DesignTO 2027 Call for Host Venues

The DesignTO Festival brings people together to celebrate contemporary design across the city January 22 – 31, 2027. If you have a venue you’d like to have activated with a window installation, event, or exhibition, DesignTO wants to hear from you! Potential venues include spaces in the City of Toronto such as shops, galleries, studios, cafés, schools, and lobbies.

How it Works

By applying to the call for host venues, you agree to host a creative project by an artist or designer during the Festival, January 22 – 31, 2027. The duration and type of participation is entirely determined by you when you make your application. Here is an outline of project types:

• A window installation runs the whole duration of the Festival, and is visible to the public 24 hours a day from the outside of your venue. Depending on the space, the installation may also be viewable from inside your venue during regular business/gallery hours.
• An event runs one day during the Festival, for a set period of time. For example, events can include a talk, tour, product launch, film screening, party, or workshop.
• An exhibition runs more than one day during the Festival. It is open to the public during regular business/gallery hours, and may include a window component. It can start before the Festival, and end after the Festival. It may also include an opening or closing reception, or artist/designer’s talk.

After your application is received, you will be paired with an artist or designer. You will not be involved in the selection process, but you will receive information about the designer, and see their online portfolio or get information about what they are proposing to show.

Timeline

• July 10, 2026 | Host Venue Application Deadline
• July 20 – September 14, 2026 | Pairing Review Period
• October 9, 2026 | All Venue-Designers pairings will be confirmed by this date.
• October 23, 2026 | Event Listing Deadline
• January 22 – 31 | 17th Annual DesignTO Festival

Click “Learn More” for complete application guidelines and FAQ.