#1 Music Event (up from #3)
The TD-sponsored music festival moved to Yorkville from Nathan Phillips Square in 2017 and held 100 free concerts to celebrate. One highlight was what might be the last Toronto show for soon-to-retire Aretha Franklin at the newly reopened Concert Hall in the historic Masonic Temple. Next: June 2018
#2 Music Event
The country’s largest free jazz festival grew to 900,000 attendees in 2016. Ultra-popular StreetFest returned in 2017, when more than 40 bands per night take over Queen Street East for free funk, R&B, soul, ska, big band, and Afro-Cuban shows. Ontario Lottery and Gaming returned as a main stage sponsor. Next: July 6-29, 2018
#3 Music Event (up from #4)
The fifth annual festival was its biggest yet, selling out and growing to more than 5,000 attendees thanks to increased venue capacity. The family-friendly one-day event featured an all-Canadian lineup this year and admitted kids under age 12 for free. Next: May 2018
#5 Music Event
The two-day downtown music festival at bucolic Fort York welcomed alumni like Broken Social Scene and Feist in 2017, when more than 16,000 attended. Family programming was increased, and Apple Music and Mill Street Brewery were sponsors. Next: June 2018
#6 Music Event (up from #7)
After a successful transition in 2016, the main stage returned to the Port Lands this year as an outdoor gated venue, while 80,000 gamers attended an esports gaming event at Yonge Dundas Square. Sponsors included Porsche, HP, and Sephora. Next: June 2018
#7 Music Event
Fan presence dropped to 150,000 at this year’s weeklong industry and public showcase that hosted 700 artists at 40 venues. The industry portion of the event boasted 3,000 delegates and 476 speakers. Next year will feature music from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Next: May 7-13, 2018
#8 Music Event
CBC returns as title sponsor this year for the gala at the Carlu that fetes the best Canadian album of the year, based solely on artistic merit. The event builds anticipation by releasing a long list of nominees in June, followed by a short list in July. Attendance stayed at 1,000—the venue’s maximum capacity—in 2016. Next: September 18, 2017
#9 Music Event
Ten artists graced the street-side stages for this year’s two-hour live broadcast of the awards. During the inaugural year of a partnership with Twitter, the event trended at number one in Canada and number four internationally during the show. Next: June 2018
