While many eyes are understandably on the FIFA World Cup in June, there are other cool events happening in Toronto next month.
Most notably, Toronto Games Week is once again taking place in the city, bringing together more than 50 showcases, workshops, talks, trivia nights, outdoor events and other fun bits of programming from June 11-17. It’s co-organized by indie developers Jim Munroe and Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, and it’s a wonderful way to bring together local gaming communities, in no small part because most of the events are free. (Some are just walk-in, while others require registration.)
🔴 THE SCHEDULE IS NOW LIVE 🔴
torontogamesweek.com/scheduleThis year we’ve got:
– 50+ showcases, workshops, games, talks and performances!
– Almost 40 free events!
– 12 outdoor events!
– 7 soccer-adjacent events made possible by the City of Toronto and the Community Celebration Support Fund!— Toronto Games Week (@torontogamesweek.com) May 17, 2026 at 6:52 PM
You can check out the full schedule on the official TGW website, but some programming highlights include:
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- Giant Video Games & TGW Kickoff (Thursday, June 11 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Canada Malting Silos) — featuring playable games, massive projections, food stalls and more (free, just show up)
- The Beautiful Game: A Playable History of Soccer Games (Thursday, June 11 to Wednesday, June 17 (Royal Ontario Museum) — an interactive exhibit featuring 50 years of soccer video games (tickets are $26)
- The G.R.I.D. (Friday, June 12 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at George Brown Polytechnic WaterFront Campus)
- — a space for game makers, especially up-and-comers, to playtest their work and get valuable feedback in real-time (free, just show up)
- Kitten Cup Studio Tea Party: BYOD Bring Your Own Demo (Saturday, June 13 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Allan Gardens Children’s Conservatory) — a tea party from Toronto indie developer Kitten Cup (Capy Castaway) featuring games from local developers, goodies and giveaways and more (free, just show up)
- Live Video Game Orchestra (Sunday, June 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m at Hugh’s Room Live) — a concert featuring music from indie games like Canadian-made Celeste and Cuphead, as well as the likes of Hollow Knight and Undertale (tickets at $35)
- DEI or DIE V2: DEI Harder (Monday, June 15 from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Toronto Metropolitan University) — a showcase of games from queer and other marginalized game devs (free, sign-up here)
- NextGen Showcase (Monday, June 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at CSA Spadina) — a curated showcase of Toronto-made games from international curator Jenny Windom (free, just show up)
- IGDA Trivia Night: The Entire History of Game Development (Tuesday, June 16 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Great Lakes Brewery) — a trivia night hosted by comedienne and narrative designer Franci Dimitrovska
- TGA Closing Party (Wednesday, June 17 from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. at Demo Room) — featuring drinks, networking, games showcases and more (tickets are $15-$25)
Since many of these events are free, you might want to register sooner rather than later where applicable to reserve your spot. For more on TGW, check out our interview with co-organizer Flanagan.
It should also be noted that this is one of many gaming events happening in Canada in June and beyond. Check out our big round-up for more.
Image credit: Toronto Games Week
