others to witness that weight.