One of the busiest times of the year kicks off this weekend with droves of movie-lovers heading into the city for the Toronto International Film Festival. Keep in mind, there will be a TTC closure and streetcar diversions this weekend.
Toronto International Film Festival
Celebrities will be gracing the streets of Toronto over the next 10 days at movie premieres and other exciting events for the annual Toronto International Film Festival.
A full guide on the movies and actors that you can catch can be found here.
A section of King Street West between Peter Street and University Avenue will also be transformed into a pedestrian-only zone for the kick of TIFF from September 4-7.
The four-day celebration will include free entertainment, immersive activities and a lively mix of food, drinks, art and culture.
The Rogers TIFF 50 Timescape event and installation will also be running from Sept. 5 to 7 in Yorkville. It’s located on Yorkville Avenue between Hazelton Avenue and Bellair Street and is free to attend.
Live nightly musical acts will include performances by a few members from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and the Casa Loma Symphony Orchestra. The music will be movie scores from films that screened at TIFF.
The installation will also include interactive multimedia content, archival images, on-stage conversations with directors and even a large screen featuring live feed moments from the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall and recaps of the previous day’s events.
Taste of the Kingsway
It will be a weekend of food, music and fun at the Taste of the Kingsway this weekend.
The South Etobicoke festival will take over Bloor Street from Prince Edward Drive to Montgomery Road starting Friday afternoon and running through until Sunday.
There will be international food vendors and extended patio’s from The Kingsway’s restaurants and stores along with live performances, a beverage garden and a dog show.
Get ready for a weekend of food, music, and family fun at South Etobicoke’s largest street festival — Taste of The Kingsway is back from September 5–7, 2025! Presented by Mantella Corporation
A full lineup of the performances can be found on their website.
Cabbagetown Festival
Celebrate the community spirit, diversity and history of Cabbagetown at their annual festival this weekend.
There will be eclectic shopping, performances and mouthwatering food. The event kicks off on Saturday at 11 a.m. and runs through Sunday at 7 p.m.
The festival is free and happening at Parliament and Carlton Streets.
Trinbago Toronto Festival
The 4th annual Trinbago Toronto Festival is happening this year.
With over 40,000 attendees last year, the festival features the academia, cuisine, sport, film, music, business and innovation from Trinidad and Tobago
At Nathan Phillips Square, festival organizers hope to inspire Trinbagonians and showcase their warmth, ingenuity and resilience with Trinidad and Tobago cuisine, and cultural performances.
The festival is free to attend and runs from Friday to Sunday.
Toronto Vegandale Festival
Toronto’s Vegandale Festival is back at Woodbine Park to celebrate all things vegan.
There will be vendors from around the world bring their best and newest to Vegandale along with music and interactive art.
Tickets are still available for the festival.
TTC/GO closures
Line 2 Weekend closure
Subway service on Line 2 between Kipling and Islington stations will be replaced by shuttle buses on Saturday, September 6 and Sunday, September 7, due to signal work.
Regular subway service will resume on Monday, September 8, at 6 a.m.
Streetcar service adjustments for TIFF
Service on the 503 Kingston Road (buses are currently replacing streetcars), 504/304 King and 508 Lakeshore lines will be affected by TIFF. Full details can be found here.
Barrie GO Line service adjustment
Starting on Saturday, September 6, until end of service on Sunday September 7, Barrie Line rail service will be temporarily modified to accommodate track work.
During this time, there will be no GO Train service on the Barrie Line. GO Buses will replace train service and will run between Barrie Transit Terminal and Highway 407 Bus Terminal.
There will be no GO Transit service at Downsview Park GO or Union stations. Customers traveling to and from those stations are encouraged to use the TTC.
More details can be found here.
Road closures
Weekend closures
Concerts at Rogers Stadium
On Friday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 10, the following road restrictions will be in effect for concerts at Rogers Stadium:
- From 4 to 10 p.m., the westbound curb lane on Wilson Avenue between Transit Road and Dufferin Street will be restricted to vehicles picking up or dropping off passengers or making northbound turns onto Dufferin Street.
- From 10 p.m. until 1 a.m.:
- Wilson Avenue will be closed between Transit Road and Dufferin Street.
- Sheppard Avenue will be closed between Keele Street and William R. Allen Road, local traffic access will be maintained between Keele and John Drury Drive.
Bloor Street West
From 8 p.m. on Friday, September 5 to 11 p.m. on Sunday, September 7, Bloor Street West will be closed between Dufferin Street and Pauline Avenue for the dismantling of a tower crane.
Jesus in the City Festival
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 6, Queens Park Crescent East will be closed between College Street and Wellesley Street West for the Jesus in the City faith-based festival.
From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 6 the following roads will be closed to accommodate the Jesus in the City Parade:
- Wellesley Street West, from Queens Park Crescent East to Bay Street
- Bay Street, from Wellesley Street West to Bloor Street West
- Bloor Street West, from Bay Street to Yonge Street
- Yonge Street, from Bloor Street West to College Street West
- College Street West, from Yonge Street to Queens Park Crescent West
Cabbagetown Festival
The following roads will be closed from 6 a.m. on Saturday, September 6 to 11 p.m. on Sunday, September 7 for the Cabbagetown Festival:
- Parliament Street will be closed between Wellesley Street East and Gerrard Street East
- Carlton Street will be closed between Parliament Street and Seaton Street
Strachan Avenue
From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 6, Strachan Avenue will be closed between King Street West and Adelaide Street West for the installation of a tower crane. In the event of rain, this closure will be rescheduled to Sunday, September 7.
Beechgrove Drive
Until 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 7, Beechgrove Drive will be closed between Lawrence Avenue East and Megan Avenue for the filming of a show. There will be no access to Beechgrove Drive from Minnacote, Fergalea or Atkinson Avenues.
Gardiner Expressway closure
As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, one westbound lane and one eastbound lane are closed between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard at Jameson Avenue is also closed.
A stretch of the westbound Gardiner will also be reduced from four lanes to three for approximately one year. The westbound lane closure will stretch from Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue in southern Etobicoke. The eastbound lanes along the same stretch will be narrowed, but with no lane reductions, from April 2025 to December 2026.
For full traffic and closure updates, click here for the latest information from 680 NewsRadio Toronto.
With files from Denio Lourenco