The annual Toronto Waterfront Festival will take a pause this year, citing funding challenges that include competition from the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
“A perfect storm of circumstances led to this difficult decision,” organizers said in press release Tuesday about the 16-year-old festival known for its star attraction: the six-storey, 7,300-kilogram rubber duckie known as Mama Duck that’s billed as the world’s largest.
Organizers said they have received no government grant funding and “the excitement for FIFA World Cup 2026 has created considerable competition for corporate sponsorships.”
“As a free, not-for-profit festival, without any government grant support and a decrease in corporate sponsorship, we are not in a financial position to put on a successful event for 2026,” said Mike Riehl, chair of Water’s Edge Festivals & Events.
“We are committed to doing this right, and we will be back,” said Riehl about next year’s planned return of the festival that’s presented by Redpath Sugar.
“Mama Duck floated into Toronto in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. A decade later, we felt it was only fitting for her to waddle back for Canada’s 160th in 2027,” said Victoria Mahoney, co-producer of the festival.
The duck has previously brought more than a million people to Toronto’s waterfront, garnering an estimated economic impact of over $9 million during her last two visits, the news release added.
Organizers noted that the team is already “getting their ducks in a row” for 2027.
