Rhythms of Canada Festival 2026: Canada Day at the Aga Khan Museum

A free, all-ages celebration of music, dance, and culture in Toronto

📍 Get Directions Full Schedule

Live music from Ahmed Moneka Jazz and the Larnell Lewis Band, dance workshops, kite decorating, hot-off-the-grill street food, and free museum admission all day — all spread across the Museum, Aga Khan Park, and the Ismaili Centre Toronto.

🎉 Free admission 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family friendly 🎵 Live music & dance ⚽ World Cup watch parties

💡 The festival runs rain or shine, so dress for the weather. Most of the day is free to walk into — only the hands-on craft workshops need a ticket booked ahead.

Why Go Schedule Workshops Watch Parties Essentials Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why This Is One of Toronto’s Best Canada Day Plans

Most Canada Day plans in Toronto revolve around fireworks and a single park. Rhythms of Canada gives you an entire day spread across three connected spaces — the Aga Khan Museum, Aga Khan Park, and the Ismaili Centre Toronto — and it’s free to walk into all of it.

The lineup leans into the festival’s whole point: showing what Canada actually sounds like. Ahmed Moneka brings Afro-Sufi-Iraqi jazz built from his journey out of Baghdad, Agneya weaves South Asian rhythm cycles with West African groove, and the Eagleheart Singers open the day with drum and ceremony rooted in Moose Cree and Wikwemikong traditions. Closing out the Main Stage, the Larnell Lewis Band brings steelpan and percussion into a set of jazz, funk, and gospel.

Beyond the stage, there’s a full day of dance styles — Bollywood, Central Asian, Akwaba African dance, ballet, tap — running through the Ismaili Centre and the Nanji Family Foundation Auditorium, plus a kids’ zone, a magic show, and an air-conditioned tent for catching the World Cup knockout matches if soccer is part of your Canada Day too.

🎵 Full Day Schedule

One day, multiple stages running at once. Here’s everything happening on July 1, organized by what’s playing where.

🎨 Workshops & Activities

Most of the day’s activities are free and drop-in. A few hands-on craft workshops are ticketed and need to be booked ahead.

Free & drop-in

Face Painting Live Calligraphy Demonstration Inflatable Slides & Bouncy Castles Brick Fun Zone Arts & Crafts Outdoor Sports Object Spotlight

Ticketed workshops — $20, registration required

⚽ World Cup Watch Parties

Three Round of 32 knockout-stage matches play on a 20 ft by 12 ft LED screen inside the air-conditioned Game Zone Tent — a good way to duck the heat between sets.

11:30 am–2 pm, 3:30–6 pm, and 7:30–10 pm in the Game Zone Tent. Matchups are TBD until the knockout bracket is set closer to the date.

📋 Essentials

🚗 Getting There & Parking

The Aga Khan Museum sits at 77 Wynford Drive in North York, just off Eglinton Avenue East and Don Mills Road.

Transit: Take the Eglinton Crosstown Line 5 to Aga Khan Park & Museum Station, a short walk through the park to the entrance. By bus, the 100A, 25B, or 925 run from Broadview Station, and the 925 runs southbound from Steeles.

By car: Accessible via Don Mills Road, Eglinton Avenue East, or the DVP — take the Wynford Drive exit. Underground and surface parking is available on-site, paid by QR code on arrival.

By bike: Free bicycle parking is available, with a Bike Share docking station right on Wynford Drive.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

☀️ Dress for the weather. The festival runs rain or shine, so check the forecast and bring sun protection or a rain layer accordingly.

🎨 Book the craft workshops early. Kite decorating, mosaic making, and clay tile making are ticketed and limited to two or three sessions each — register ahead rather than hoping for a spot on the day.

🗺️ Plan around three venues. Performances and workshops are spread across the Museum, Aga Khan Park, and the Ismaili Centre Toronto — give yourself extra time to walk between them.

⚽ Catch the soccer indoors. If the day heats up, the air-conditioned Game Zone Tent is a good break — it’s also where all three watch parties play.

❓ Common Questions