Toronto’s Winterfolk Festival returns for its 24th year with four full days of live roots and blues at the Tranzac Club from February 12–15, 2026. Featuring over 100 artists on multiple stages, Winterfolk celebrates Toronto’s vibrant folk, blues, and singer-songwriter community — keeping live music alive through the heart of winter.
Donne Roberts Band
For the first time in its history, Winterfolk expands to four days. It all begins on Thursday, February 12, with Emerging Talent Night — a showcase for rising performers of all ages. Artists can apply through the Winterfolk website to gain stage time, visibility, and new audiences. Applications and full festival details are available online.Over more than two decades, Winterfolk has become one of Toronto’s cornerstone music events — a gathering place where artists, audiences, and venues come together to celebrate creativity, connection, and community. Founded by songwriter and performer Brian Gladstone, the festival has always stayed true to its grassroots spirit.
“We started Winterfolk because I couldn’t find a stage,” Gladstone says. “Two decades later, we’re still building it — for anyone with something real to say through song.”
This year’s confirmed artists include Donne Roberts (above), Lynn Harrison, Robert Priest, Jesse Greene, Tyler Ellis (below), Shawna Caspi, Melanie Peterson, Jessica Stewart, Brian Gladstone, Noah Zacharin, Frankie Hart, Suzanne Jarvie, Glen Hornblast, and Jory Nash — with many more to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tyler Ellis
Winterfolk XXIV takes place at the Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue (just south of Bloor Street in the Annex), a longtime hub for Toronto’s live-music community. Festival hours are Thursday and Friday 7–11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday noon–11 p.m.
Tickets are available now through the Winterfolk website. A special two-for-one advance offer runs until November 15, with weekend passes priced at $40 in advance ($80 at the door). Thursday’s Emerging Talent Night requires a separate one-day ticket, while weekend passes cover February 13–15.
Before the festival officially begins, fans can get a taste of what’s ahead at the Winterfolk Festival Preview Show at Hugh’s Room Live on November 25. Each ticket includes a $20 discount code toward a Winterfolk weekend pass.
“Winterfolk has always been about community,” says Gladstone. “We help artists find paying gigs, keep venues alive, and bring people out when the city’s usually quiet. By the end of it, you can feel it — the whole roots community’s a little stronger and more connected. Now, with our new Emerging Talent Night, we’re helping the next generation carry that torch.”
From its earliest days to its 24th year, Winterfolk has stayed true to its mission: to fill Toronto’s coldest nights with warmth, music, and meaning. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering it for the first time, Winterfolk XXIV promises four unforgettable days of songs, stories, and community.
Get more information at the Winterfolk website and Facebook page.
