The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is back, and there is a lot more to do at the CNE this year than ride the midway, eat your way through the food buildings and catch a concert.
The 147th CNE is bringing a lineup of new attractions, returning favourites, live performances, interactive experiences and a few wonderfully unexpected ways to spend a day at Exhibition Place. From stepping inside a space experience beneath a 20-foot illuminated Moon to watching high divers plunge 80 feet into a 40,000-gallon pool, there are plenty of reasons to make the CNE part of your end-of-summer plans.
And for datenight readers, there are plenty of activities that can easily turn a visit to The Ex into an actual date activity. You can learn how to make fresh pasta together, explore the history of Exhibition Place, challenge each other at the Gaming Garage, catch live entertainment or simply wander the grounds and see where the day takes you.
The 2026 CNE runs from August 21 to September 7 in Toronto. Here is your guide to what to do there this year.
NEW EXPERIENCES
Blast Off at the CNE Space EXperience
Daily, Enercare Centre – Hall B – Northside
One of the biggest new attractions at the CNE this year is taking visitors far beyond the fairgrounds. The CNE Space EXperience is a new immersive celebration of Canada’s role in space exploration, presented in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency. Inside the Enercare Centre, visitors can explore hands-on exhibits, discover Canadian space technology and learn more about the Artemis II mission.
The experience also features the Artemis II Journey photo exhibition, showcasing extraordinary images and behind-the-scenes moments from one of the most ambitious space missions ever undertaken.
The real showstopper is a 20-foot illuminated Moon installation, where lunar projections bring the surface and phases of the Moon to life. The experience also includes hourly aerial acrobatic performances beneath the giant Moon, making this one of the CNE’s more unexpected stops.
Play Space-Themed Games at the CNE Gaming Garage
Daily, Enercare Centre – Hall B – Northside
The CNE Gaming Garage is back this year with a new space-themed twist. Alongside the regular gaming programming, visitors can take on an Astronaut Fitness Challenge and test out aiLIENS: Lunar Station 6IX, where drawings are brought to life as avatars on a massive 17-foot screen.
The Innovation Garage will also showcase student programmers and indie game developers, giving visitors a chance to discover some of the people creating the next generation of games.
And the best part? The gaming activities are free.
For couples who prefer a little friendly competition to a traditional midway ride, this might be one of the more underrated CNE date ideas this year.
Watch the Big Dip High Dive Show
Daily, Princes’ Gates
If your idea of entertainment involves a little more adrenaline, make your way to the Princes’ Gates for the CNE’s new Big Dip High Dive Show.
High diving is making its return to the CNE after being part of the fair’s entertainment lineup decades ago. This year’s version takes things to a much higher level, with elite performers climbing platforms up to 80 feet before plunging into a massive 40,000-gallon pool.
The daytime performances are impressive enough, but the nighttime shows turn up the drama even further, with divers descending through flames.
The Big Dip runs daily at the Princes’ Gates, making it one of the easiest new attractions to work into a CNE itinerary.
Standardbred Sulky Rides and Goat Yoga at The Farm
Daily, The Farm at the Better Living Centre
The Farm has become one of the CNE’s most popular destinations, and it is returning with plenty to see and do.
Visitors can meet livestock and learn more about Ontario agriculture, try their hand at crafts using wool, wander through a hay maze and even sign up for goat yoga.
This year, The Farm is also introducing Standardbred Canada activities, including wooden sulky rides, a virtual reality harness racing simulator and live demonstrations. Visitors can also try line dancing and watch artists transform 100 tonnes of sand into a sculpture celebrating the United Nations’ Year of the Woman Farmer.
It’s a pretty different side of the CNE from the midway and one worth exploring if you want to slow things down for a little while.
Learn How to Make Fresh Pasta, Jam & more at the Kitchen Studio Workshops
Every Saturday, Enercare Centre – Hall A
The CNE is getting hands-on in the Kitchen Studio this year with a lineup of culinary workshops.
Every Saturday, renowned Canadian pastry chef and cookbook author Anna Olson will teach visitors how to make seasonal fruit jam using Ontario produce. Le Dolci Culinary Classroom will host fresh pasta workshops, while instructors from Isabella’s Donuts will demonstrate authentic Japanese matcha preparation.
For a date, this is one of our favourite additions to the 2026 programming. Taking a class together gives you something to actually do instead of simply walking around the fair, and you might leave with a new recipe or skill to recreate at home.
Step Into an Enchanted Forest
Daily from 10am – 8pm, Kids’ World
Kids’ World is getting a magical makeover this year with the new Enchanted Forest Immersive Experience.
Centennial Park will transform into a fantasy world filled with storytelling, interactive play and live characters. Young visitors can meet characters including the Great Gazebo, Lionheart and Bramble while taking part in quests and challenges throughout the experience.
Kids’ World will also feature a K-POP Tribute Cirque Show and appearances from popular characters including PAW Patrol, Trolls and Gabby’s Dollhouse.
This is one to save for a family day at the CNE, especially if you are bringing little ones along for the end-of-summer tradition.
Grab a Coffee and Merch at CNE Drip
Daily 10am-10pm (closes early on Labour Day), Music Building across from the Kiddie Midway
The CNE is getting a new coffee shop this year with Drip, a seated café and retail space inside the Music Building.
