Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 Cultural Festivals Funding Program. Apply below by January 23.
The Cultural Festivals Funding Program (CFFP) provides financial support to recurring cultural festivals whose programming supports community-building, focuses on engaging with the people of Toronto, serves Toronto residents across the city, and promotes opportunities for emerging artists, Indigenous artists, and artists from other groups. A significant programming component must occur in the public realm and be free to the public or offered at a nominal fee (less than $5 per person). Recognizing the importance of ensuring access to culture across Toronto, the City particularly encourages applications from organizations running festivals, small or large, that take place outside of the downtown core to apply.
The decision to fund all or part of an applicant’s request will depend on the festival’s alignment with City of Toronto’s Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025-2035), assessment criteria and overall demand for funds in the program.
Funding for eligible festivals is available through three program funding streams:
To be eligible, applicants must:
Review the 2025-2026 Program Guidelines for additional information on eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Applications for 2025-2026 are now open. The deadline to apply is January 23, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Late applications are not accepted.
Applicants for the Multi-Year or Annual Operating Funding streams must consult with City staff prior to applying. First-time applicants for any stream are also encouraged to speak with City staff about their festival plans prior to completing an application. Please email CFFP@toronto.ca.
Eligible applicants may submit one application online through the City of Toronto’s Grants, Rebates and Incentives Portal (TGRIP). Existing TGRIP users can log in to their account or register below. Find step-by-step instructions to set up a new account in the TGRIP Start-Up User Guide.
For questions about CFFP, please email CFFP@toronto.ca.
For this program, a “cultural festival” is defined as a concentrated collection of arts and cultural activities with a common theme, presented over a minimum of a one-day period and no longer than one month. A festival may be devoted to one or more artistic disciplines and be produced annually or once every two years. The cultural festival is primarily free to the public or offered at a nominal fee (less than $5 per person), takes place in the public realm, has general appeal and a public profile.
“Cultural festival programming” includes performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, interdisciplinary arts, craft, design and expressions of cultural identity.
The “public realm” is defined as the publicly owned places and spaces that belong to and are accessible by everyone. These can include municipal streets, lanes, squares, plazas, sidewalks, trails, parks, open spaces, waterfronts, conservation areas and community centres.
“Indigenous-led organizations” are broadly defined as organizations with a mandate to serve Indigenous communities, operate under Indigenous governance models, have executive and senior management who identify as Indigenous, are primarily staffed by Indigenous community members and/or follow an Indigenous service model.
“Equity deserving group” include women, racialized groups, people with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, undocumented individuals, 2SLGBTQ+ people, people of low income and other groups the City identifies as historically underrepresented.