First comes Christmas, then New Year's Eve rolls around and Toronto isn't letting this celebration go without a free festival with fireworks on December 31, 2025. The fun will be centered around the Waterfront where live music, pop-up performances along with dancing and a 10-minute fireworks finale set off in the inner harbour. You can see a copy of the City's photo from a previous event at the top of this post.
Mayor Olivia Chow says, “New Year’s Eve is a time for all of us to come together and enjoy the excitement of the season. Toronto’s waterfront will be full of music, movement, and community as we ring in 2026 together. Whether you're dancing outdoors, watching the fireworks with friends and family, or tuning in from home, I invite everyone to take part in this joyful celebration of our city. As we go into 2026, we continue to focus on building a caring, safe, and affordable city that delivers for you.”
Here is the City of Toronto's news release regarding the New Year's Eve celebration (remember there are no fireworks at City Hall).
"At midnight on Wednesday, December 31, the City of Toronto will present a 10-minute fireworks show launched from Toronto’s inner harbour. Synchronized to music and visible across the central waterfront, the display will light up the skyline as one of the most exciting countdown moments in Canada.
Residents and visitors can catch the show from designated viewing areas:
- Toronto Music Garden, 476 Queens Quay W.
- Sherbourne Common, 61 Dockside Dr.
- Sugar Beach Park, 11 Dockside Dr.
- HTO Park, 339 Queens Quay W.
- HTO Park West, 375 Queens Quay W.
- Harbour Square Park, 25 Queens Quay W.
- Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W.
Pedestrians are encouraged to arrive by public transit and use York Street, Jarvis Street, Spadina Avenue and Bay Street to access any of the waterfront viewing areas.
New Year’s Eve programming
Beginning at 10 p.m., the waterfront will transform into a lively outdoor celebration with Canadian music, participatory dance sessions, roaming performers, family-friendly activities and festive pop-up surprises.
Anchored at Harbourfront Centre, the main stage will feature an energetic musical lineup hosted by Mayor Olivia Chow, Makayla Couture and Jessica Smith, Weather Anchor and Reporter, CTV News Toronto and CP24.
This year’s headliner, Lu Kala, brings a fiery-voiced sound to the stage, with opening sets by cootie catcher, offering playful indie-electronic vibes, and Kalisway, known for electrifying, feel-good tracks that blend classic groove with modern edge. KIMIWVN’s DJ set will follow the midnight countdown and keep the celebration going until 1 a.m. on Thursday, January 1, 2026, with a dance party.
Across the waterfront, visitors can take in high-energy DJ sets, pop-up performances and moments of celebration. At Sherbourne Common, the Dance Together Festival will host participatory dance sessions, inviting audiences to join in and move into the new year together. Families can enjoy films projected onto the east side of the Canada Malting Silos viewable from Toronto Music Garden throughout the evening.
Harbourfront Centre’s Winterfest will further animate the festivities with DJ Skate Night featuring DJ Smartiez, immersive light displays, curated food offerings in Community Square, a giant Winter Maze and live performances presented throughout the campus
For those celebrating from home, the live broadcast will feature performances and a real-time countdown to midnight on the City’s CultureTO YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/c/Culture_TO. ASL interpretation and closed captioning will be available.
See more information for the night including road restrictions after the jump.