If you would like to be notified when registration opens for the DesignTO Festival, click here to join our newsletter, ensuring you select the option for DesignTO Calls for Submissions: Exhibitions, Talks, Installations, Venues.
DesignTO Festival is Canada’s largest annual design festival celebrating design as a multidisciplinary form of thinking and making, with over 100 exhibitions and events forming Toronto’s design week each January.
Since 2011, the DesignTO Festival has welcomed over 1 million visitors, showcased the work of over 6,500 artists and designers, and reached over 2 billion people through print and digital media.
Here are three ways you can participate in the Festival:
1. Independent Projects
Independent Projects are exhibitions, events (e.g. tours, talks, workshops), and window installations that are wholly created and executed by an individual or organization during the DesignTO Festival at a venue of their choice (in-person or online).
This is for you if:
You are a designer, organization or venue that has an online or in-person event, exhibition, or window installation you want to self-produce and register with the Festival.
The Festival’s role:
The Festival provides a promotional platform for Independent Projects as part of Festival Week. Independent Projects are listed online, included in general festival marketing, and provided with Festival-specific signage (e.g. window cling). Additional marketing may also be provided based on media interest.
Fees:
There is a $300-$500 registration fee, based on the size of your organization. Apply by August 31 to receive $25 off your registration fee.
Call Opens:
May 20, 2025
Deadline:
October 10, 2025
2. Venue-Designer Matchmaking Program
This program pairs designers with a venue to host their project. Projects include exhibitions, events (e.g. tours, talks, workshops), and window installations that are wholly created and executed by an individual or organization during the DesignTO Festival at the host venue. Host venues provide their spaces free-of-charge and pay the registration fee.
This is for you if:
You run a shop, gallery, studio, café, school, cinema or other venue in Toronto that you would like to see activated with design during the Festival.
– OR –
You are a designer that wants to present an exhibition, event or window installation during the Festival, but you don’t have a venue.
The Festival’s role:
The Festival acts as a matchmaker to pair host venues and guest designers. The process starts by the Festival seeking host venues through an open call for submissions. A list of confirmed venues is shared through an open call for guest designers. Designers submit their proposals and select their top three venue choices. Based on characteristics and fit of the project with the venue, the Festival makes matches.
(Successful matches become Independent Projects, with the designer as the main contact. See above for details.)
Fees:
Host Venues: There is a $500 registration fee. You can also opt to provide the designer with additional support.
Guest Designers: There is a $50 application fee. You are responsible for all costs associated with the creation and execution of your project.
Host Venue Dates:
Call Opens: May 20, 205
Deadline: July 11, 2025
Guest Designer Dates:
Call Opens: July 21, 2025
Deadline: Rolling deadline, with final applications due September 15, 2025
***Matchmaking will take place on a rolling basis. Guest designers should apply early to increase the likelihood that they will be matched with their preferred host venue.***
3. DesignTO Projects
DesignTO Projects are exhibitions and events at the Festival curated and executed by DesignTO. Participation in these projects is through a combination of open calls for submission and by invitation.
For 2026, we have two calls for submission:
– Thematic Exhibition
– DesignTO Youth
This is for you if:
You are a designer, artist, architect, curator, educator, or researcher whose work is relevant to the themes outlined in each call for submission.
The Festival’s role:
The Festival curates and executes these exhibitions and events in their entirety, sometimes in partnership with other organizations.
Fees:
There is no fee to submit to the open calls for submission. DesignTO pays exhibition and speaking fees to successful applicants.
Calls Open:
June 9, 2025
Deadline:
Youth: Rolling deadline, with final applications due September 5, 2025
Thematic Exhibition: September 26, 2025
Key Dates
2025
Tuesday, May 20
- Call for Independent Projects Opens
- Call for Host Venues Opens
Monday, June 9
- DesignTO Thematic Exhibition – Call for Submissions Opens
- DesignTO Youth Program – Call for Submissions Opens
Friday, July 11
- DEADLINE: Call for Host Venues Closes
Monday, July 21
- Call for Guest Designers Opens, Rolling Submissions
Sunday, August 31
- DEADLINE: Independent Projects – Early registration discount
Friday, September 5
- DEADLINE: DesignTO Youth Program – Call for Submissions Closes
Monday, September 15
- DEADLINE: Call for Guest Designers Closes
Friday, September 26
- DEADLINE: DesignTO Thematic Exhibition – Call for Submissions Closes
Friday, October 10
- DEADLINE: Call for Independent Projects Closes
Friday, October 24
- DEADLINE: All Projects – Event Listing Due
2026
Sunday, January 11 & Monday, January 12 – TBC
- Festival Window Cling Pick-up
Friday, January 23 – Sunday, February 1
- 16th Annual DesignTO Festival
Questions?
Contact Robyn Wilcox, Head of Programming, at [email protected].
