IDS Toronto

10 things to do in Toronto this week

This week in Toronto the sleepy days of early 2017 get a jolt with the city's biggest design show in IDS and the concurrent citywide festival known as Toronto Design Offsite. It's a mostly free celebration of local artists and designers featuring installations, talks, and parties that'll have you seeing the city in a whole new light.

Here are my picks for the top events happening in Toronto this week.

  • Events you might want to check out
    Date
    About the Event
    Location
    • January 16-22
      The Toronto Design Offsite Festival is Canada’s largest cultural celebration of design with over 100 exhibitions and events forming Toronto’s design week, January 16-22. The city-wide fest transforms Toronto into a hub for creativity, taking design and art out of the studio and into the streets with installations, exhibits and parties.
      Multiple venues across Toronto
    • January 16
      Their new album Walls is out, and they have monster hits you already know... this will be a huge rock show from the Nashville, Grammy award-winning band. It's a good way to start your week off with a bang, and there are still tickets available.
      ACC
    • January 17
      Cocktails with a side of Magic? The Harry Potter themed Lockart thinks so. Magician Dan Trommater will go table to table and give guests some dazzling sleight of hand, convincing even the deepest of nonbelievers. It all begins around 7p.m., and there's no cover.
      The Lockhart
    • January 18 - April 9
      The Ryerson Image Centre and Black Artist's Networks Dialogue team up to present a season of exhibitions exploring historical and ongoing struggles for justice between people of colour and police forces representing the state. One of the major highlights is No Justice, No Peace: From Ferguson to Toronto at the Gladstone Hotel from February 2 to 26. 
      Ryerson Image Centre and other locations
    • January 18
      Pay tribute to the legendary poet, songwriter and artist with this Genie Award–winning documentary that follows a 30-year-old Leonard Cohen on a visit to his hometown of Montreal. Before he was a celebrated musician, Cohen was a poet and a novelist. This NFB documentary casually observes Cohen in his daily routine: he bathes, he gets a haircut, he delivers a reading before an audience.
      Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
    • January 19-22
      Come Up To My Room is The Gladstone Hotel’s Annual Alternative Design event in which the upper floors of the hotel are transformed into wonderfully weird immersive art instillations. Artists and designers create over 20 projects with over 65 participants. This year's theme is Transplant.
    • January 19-22
      The Interior Design Show is Canada’s design fair and features world-renowned designers and architects who participate in keynote speaking series' and create inspiring feature exhibits. Lots of home, office and general life decor ideas.
      Metro Toronto Convention Centre - North Building
    • January 19
      Internationally renowned music-video master Director X joins Cameron Bailey for a look back at his career, from his formative days in Toronto's 1990s hip-hop scene to his current position as go-to director for some of music's biggest names. He's created career-defining videos for artists like Drake, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, JAY Z, Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys.
      TIFF
    • January 20
      The Toronto electronic pop singer's latest album is out later this week, and she's about to embark on a giant tour. This is the intimate Toronto stop with opener Lido Pimienta.
      Mod Club
    • January 20
      Although they opened their doors months ago, this grungy new music venue is finally having an official opening party with a free shoe from Fake Palms. Elsa and Lonely Parade and DJ Absolutely Free will also be playing.
    Lead photo by

    Andrew Williamson at IDS

Lead photo by

Andrew Williamson at IDS


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