Weekend need-to-know: World Cup continues as summer arrives

Summer will officially arrive on Sunday and there are lots of events happening throughout the city to celebrate, including the FIFA World Cup continuing. There are no TTC or GO Transit closures this weekend but there will be road closures in place during the FIFA game.

FIFA World Cup

Toronto will host its third game of the FIFA World Cup on Saturday afternoon with a match between Germany vs. Côte d’Ivoire at 3 p.m.

The FIFA Fan Festival will also be running all weekend for those who were lucky enough to snag tickets. If you don’t have a ticket to the game, there are many restaurants, bars and free spots across Toronto that will be hosting watch parties.

Find everything you need to know about FIFA in Toronto including road closures, TTC and GO transit adjustments and watch parties here.

Indigenous Arts Festival

Biidaasige Park will host the Indigenous Arts Festival to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Month this Saturday. The free, community-focused event will feature traditional and contemporary music, dance, artisan and culinary experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Turtle Island.

The event starts at 11 a.m. with workshops, activities, artisan and food markets with the concert kicking off at 5 p.m.

South by Southeast Festival

South by Southeast Festival, which aims to capture the energy of Toronto by celebrating diversity and cultural pride, is back this weekend at Nathan Phillips Square.

The event, which celebrates the Latin American and Asian communities, will blend World Cup viewings with immersive cultural programming.

There will be outdoor dance floors featuring a wide variety of performances including Bollywood showcases, salsa, samba, acrobatics and Chinese lion dance.

It began Wednesday night and runs until Saturday at midnight.

Toronto Beaches Rib & Beer festival

It’s officially becomes summer this weekend and what’s a better way to kick it off than ribfest. One of the first ribfests in the GTA of the season is happening in The Beaches on a leg of the Northern Heat Rib series.

The festival is happening in Woodbine Park and will feature live music, a battle of the ribs and a beer market.

It kicks off at 4 p.m. on Friday and runs through Sunday at 7 p.m. Admission is a $2 donation to support the Toronto Beaches Lions Club and kids under five are free to attend.

Free fishing for Father’s Day

Those heading out on the water this weekend will be able to fish in Ontario without purchasing a licence or an Outdoors Card.

It’s one of a few weekends over the spring and summer that residents can fish for free. If you are fishing, all conservation licence catch and size limits, fishing sanctuaries and other fishing regulations will still apply.

TTC/GO closures

There will be no TTC and GO closures this weekend but there will be enhanced service will be in place for those attending FIFA events.

You can find full details on enhanced service on Friday for the TTC here. All the details on GO enhanced service can also be found on their website.

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Road closures

Weekend closures

FIFA World Cup

On Saturday, June 20 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday, June 23 from 2 p.m. to midnight, Friday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Thursday July 2 from 2 p.m. to midnight, the following road closures will be in place for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ games in Toronto: 

• Fort York Boulevard from Angelique Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West 
• Lake Shore Boulevard West from British Columbia Road to Bathurst Street 
• Dufferin Street from Springhurst Avenue to British Columbia Road 
• Strachan Avenue from East Liberty Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West 
• Fleet Street from Strachan Avenue to Angelique Street (TTC access only) 
• Local access only for Liberty Village residents and businesses below King Street from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue 
• Local access only for Fort York residents and businesses from Bathurst Street to Strachan Avenue and Fleet Street to Fort York Boulevard 

Journey to Conquer Cancer

The event will start at 10 a.m., and will conclude at approximately 1 p.m. The starting point will be at Varsity Stadium.

Full and partial road closures will be in effect beginning at 6 a.m.:

• Devonshire Place from Bloor Street West to Hoskin Avenue
• Hoskin Avenue from St. George Street to Queen’s Park Crescent West
• Queen’s Park from Bloor Street West to Queen’s Park Crescent West
• Queen’s Park Crescent West from Queen’s Park to College Street
• University Avenue from College Street to Edward Street
• Orde Street from University Avenue to McCaul Street
• McCaul Street from Orde Street to College Street
• College Street from University Avenue to Huron Street
• Huron Street from College Street to Sussex Avenue
• Harbord Street from Huron Street to St George Street
• Sussex Avenue from Huron Street to George Street
• St George Street from Bloor Street West to Hoskin Avenue

Gardiner Expressway long-term closure

As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, a stretch of the westbound Gardiner has been reduced from four lanes to three. The westbound lane closure will stretch from Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue in southern Etobicoke. The eastbound lanes along the same stretch will be narrowed, but with no lane reductions, from April 2025 to December 2026.

For full traffic and closure updates, click here for the latest information from 680 NewsRadio Toronto.