Hi from DesignTO! The 2026 Festival kicks off on January 23, 2026, and we can’t wait to see you at the 100+ exhibitions, installations, and events that will be taking place across the city. Today we’re taking a closer look at the can’t “miss events” at this year’s Festival, including tours, workshops, talks, and more.
DesignTO believes that design can create a sustainable, just, and joyful world and as a charitable arts organization we are committed to curating exhibitions, presentations and educational programming that increases the public’s knowledge and appreciation of design. Each year our 10-day Festival celebrates design as a multidisciplinary form of creative thinking and making, bringing together the local and international art and design community to explore, learn, and get inspired.
The unique events the DesignTO Festival offers are core to our mission. From architectural tours to thought-provoking talks, these interactive experiences give attendees the opportunity to engage with design in a tangible and accessible way by inviting the local community to join in on the fun.
Throughout the Festival, Toronto comes alive with a wide array of exhibitions, installations, and experiences. Read on to learn about eight events you won’t want to miss at January’s DesignTO Festival.
Eight can’t miss events at DesignTO 2026:
An Evening of Craft, Digitality, and Critical Reflection
Jan 29, 2026
Free with RSVP
Studio Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto
This panel discussion brings together an international trio of educators, makers and researchers who will share insights from their involvement in the project and their individual practices. Dr. Cynthia Villagómez (University of Guanajuato, MX), Geoffery Mann (Manchester School of Art, UK), and Dr. Niklavs Rubenis (University of Tasmania, AU) participate in a conversation exploring the dynamic intersection of contemporary craft and digital technologies, touching on themes of community, the economic dimensions of craft, and the transformative potential of digital tools.
Art and Architecture Trivia Night
Jan 28, 2026
Free with RSVP
Arts & Letters Club, 14 Elm Street, Toronto
Join the Toronto Society of Architects for a joyful evening of fun, laughter, and maybe even a little bit of learning at a trivia night on the intersection of art and architecture in Toronto. Test your knowledge about the art in our built environment and the people behind these works, all while enjoying refreshing drinks and great conversation. All are welcome.
Democratizing AI Futures Through Community Centred Design
Jan 27, 2026
Free with RSVP
OCAD University, 205 Richmond Street West, Toronto
This workshop aims to help members of the public learn about the speculative design process and ideate about what an ideal Artificial Intelligence (AI) future might look like. Participants will develop brainstorming and low fidelity prototyping skills (e.g. storyboarding and paper prototyping). The workshop will include interactive discussions to speculate on the roles AI-based products and services might have in the spheres of education, health and wellness, gaming, policymaking, and more.
Design + Fabrication Shop Tours
Jan 27 & Jan 28, 2026
Free with RSVP
Eventscape, 4 Bestobell Road, Toronto
Attend a presentation and tour at Eventscape’s offices, R&D Fab Lab, and custom manufacturing facilities in Etobicoke for a behind the scenes look at how Eventscape, an award-winning architectural fabrication company, works with the latest technologies, machinery, and materials (like wood, metal, glass, solid surface, resin, textiles, GFRC/GFRG) to create custom features.
Jan 23, 2026
General admission $30
Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, 158 Sterling Road, Toronto
Join us for the official 2026 DesignTO Launch Party at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, as we kick off our 16th Festival and celebrate DesignTO’s legacy of showcasing and sparking vital conversations about design’s role in shaping a better world. Kick off the 10-day Festival while experiencing three floors of art with the ‘Jeff Wall Photographs 1984–2023’ exhibition, with sounds curated by local·global featuring Isabel Okoro and Adeola Abegunde.
DesignTO Talks: Within the Weave
Feb 1, 2026
Free with RSVP
Collective Arts Toronto Taproom, 777 Dundas Street West, Toronto
This panel brings together artists who explore how fragments of personal and environmental histories can be gathered and transformed into new, interconnected wholes. Through dialogue, they’ll reflect on how material practice becomes a form of storytelling—revealing how the landscapes we inhabit might be translated by incorporating elements of repetition and irregularity, the familiar and the abstract. Speakers include Jennifer Coghill, Helen Kong, Amanda Rataj, and Kathleen Morris.
Ideas Forum: Advocating for a Better City
Jan 28, 2026
Free with RSVP
Online
Whether it’s researchers bridging the gap between academia and policy, non-profit groups engaging previously excluded stakeholders, or design practices advocating for the value of our built legacy, these Torontonians are showing us that a better future for our city is possible if we speak up and work together. Speakers include Active18 (Michelle Gay), Cycle Toronto (Michael Longfield), Parks People (Wesley Lincoln Reibeling), Moriyama Teshima Architects (Brian Rudy), and Toronto Metropolitan University (Nina-Marie Lister).
Work and Play: Data for Designers
Jan 31 2026
Free with RSVP
Surface Impression, 401 Richmond Street West, Suite 228, Toronto
This all skill-level, workshop is tailored for freelance creatives, arts workers, students, and aspiring data and design professionals. It will cover the basics of data sourcing, analysis, and visualization. Additionally, the session will explore how data can be leveraged in strategic and creative storytelling. Participants will also tackle sampling their own data, learn to find meaningful insights, and craft compelling stories for their businesses, charities, or art projects.
View the full Festival schedule and start planning your 10-days of DesignTO today!
