Item - 2025.CC29.1

Tracking Status

City Council adopted this item on April 23 and 24, 2025 with amendments.

CC29.1 - Ensuring Toronto�s Local Summer Festivals Benefit from the World Cup

Decision Type:: ACTION

Status:: Amended

Wards:: All

City Council Decision

City Council on April 23 and 24, 2025, adopted the following:

1. City Council affirm the expectation that existing special events and festivals across Toronto continue to be permitted during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto.

2. City Council direct the City Manager, Emergency Services, and additional City staff as appropriate to coordinate to ensure the smooth operations of summer events taking place during the FIFA World Cup 2026, including special consideration of traffic operations, transit accessibility, and safety.

3. City Council direct the City Manager to seek the partnership of the federal and provincial governments in supporting Toronto festivals in summer 2026, in view of both Toronto’s World Cup hosting obligations and other market conditions, such as costs escalations, labour scarcity and demands upon City of Toronto essential services, to ensure the sustainability of Toronto festivals and special events.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with the FWC26 Toronto Secretariat, to bring forward to the Executive Committee, through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Subcommittee, by the third quarter of 2025 a plan for support to Toronto festivals and special events impacted by World Cup hosting in 2026 to include a funding program, within existing divisional resources, to enable community celebrations.

Background Information (City Council)

(April 14, 2025) Report from Mayor Olivia Chow on Ensuring Toronto�s Local Summer Festivals Benefit from the World Cup (CC29.1)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-254683.pdf

Motions (City Council)

1a - Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Shelley Carroll (Carried)

That City Council amend Recommendation 1 by adding the words "and festivals" after the words "special events" and delete the word "all" after the words "operations of" in Recommendation 2, so that Recommendations 1 and 2 now read as follows:

1. City Council affirm the expectation that existing special events and festivals across Toronto where their activation in summer 2026 is financially and logistically viable continue to be permitted during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto.

2. City Council direct the City Manager, Emergency Services, and additional City staff as appropriate, to coordinate to ensure the smooth operations of all summer events taking place during the FIFA World Cup 2026, including special consideration of traffic operations, transit accessibility, and safety.

1b - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Shelley Carroll (Carried)

That:

1. City Council direct the City Manager to seek the partnership of the federal and provincial governments in supporting Toronto festivals in summer 2026, in view of both Toronto’s World Cup hosting obligations and other market conditions, such as costs escalations, labour scarcity and demands upon City of Toronto essential services, to ensure the sustainability of Toronto festivals and special events.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with the FWC26 Toronto Secretariat, to bring forward to the Executive Committee, through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Subcommittee, by the third quarter of 2025 a plan for support to Toronto festivals and special events impacted by World Cup hosting in 2026 to include a funding program, within existing divisional resources, to enable community celebrations.

Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)