In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is with a heavy heart that Harbourfront Centre announces the cancellation of JUNIOR, Toronto’s international children’s festival, scheduled for May 16–22, 2020. We look forward to the return of this fun, family-friendly, week-long festival in May 2021 next year.

“The safety and well-being of our staff and the public who come to Harbourfront Centre to attend our events is our top priority,” said Marah Braye, CEO, Harbourfront Centre. “Given the extreme and unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves, we have cancelled JUNIOR, our beloved international children’s festival, this season. Once public health officials deem it safe to reopen, we look forward to welcoming our visitors to Harbourfront Centre to celebrate this city’s vibrant culture. As Toronto’s cultural hub on the central waterfront, Harbourfront Centre will be ready with many exciting productions, festivals and events for the public to enjoy.”

Harbourfront Centre’s JUNIOR festival has been running since 2018, offering free and ticketed programming for children and youth aged four to 14 and their families. Programming includes theatre, live concerts, dance, puppetry, circus, storytelling, arts and crafts, and more, with artists from across Canada and around the world.

“JUNIOR is where children are encouraged to creatively re-imagine the world they live in and their place in it,” said Nathalie Bonjour, Co-Curator and Director, Performing Arts, Harbourfront Centre. “While we can’t come together this year to physically present and explore the important social themes of identity, culture and belonging, I hope that families can find opportunities to foster and challenge young minds at home, and I wish our communities health and happiness during these difficult and unprecedented times.”

“We are hopeful that soon we will be able to come together and share in the experience of performing arts,” said Mary Francis Moore, Co-Curator of JUNIOR. “While these times have had a significant impact on our community, we look forward to welcoming visitors to our beautiful waterfront and animating our spaces with engaging performances and educational programs as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Harbourfront Centre will remain closed until further notice as we continue to monitor the rapidly changing situation regarding the COVID-19 virus and follow the advice and guidelines of Toronto Public Health. Patrons with tickets for upcoming events will be contacted with details of any postponements or cancellations. For more information and updates, visit harbourfrontcentre.com or call 416 973 4679.