What Not To Miss at This Year’s DesignTO Festival
From immersive installations to thought-provoking talks and community events
This month, the DesignTO Festival returns for its 15th year, transforming Toronto into a city-wide celebration of creativity. With more than 100 events, exhibitions and installations to experience, the festival brings together designers, artists and makers to explore how design shapes our lives and the world around us. To help you plan your festival experience, our 2025 DesignTO Festival preview features six can’t-miss events showcasing the dynamic range of talent and ideas at this year’s festival.
DesignTO Launch Party
Location: Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West
Run Time: January 24, 2025, 7 PM–11 PM
Kick off DesignTO Festival’s 15th anniversary at the Harbourfront Centre for the annual festival launch party. Enjoy a one-night-only installation by artist Asli Alin, explore REVIVE, a curated group exhibition, and discover three new showcases featuring lighting, sculpture, ceramics and more.
Tickets: $24.99–$30
To Hold: A Group Exhibition Curated by Yabu Pushelberg
Location: Yabu Pushelberg Toronto Studio, 55 Booth Ave
Run Time: January 24–30, 2025
An exhibition curated by Yabu Pushelberg, To Hold brings together a group of Canadian artists and designers to explore how the act of holding can transform the essence of an object. The work examines how this simple gesture can redefine, subvert and inspire entirely new narratives. A variety of devices result in a diverse collection of pieces bound together by a single verb, one that is simultaneously elusive and concrete. The exhibition has been produced with the support of the TMU Design and Technology Lab at The Creative School.
Admission: Free
Delirious Facade
Location: Swipe Design books + objects, 401 Richmond St. W., B04
Run Time: January 24–February 2, 2025 (viewable 24/7 outdoors)
Created by LAMAS Architecture, Delirious Facade uses AI to reinterpret Toronto’s architectural history, blending facades into hybrid forms that challenge traditional design narratives. This innovative window installation for DesignTO features AI-human collaboration and a striking 1:20 scale physical model, exploring the transformative role of artificial intelligence in architecture.
Admission: Free
The Invisible Tide
Location: Mason Studio Cultural Hub, 91 Pelham Ave.
Run Time: January 25, 27, 29, 2025, 10 AM–4 PM (Guided Journeys: January 25 & 29, 6–7:15 PM, 7:30–8:45 PM)
Mason Studio presents The Invisible Tide: Awakening Unseen Forces, an immersive sensory installation exploring the impact of light, sound, scent and touch on human emotions and behaviours. This introspective experience features collaborations with Othership, Mulvey and Banani, Seeing into the Unknown, and CBCB Fragrances, inviting visitors to connect art, science and design in transformative ways.
Admission: Free (guided journeys require advanced registration).
About Time
Location: STACKT Market, Unit 5-105, 28 Bathurst St., Toronto
Run Time: January 24–February 2, 2025
About Time brings together six 2021 graduates of Sheridan College’s Craft and Design program to explore how ideas evolve over time. Featuring furniture, lighting, and sculptural objects, the exhibition juxtaposes the designers’ thesis projects with their current work, offering a reflective narrative on craft, materiality and personal growth.
Admission: Free
DesignTO Talks: Net Positive
Location: Ace Hotel Toronto (Interspace), 51 Camden St., Toronto
Run Time: January 31, 2025, 2 PM–6 PM
This half-day event gathers ten multidisciplinary experts to discuss regenerative design, urban infrastructure, and carbon-positive initiatives. Featuring speakers such as Aaron Budd (SvN Architects + Planners), Judith van den Boom (Central Saint Martins), and Living Room Collective, the talk explores how design can shift from “less bad” to “more good” in addressing the climate crisis.
Tickets: $40
Explore beyond out 2025 DesignTO Festival Preview and see the full calendar of programming here.