What The Festival

What The Festival For us, ‘WTF’ isn’t just a slogan, it’s a way of life! We bring off-beat, off-kilter and off-the-menu entertainment to T.O.’s fun seekers.

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make SPRING THING a huge success! 🍌We had two sold-out performances including the inaug...
06/10/2026

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make SPRING THING a huge success! 🍌

We had two sold-out performances including the inaugural Sweet Idiot Showdown and Toronto Premiere of A Young Man Dressed As A Gorilla Dressed As An Old Man Sits Rocking In A Rocking Chair For Fifty-Six Minutes Then Leaves performed by... WE WILL NEVER TELL. (So stop asking us who the Gorilla was, okay?)

🎉Congratulations to Marina Brin for winning the Sweet Idiot Award 2026 with their performance of Carney: A Meditation. 🏆

Special shout out to our first runner-up Desolita (Nicole Ascroft) 🏅 and third place winner, Shish*tzu (Tiffany Kwan). 🎖️

🤩THANK YOU to all our performers who brought their very best to the stage and delighted our audience at this action packed event. A special Thank you to Jesse Buck for hosting, and to our panel of esteemed judges: Gordon Neill, Kendall Savage and Dave McKay.

THANK YOU to our event sponsors who provided raffle prize items or discounts (Blondies Pizza Ossington, Bonanza Food & Gift, Comedy Bar, Jon Bennett, Penguin Random House Canada, Social Art Studio Space, Srutika Sabu, Sweet Action Theatre and last but not least, the Toronto Fringe). 🙏

We would also like to thank our event photographers, Alejandro Reyes and Tracey Suba for capturing show highlights and providing our artists with character portraits. 📷

And finally, THANK YOU to our amazing event staff who came together to make it all happen! WHAT THE FESTIVAL is lucky to have such an outstanding and dedicated team! 🔥

Meet your Host - EFF (Jesse Buck) who will be leading our Sweet Idiot Showdown on June 6th! 🍌Jesse Buck is a 25 year ve...
05/26/2026

Meet your Host - EFF (Jesse Buck) who will be leading our Sweet Idiot Showdown on June 6th! 🍌

Jesse Buck is a 25 year veteran of the craft and has appeared many times over the years in Toronto. Featured in numerous Toronto Clown Fests, and Red Nose Cabarets. Jesse currently offers a weekly Clown Drop In Class with Professor EFF at Sweet Action Theatre. 🤡

Don’t miss the fun! Get your ticket today! (Link in bio)

It’s been a long, cold winter and now that spring is in full swing, What The Festival is GOING BANANAS! 🍌Join us on Satu...
05/04/2026

It’s been a long, cold winter and now that spring is in full swing, What The Festival is GOING BANANAS! 🍌

Join us on Saturday June 6th for our third annual SPRING THING event at Sweet Action Theatre to help us fundraise for our 2026 Festival in September.

THING ONE 🤡

WHO IS THE SWEETEST CLOWN IN TOWN?
WTF wants to find out and so we’ve created a new annual competition in collaboration with our friends at Sweet Action Theatre.

The SWEET IDIOT SHOWDOWN invites local clowns of all styles and experience levels to perform for a panel of guest judges in hopes of winning the title of SWEET IDIOT 2026.

Audience members will witness many attempts at fantastic foolishness and take part in voting for the winner.

If you are a clown who would like to show us your stuff, please apply below before May 15th.

https://forms.gle/faaMKQXWjHgn87kk7

THING TWO 🦍
WTF is proud to bring this legendary performance art piece to Toronto! As it is a long-running tradition at many Fringe festivals globally, the proceeds (via PWYC donation) will support WTF’s STRANGE MAKER AWARD at this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival happening from June 30th to July 12th.

Tickets on sale soon.

Let us know what you liked, what we got right, and how we can improve in the future! Plus, you can win tickets for a fut...
10/05/2025

Let us know what you liked, what we got right, and how we can improve in the future! Plus, you can win tickets for a future WTF event!

Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/hXuXvAT1cShkWbNJ7

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING 2025 PARTNERS!We couldn't have done any of it without these amazing organizations and individua...
09/30/2025

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING 2025 PARTNERS!

We couldn't have done any of it without these amazing organizations and individuals:

Youngplace
Koffler Arts
Sweet Action Theatre
Small World Music
Social Arts Studio Space
Arts Market Toronto
Tarragon Theatre
Blondies Pizza
Toronto Fringe Festival
Summerworks
Toronto International Buskerfest
Queen West Arts Crawl
Generator
TAPA
Legacy Cabaret
Qprint
Betty Xie

🎊WTF ‘25 Day 3 🎊Saturday Sep. 27It’s a full day of FUN on the last day of WTF! 🕺🎈GET BENT: A BALLOON TWISTING WORKSHOP 3...
09/27/2025

🎊WTF ‘25 Day 3 🎊
Saturday Sep. 27

It’s a full day of FUN on the last day of WTF! 🕺

🎈GET BENT: A BALLOON TWISTING WORKSHOP
3pm to 5pm - Social Arts Studio Space

💬PANEL - CLOWN & BOUFFON: DESPAIR & HOPE
5pm - 6pm - Small World Music
🎟️FREE! Sign up now

🖼️ARTS MARKET POP-UP
4:30PM - 7:30pm - Youngplace

📚MILK MILK LEMONADE
7:30pm - Sweet Action Theatre

👀Keep your eyes peeled before the last show for our RED HOT and OUT OF THIS WORLD lobby entertainment! 👽

🔥THE [IM]POSSIBILE CABARET
9pm - Small World Music

📍Hosted at Youngplace, 180 Shaw St
♿Wheelchair Accessible

🎟️Purchase your tickets online or at the door! Link in bio

👀Keep your eyes peeled before the last show for our RED HOT and OUT OF THIS WORLD lobby entertainment! 👽

🎊 WTF ‘25 - Day 2 🎊Friday Sep. 26The FUN continues, with a forecast of TRICKY, TRASHY, STRANGE & SPECTACULAR!🦝THE SHINIE...
09/26/2025

🎊 WTF ‘25 - Day 2 🎊
Friday Sep. 26

The FUN continues, with a forecast of TRICKY, TRASHY, STRANGE & SPECTACULAR!

🦝THE SHINIEST PIECE OF TRAILER TRASH
7:30 pm - Sweet Action Theatre

👠STRANGE MAKER SHOWCASE
9 pm - Small World Music

🎊It’s the place to be! The FUN starts at 6:30 pm at Youngplace,
180 Shaw St
♿Wheelchair Accessible

🎟️Purchase your tickets online or at the door! Link in bio

🎊 WTF '25 - Day 1 🎊Thursday Sep. 25 Start your weekend early at the Opening Night of WHAT THE FESTIVAL! 🩷🧃JUICE BREAK 7:...
09/25/2025

🎊 WTF '25 - Day 1 🎊
Thursday Sep. 25

Start your weekend early at the Opening Night of WHAT THE FESTIVAL! 🩷

🧃JUICE BREAK
7:30pm - Small World Music

🖍️PEGGY’S PLACE
9pm - Sweet Action Theatre

🎊 It’s the place to be! The FUN starts at 6:30 pm at Youngplace,180 Shaw St
♿Wheelchair Accessible

🎟️Purchase your tickets online or at the door! Link in bio

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Toronto, ON

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