The Bentway is giving Torontonians more reasons than ever to get outside and make the most of the winter season. Opening December 12, the city’s iconic 220-metre figure-eight Skate Trail will offer an expanded season of winter recreation, cultural experiences and community celebrations, alongside a monumental new public art installation, Àdìrẹ on Ice, by Nigerian-Canadian artist and designer Odudu Umoessien – all beneath the Gardiner Expressway.
Responding to growing demand for its popular winter experience, The Bentway is opening its Skate Trail eight days earlier and keeping it open nearly two weeks longer than last season, running through February 28, 2027. The expanded season features the return of the annual Polar Bear Skate on December 27, new weekly DJ Skate Nights, beginner skating lessons, family-friendly creative workshops, free skate rental Thursdays, and more.
Beyond skating, The Bentway will present a dedicated public art program called Àdìrẹ on Ice, including artist-led experiences, a participatory Guided Skate Night and a hands-on textile workshop exploring West African artistic traditions.
The season officially kicks off December 12 with a live DJ set on Saturday night and the launch of an exciting new site-wide winter activation with season partner Manulife, bringing new ways to move, connect and experience The Bentway together from December 12-23. Opening Weekend will also feature warm beverages, winter food trucks, and the first opportunity to experience the new public art installation and meet the artist behind it.
“Winter at The Bentway has become a beloved Toronto tradition, and the demand to experience our Skate Trail continues to grow. This year, we’re opening earlier, staying open longer, and bringing even more creativity and opportunity for connection to the season. With Àdìrẹ on Ice, we’re transforming our iconic figure-eight trail into a place where art, culture and movement come together, while experiences like Polar Bear Skate remind us how much joy there is in embracing winter as a community.”
– Anna Gallagher-Ross, Director of Programming at The Bentway
Àdìrẹ on Ice: a new public art installation transforms the figure-eight trail
The Bentway’s iconic figure-eight Skate Trail becomes a living canvas for Àdìrẹ on Ice, a monumental new public art installation by Nigerian-Canadian artist and designer Odudu Umoessien, with projections created in collaboration with artist Chukwudubem Ukaigwe.
Working at the intersection of sculpture, architecture and performance, Umoessien explores how public spaces can bring people together. For Àdìrẹ on Ice, he draws inspiration from the Yoruba tradition of àdìrẹ, an indigo textile-dyeing practice originating in southwestern Nigeria, to explore the relationship between cultural identity, movement and collective experience.
The installation transforms the Gardiner’s concrete architecture with monumental sculptural forms inspired by the Gele, a traditional West African ceremonial headdress. Across the ice, intricate indigo patterns inspired by àdìrẹ textiles come to life through light and projections, creating an immersive landscape that changes as visitors move through it.
For Umoessien, skating is more than a winter pastime; it is a shared civic ritual that brings strangers together. As skaters follow the continuous loops of The Bentway’s figure-eight trail, their movements become part of an evolving choreography, bringing the patterns and storytelling traditions of West African textiles into dialogue with a familiar Canadian winter experience.
Celebrating the cultural heritage of Toronto’s West African diaspora, Àdìrẹ on Ice invites visitors to experience the city’s winter landscape through a new cultural lens, demonstrating how art and public space can create opportunities for connection.
Àdìrẹ on Ice: Public Art Programming
Artist Tour | December 12, 2026 | 4:30pm-5:15pm
Join Umoessien for a free guided tour exploring the artistic traditions, materials and ideas behind the installation. Visitors will learn how sculpture, light and movement come together to transform the Skate Trail.
Guided Skate Night | January 21, 2027 | 7:00pm–8:00pm
A free participatory experience that turns ice skating into an experiment in trust, movement and connection. Inspired by the installation’s projected patterns, visitors will move individually, in pairs and in groups to explore how a shared winter activity can create new relationships.
Textile Art Workshop | February 4, 2027 | 6:00pm–9:00pm
Explore the history and storytelling traditions of Yoruba àdìrẹ textiles through a hands-on workshop. Beginning with a viewing of the installation, participants will gather indoors at The Bentway’s Strachan Gallery to explore textile patterns, techniques and creative expression. Tickets are $15.
