The Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) will not be returning to Etobicoke’s Bell Manor Park for its 15th anniversary edition as funding that made programming at the park possible was not renewed, according to a release from the festival.

The release also noted that, thanks to a major fundraising effort, TOPS has closed the $70,000 funding gap from last year’s festival revealed in July 2024, however the organization “continues to receive only minimal operating support from the Ontario Arts Council and has always depended on a fragile mix of project-based grants, some sponsorship revenue and community donations. Project grants are not guaranteed from year-to-year, and the loss of even one has a significant impact on our ability to deliver programming,” said the Tuesday (April 29) release.

This marks the first time TOPS has had to cancel programming, artistic and executive director Emily Reid tells Playback Daily. The organization will work to return to Bell Manor Park for its 2026 festival.

The 2025 15th anniversary edition of the outdoor festival runs from June 12 to August 24 with 20 free public events across Fort York, Christie Pits Park and Corktown Common. This year’s theme theme is When We Were Young, with the full program being released on May 15.

“I sincerely hope that all levels of government will recognize the vital role TOPS plays in our city and will commit to supporting it with operating funding,” said Emily Reid, TOPS artistic and executive director, in a statement. “Every community in Toronto deserves access to free arts and culture programming.”

Image courtesy of the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show; photo by Rebecca Tisdelle-Macias