New artworks transform space beneath the Gardiner Expressway into a civic gathering place for art, culture, and global fandom.
This summer, The Bentway and Fort York National Historic Site will come together as one central hub for FIFA Fan Festival™ Toronto, a city-wide celebration of FIFA World Cup 2026™ running from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Aligned with match days, the festival will feature live match broadcasts, cultural programming, and public activations, offering fans the opportunity to experience the excitement of the tournament in Toronto without a stadium ticket.
“The World Cup brings an incredible opportunity to curate and present our typical summer art programming within the context of a major world event, but it also gives us a chance to think long-term. At The Bentway, we see this as part of a larger shift, one that repositions infrastructure as a public destination and connective thread and sets a new precedent for how cities can evolve.
The FIFA Fan Festival™ is the start of an enhanced fan experience below the Gardiner year-round.”
– Ilana Altman, CEO, The Bentway
At The Bentway, located beneath the Gardiner Expressway, the festival will be anchored by a curated program of public artworks that explore fandom as a form of collective expression. Through interactive installations and site-responsive design, the program reflects Toronto’s cultural diversity while celebrating all that unites us, creating opportunities for gathering, participation, and shared experience.
public art program
Fans Can Dance— Daily tous les jours (Montreal)
Bentway Strachan Gate
Fans Can Dance is a large-scale participatory installation inspired by soccer goal celebrations. Fun and joyful, the work invites visitors into a shipping container turned recording studio to perform short dances by following one another in sequence, with the resulting choreography projected onto a nearby screen.
Make the World Go Round — Caitlin Taguibao (Toronto)
Bentway Skate Trail
A large-scale mural installation that wraps The Bentway’s columns, Make the World Go Round presents a vibrant interpretation of Toronto’s urban landscape and cultural life.
Shore Lines — RAW Work (Toronto)
Bentway Skate Trail
Referencing Toronto’s historic shoreline, Shore Lines presents a series of modular furniture inspired by the geometry of the soccer field, encouraging rest and connection along the Skate Trail.
Net Scape — RAW Work (Toronto)
Bentway Strachan Gate
Constructed from soccer balls and netting, Net Scape lounge chairs offer an interactive social space for gathering, sitting and viewing matches within the festival environment.
United in Light — LeMonde Studio (Montreal)
Bentway Skate Trail
Featuring large-scale LED flag installations that respond to human touch, United in Light reflects the global diversity of the tournament while inviting public interaction.
under gardiner lighting: a FIFA Legacy Project
Prior to the Games two major underpasses located at Dan Leckie Way and Bathurst Street, under the Gardiner Expressway, will be transformed through the Under Gardiner Lighting Project, part of a broader FIFA World Cup 2026™ legacy initiative. As a critical north–south gateways, the portals play a key role in moving fans between transit hubs, downtown destinations, and the waterfront. This project will improve safety, visibility, and overall experience through enhanced lighting and public realm design, creating a more welcoming and intuitive route for both visitors and residents.
Located at Dan Leckie Way at Lake Shore Boulevard West, and Bathurst Street, the Under Gardiner Lighting Project will introduce a gradient of cool-to-warm lighting to highlight the Gardiner’s form while providing a more welcoming experience for pedestrians.
Designed by internationally renowned office, Light Bureau, and developed in collaboration with the Waterfront BIA, and CityPlace and Fort York BIA, this work is the first implementation of the recommendations in The Bentway and City of Toronto’s Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan that outlines a comprehensive vision for improvements across the Gardiner corridor.
These projects were made possible by a coalition of partners invested in the Gardiner’s future and committed to improving access to Toronto’s waterfront. Partners include: FIFA World Cup 2026™ Toronto Secretariat, City of Toronto – BIA Office, Waterfront BIA, CityPlace and Fort York BIA, Concord Adex, Choice Properties, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, and PowerlinePlus.
a long-term vision for urban transformation
The Bentway’s work during FIFA World Cup 2026™ reflects its long-term vision to leverage the Gardiner as a major destination for civic celebration, and public art as a catalyst for urban transformation.
This vision operates at multiple scales: advancing a new model for hybrid infrastructure along the Gardiner Expressway that connects communities to each other and to the waterfront; strengthening the organization’s leadership in creative city-building; and contributing to a broader global conversation about how cities can reimagine underused or overlooked spaces.
Days of operation and the full schedule of match broadcasts is available at www.torontofwc26.ca/FIFAFanFestival.
