Ashkenaz Festival 2026

The 15th biennial Ashkenaz Festival will take place August 30 to September 6, 2026, at locations across Toronto. Mark your calendar for North America’s largest celebration of global Jewish Music and Culture, and join our email list and/or follow our Facebook and Instagram channels for the latest info. This year’s celebration will look a little different than in the past, with the Festival coming to new venues and areas of the city. Here’s an overview of our week:

AUG 30 – Ashkenaz @ Pedestrian Sunday in Kensington Market (PSK)

As the historic home of Toronto’s Jewish community, and a hotbed of multicultural arts, Kensington Market couldn’t be a more appropriate kickoff location for this year’s Festival. The Market is also significant in our own Festival’s history, as the launch point for the legendary Ashkenaz Parades of the 1990s. Pedestrian Sundays attract thousands of people from all backgrounds, allowing us the opportunity to share Jewish music and creativity with a massive multicultural audience. Ashkenaz will be presenting performances and artistic activations at multiple stages and locations throughout the Market. A detailed schedule will be available towards the end of July. For now, plan for a jam-packed day of programming from noon through the evening, including the Ashkenaz Parade.

SEPT 1-3 – Ashkenaz @ Lula Lounge
The Festival remains downtown throughout the week as we return to one of our favourite venues, Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas), with three amazing concerts: On Sept 1, Sweden’s Louisa Lyne presents a dynamic program of “Leonard Cohen in Yiddish”; on Sept 2 Morrocan-Jewish singer Neta Elkayam and her New Orleans-based band connect North African Sephardic Jewish traditions with jazz and global music influences; on Sept 3, we showcase the best of contemporary Yiddish songcraft from the southern hemisphere in an incredible double bill featuring Argentinian-born, Miami-based singer Alexandra Czarny, and Austalian family band The Bashevis Singers, last seen in these parts at the 2018 Ashkenaz Festival. The Lula Lounge events are among the only ticketed events at this year’s festival so be sure to get your tickets and make reservations at the venue to avoiud disappointment.

SEPT 4 – Ashkenaz @ Midtown Synagogues
We’re excited to present the second edition of the “Shul Crawl,” a unique series of Kabbalat Shabbat concerts taking place at three midtown synagogues within walking distance of each other. Beginning at Beth Sholom Synagogue and carrying on in approximately one hour increments to Beth Tzedec Congregation and Holy Blossom Temple, these intimate and unique musical performances will explore diverse aspects of shabbat observance from disparate corners of the Jewish world, including Persian/Bukharian, North African/Sephardic and Ashkenazic. Events are free but will require registration.

SEPT 5-6 – Ashkenaz in North York

On Labour Day weekend, for the first time the Ashkenaz Festival moves to North York, building on the popularity of our programming in the heart of contemporary Jewish Toronto over the last few years. On Saturday September 5 we will be in Area 5 at Earl Bales Park (where our Summer Jam series takes place), for an eclectic evening of free performances highlighted by a 40th anniversary concert with the one and only Klezmatics. On Sunday September 6 we present the third edition of “The Last Horrah,” in partnership with the Prosserman JCC, at Honey and Barry Park on Sherman Campus (4588 Bathurst). Enjoy a full day and evening of diverse music programming along with an artisan/vendor market and multiple activations for kids and families. Pre-registration required.