Bentway By Night: Nuit Blanche 2026
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There’s more than one way to experience Nuit Blanche at The Bentway.
Public Pier brings free arts, food, music, dance and introduces SILO NIGHTS to Toronto’s waterfront
September 8, 2026
Day-to-night cultural experience launches September 18 at Marina Quay West
Decomposition No. 7: Undergrowth
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Projected onto the Canada Malting Silos, this immersive artwork transforms street-tree data into light and sound, revealing the interconnected rhythms of Toronto’s urban forest. A living portrait of slow, ongoing growth, it invites us to imagine the city not as it is, but as it could become.
‘Public Pier’ to test bold new future for underused Toronto waterfront site
August 26, 2026
Collaborative pilot project will explore how Marina Quay West can support culture, public life, and economic activity ahead of its planned transformation into a permanent park.
Public Pier
Fridays: 6pm–11pm, Saturdays: 1pm–11pm. September 18 & 19, September 25 & 26, and October 2 & 3. **Until 2am on October 3 for Nuit Blanche.
A collaboration between The Bentway, Harbourfront Centre, OCAD University, and the Waterfront BIA, Public Pier is a public realm pilot that transforms Marina Quay West into a welcoming waterfront hub for arts and culture, gathering, and public life.
Public Trust
Sep 15 to Oct 4, 2026
Torontonians are invited to make promises to themselves and their community—not just as inhabitants of the city, but as co-authors of its future. In a welcoming, non-partisan space, Public Trust reimagines civic engagement as something personal, accessible, and joyful.
The Bentway Launches a City-Wide Invitation to Give Your Word with Public Trust
August 11, 2026
Canadian premiere of Paul Ramírez Jonas’ Public Trust transforms thousands of personal promises into a city-wide public artwork exploring trust, democracy and civic participation ahead of the 2026 municipal election
Bentway After School
Tuesdays, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm. Three 5-week sessions: Sep 8-Oct 6, Oct 13-Nov 10, Nov 17-Dec 15.
The Bentway invites young urbanists to explore and learn about their city with lots of fun, creativity, and outdoor discovery along the way! The program empowers participants to understand and influence concepts in urban design, city building, and placemaking through neighbourhood investigations, storytelling, and recreation.
A Brighter Gateway to the Waterfront: The Bentway Lights Up Toronto’s Under-Gardiner Intersections
May 19, 2026
New lighting at Dan Leckie Way and Bathurst Street brightens key crossings, improves walkability, and illuminates a pedestrian-friendly future under the Gardiner.
Gather, Make, and Move! Summer programs return to The Bentway
May 5, 2026
The Bentway’s summer programming returns June 2 with a vibrant lineup of workshops, recreation, and community events. Running through September, this season invites you to make, play, and connect in spaces under the Gardiner and beyond.
FIFA Fan Festival 2026™ Toronto
April 27, 2026
The Bentway is a proud fan of Toronto, and The FIFA Fan Festival™ offers a meaningful moment to ignite civic pride and uplift Toronto as a world within a city. For this global moment, The Bentway’s public art programming embraces fandom in all its forms – celebrating the city’s cultural diversity and shared rituals that unite us.
Shared Rhythms: Music at West Block
Gather at West Block for a joyful afternoon of live performances as musicians from Small World Music’s Incubator program create a shared listening space that celebrates community and cultural exchange. Set against Anahita Akhavan’s newly unveiled mural مجلس Majles / Sitting Room, the event invites neighbours to linger, listen, and connect.
Reimagining Life Under the Gardiner: The Bentway Unveils Two New Public Art Works in CityPlace
April 16, 2026
New works by Toronto artists Anahita Akhavan and Stanzie Tooth transform spaces beneath the Gardiner into sites of gathering, reflection, and exchange.
The Social Life of Shade: A conversation with Master’s of Design student Rachel Klysen
March 24, 2026
Marketing and Communications Coordinator Annie DeCoteau Vogelsang recently spoke to design student Rachel Klysen about her new report, The Social Life of Shade, which was developed in partnership with The Bentway across last summer’s Sun/Shade season. Rachel Klysen is pursuing a Master’s of Design at OCAD University, and completed this report as part of a field placement with The Bentway last […]
Public Launch: Cool by Design
Explore the power of shade in public space at this free public talk on March 31, co-presented by The Bentway and DIALOG. This panel celebrates the launch of The Bentway’s Cool by Design, a new report examining how shade shapes health, comfort, and everyday life in cities adapting to rising heat.
Designing cooler urban spaces: The Bentway’s new report on the power of shade
November 20, 2025
Discover key insights from Sun/Shade, The Bentway’s summer 2025 initiative, which explored how design, art, and community engagement can help cities adapt to rising temperatures. This new publication highlights creative, equitable, and climate-ready strategies for building cooler, more connected public spaces.
SOLAR, an immersive spectacle of sunset, reimagined with robotics and 200 beams of light
August 26, 2025
Skip-the-line tickets now on sale for SOLAR, The Bentway’s new commission by acclaimed Italian artist Quayola From October 16-19, The Bentway transforms the Gardiner into a glowing horizon with SOLAR, an expansive light installation by Italian artist Quayola. Over four nights only, audiences can experience a city sunset reimagined through cutting-edge technology and contemporary art. […]
The Bentway ‘takes to the water’ this September
August 7, 2025
Join the canoe procession: 500 Volunteers invited to bring an unprecedented artwork to life, and co-create with renowned artist Melissa McGill.
Yoga with Adriene, presented by The Bentway
July 6, 2024. 10:00am (Timed Entry)
The Bentway welcomes wellness icon Adriene Mishler of Yoga with Adriene for her first-ever live event in Canada! The YouTube superstar has inspired millions of people around the world to practice yoga from the comfort of their homes. Now, join Adriene and thousands of Torontonians live on July 6 for this unforgettable communal outdoor yoga class (co-hosted with Fort York).
Bentway neighbourhood illuminated for Nuit Blanche
August 23, 2023
This Nuit Blanche, we invite you down to The Bentway and surrounding area for a series of installations that light up the neighbourhoods along the Gardiner Expressway.
The Bentway Animal Parade + Workshop
May 30, 2023
Join us for The Bentway Animal Parade, a community procession that honours the resilient urban animals who live in relation to our highway and downtown core. There will be a very special guest at this parade who will be meeting these animals for the first time. Please join us in welcoming Little Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet […]
Register for Summer Workshops
May 30, 2023
Registration is now open for The Bentway’s Summer 2023 workshops, which are designed to spark curiosity, cultivate creativity, and shift our focus towards the natural urban ecosystems that surround us.
Free Artwork, Performances, Talks and Tours on May 27 and 28 Weekend
May 18, 2023
The Bentway’s Summer 2023 program kicks off May 26-28 with an opening weekend of free artwork, performances, talks, and tours.
Register for Summer Workshops
May 18, 2023
Registration is now open for The Bentway’s Summer 2023 workshops, which are designed to spark curiosity, cultivate creativity, and shift our focus towards the natural urban ecosystems that surround us.