Stop in for an espresso or Canada’s Fair Blend, then browse a collection of CNE-inspired merchandise including hoodies, T-shirts, nostalgic designs and reusable water bottles.
It’s also a nice place to take a break when you need a break from the crowds and midway noise.
CNE Concerts
CNE Bell SOUNDSTAGE Concert Lineup
Nightly, Aug. 21- Sept.6
This summer, the CNE has teamed up with Billboard Canada and Rolling Stone Canada to present the Bell SOUNDSTAGE at the Bandshell, to deliver an unforgettable lineup of performances. Enjoy free concerts by
international chart-toppers such as Shaggy, Lupe Fiasco, Raf-Saperra and Alison Hinds, to Canadian music icons and homegrown acts including Tom Cochrane, Finger Eleven, Bif Naked, The Trews, Glass Tiger, Bran Van 3000, Charlotte Day Wilson and more!
Nightly, Aug. 21- Sept.6, Collective Tap Yard, West side of Food Building
It’s the best of two ‘fests – The CNE and North by Northeast (NXNE) have partnered to bring the next wave
of music stars to Canada’s largest fair. Adding another destination to discover new music at the CNE, the NXNE Stage will feature exciting performances by some of today’s hottest emerging acts. Take in the cool music festival vibes with some cold beer at the Collective Tap Yard, presented by local brewer Collective Arts, the official beer partner of the 2026 CNE.
Aug 21 – 29, Enercare Centre
The CNE’s Spotlight Stage is also bringing an international lineup to Toronto this year, with performances spanning dance, music, culture and circus arts.
From August 21 to 29, Japanese Double Dutch team HARIBOW will make their CNE debut. Known for appearances on major Got Talent stages, the performers combine jump rope, dance, acrobatics and theatrical storytelling into a high-energy show.
From August 30 to September 7, OMNIUM will make its Canadian debut with “I’m Possible,” an inclusive circus celebrating performers of different abilities. The show is led by Malik Paris, the first Deaf ringmaster, who performs artistic American Sign Language alongside legendary ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson.
NOTABLE & RETURNING EXPERIENCES
Make It a Drag Brunch
Aug. 30, Acqua Supper Club, south of Bandshell Park
Back and better than ever! Get ready for dazzling performances that will serve up laughter, lip-syncs and jaw-dropping glamour at the CNE Drag Brunch, back by popular demand. This year’s Queens include Tynomi Banks, Jada Hudson, Midas, Destiny Doll, and Latin Drag King, Rico Rico. CNE Drag brunch is an enhanced experience and ticketed event.
It is the kind of CNE experience that can easily become the main event of your day rather than something you squeeze in between attractions. Grab your friends, get dressed up and make a proper afternoon of it.
See the Canadian International Air Show
Sept. 5 – 7, CNE Waterfront
One of the biggest annual traditions at the CNE returns over Labour Day weekend with the 77th Canadian International Air Show.
From September 5 to 7, the skies above Lake Ontario will become the backdrop for aerial demonstrations featuring the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CF-18, USAF F-16 demonstrations, the Jack Aces Formation Aerobatic Team, the Edge 540, The Pink Jet and a Christen Eagle.
The Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds will also take to the skies for one of their final performances before a planned multi-year pause, making this year’s show particularly significant for longtime CNE visitors.
If you have never experienced the air show from the CNE waterfront, this is one of those end-of-summer Toronto traditions worth making time for.
Meet More Than 100 Cats at the CNE Cat Show
Aug. 29 & 30, 10am – 5pm, Enercare Centre
The CNE Cat Show is celebrating its 125th edition this year, making it one of the fair’s longest-running traditions.
Taking place August 29 and 30, the show brings more than 100 cats from across the country together to compete for Best in Show. Visitors can meet cats from a huge range of breeds and backgrounds, learn about the history of the competition and even see rescued pets alongside pedigreed favourites.
Take a Walking Tour Through CNE History
Weekdays 11:30am (excl. Opening Day and Labour Day), Princes’ Gates
The CNE has been part of Toronto’s identity for generations, but the history of Exhibition Place goes much deeper than the midway.
The Exhibition City Walking Tour takes visitors on an hour-long journey through the history and architecture of the grounds, exploring a time when Exhibition Place functioned almost like its own city.
The grounds once had everything from banks and a post office to a hospital, news department and social housing. The tour explores how that history shaped the space and its role in Canadian culture.
Get Nostalgic With Classic Championship Wrestling
Daily, Bandshell Park North
Classic Championship Wrestling is returning to the CNE with plenty of nostalgia, rivalry and larger-than-life personalities.
This year’s programming includes special appearances and meet-and-greet opportunities with wrestling stars including Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Rhyno, Gangrel, Luigi Primo, Briyante RB, Joey Janela, Nova and Ms. Spicy Sirena Linton.
The wrestling programming takes place daily at Bandshell Park North, making it an easy stop for longtime wrestling fans or anyone looking to add something completely different to their CNE day.
The 2026 Canadian National Exhibition runs from August 21 to September 7 at Exhibition Place. Advance tickets are available before the fair opens, with savings of up to 35% on tickets purchased by August 20.
Because summer in Toronto does not really feel complete until you have spent at least one day at The Ex!