Polar Bear Skate returns December 27
December 27, 2026 | 12:00pm
One of Toronto’s boldest and most entertaining winter traditions returns as The Bentway invites fearless Torontonians to strip down to their skivvies for the annual Polar Bear Skate.
Taking place December 27, the popular event challenges participants to brave the winter chill for a cheeky lap around the figure-eight Skate Trail beneath the Gardiner Expressway. The annual spectacle brings together adventurous skaters and enthusiastic spectators for an afternoon of laughter, community spirit and winter fun.
The event also supports a community clothing drive, encouraging visitors to give back during the holiday season. Not ready to brave the cold? Spectators are welcome to cheer on participants and contribute to the clothing drive without taking the plunge.
Registration begins at 12:00pm, with the group skate taking place at or before 1:00pm. Advance registration is encouraged.
More ways to skate: Winter 2026-27 Programming
With an earlier opening and an extended season, The Bentway is offering more opportunities to get outside, connect with friends and embrace winter. Alongside daily skating during the holidays, the 2027 program introduces new weekly experiences and the return of popular free skating opportunities.
Winter Skating Opening Weekend | December 12–13, 2026 | 12:00pm–9:00pm
Kick off the season with live DJ sets, warm beverages and local food trucks throughout the weekend.
Manulife Days | December 12–23, 2026 | Details to Follow
A special winter wellness experience presented by Manulife. Visitors can look forward to interactive programming, seasonal fun and opportunities to connect with the community. Additional details will be announced closer to the event.
Beginner Ice Skating Lessons | Wednesdays, January 6–February 24, 2027 | 6:30pm–8:30pm
Whether stepping onto the ice for the first time or looking to build confidence, new weekly beginner skating lessons offer a welcoming introduction to the fundamentals. Led by experienced local instructors, each 45-minute session costs $15, excluding equipment rentals.
Billy Bishop Free Rental Thursdays | Thursdays, January 7–February 25, 2027 | 5:00pm–8:00pm
Enjoy complimentary skate rentals every Thursday evening thanks to the generous support of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Perfect for a winter date night, an evening with friends or trying skating for the first time.
DJ Skate Nights | Fridays, January 8–February 26, 2027 | 6:00pm–9:00pm
Friday nights get a soundtrack at The Bentway! Skate beneath the Gardiner to live DJ sets, accompanied by warm beverages, local food trucks and the illuminated Àdìrẹ on Ice installation.
Skate & Create | Saturdays, January 9–February 27, 2027 | 1:00pm–3:00pm
A new family-friendly program pairs outdoor skating with free indoor, drop-in art workshops led by local artist facilitators at the Fort York Visitor Centre. Open to all ages and experience levels, with materials provided. Presented in collaboration with Hot Pizza Studio, with support from Fort York National Historic Centre.
Valentine’s Day and Family Day Weekend | February 12–15, 2027
Celebrate love, friendship and family with extended skating hours, winter refreshments and local food trucks. Special programming includes Valentine’s Day on February 14 and Family Day on February 15.
Winter Skating Closing Weekend | February 27–28, 2027 | 12:00pm–9:00pm
Take one final spin around the trail before the season ends, with live DJ sets and winter refreshments throughout the weekend
plan your visit
The Bentway Skate Trail
250 Fort York Boulevard, Toronto
December 12, 2026 – February 28, 2027
Holiday Hours | December 12 – January 3
Daily, 12:00pm–9:00pm
Regular Winter Hours | January 4 – February 28
Monday–Friday, 5:00pm–9:00pm
Weekends and holidays, 12:00pm–9:00pm
Extended skating hours of 12:00pm–9:00pm will also be offered on January 15 and February 12 for TDSB PA Days and February 15 for Family Day.
Visitors are welcome to bring their own skates or rent equipment on-site. Adult skate rentals are $15, youth-sized skate rentals with a helmet are $10, and skate sharpening is available for $12. Rental hours vary throughout the season.
For full programming details, registration and skate rental availability, visit thebentway.ca.
supporters
The Bentway’s Winter 2026–27 season is generously supported by:
Manulife
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
Partners in Art
This project has also been funded in part by the City of Toronto’s Transit Construction Mitigation Fund, as part of Government of Canada support through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
