BBQs, Beats & Big Screens: What’s On in Toronto (June 26–July 2)
From Pride stage takeovers to pop-up bookstores and bilingual story time, this week’s roundup of Arabic-inspired events across Toronto is full of joy, culture, and community. Check out five highlights, plus a few extra gems if you scroll through.
Here are 5 events worth checking out:
🎤 Nasser Al-Rayess @ Comedy Bar
The “Shawarma King” returns with two back-to-back shows packed with music, sharp wit, and laugh-out-loud moments that celebrate Arab-American identity and pop culture.
🌟 Nasser Al-Rayess
💬 Language: English
🗓️ Date: Thursday, June 26 – 7:00 to 8:15 PM & 9:00 to 10:15 PM
📍 Venue: Comedy Bar Danforth – 2800 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON
🎟️ Tickets: 7:00 PM Show + 9:00 PM Show
🏳️🌈 The Yalla Barra Extravaganza – Pride Toronto 2025
“Yalla Barra” literally means “let’s go outside” in Arabic, a playful nod to coming out and taking up joyful space. Now in its 9th year, this high-energy showcase merges Middle-Eastern sounds, dance, and queer brilliance on Pride Toronto’s big stage.
🌟 Curated by Anoush Ellah & Madee Lovegood
💬 Language: English / Arabic / Multilingual
🗓️ Date: Friday, June 27 – 7:00 to 10:00 PM
📍 Venue: Mill Street Wellesley Stage – Pride Toronto 2025
🎟️ FREE Event: Pride Toronto
📚 Maktaba Pop-Up @ Peace Collective
Books, beats, and bold designs! Maktaba returns to the Distillery District with a curated summer pop-up featuring their third anniversary capsule, a new vinyl launch by Thanks Joey, and live painting by Bîstyek.
🌟 Maktaba Bookshop
💬 Language: English / Multilingual
🗓️ Date: Saturday, June 28 – 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
📍 Venue: Peace Collective – 7 Trinity Street, Toronto, ON
🎟️ FREE Event: Instagram Event Post
📚 Storytelling Time: Citrus the Smoothie
An interactive bilingual storytime featuring Citrus the Smoothie Sloth — a lovable sloth with a passion for rainforest smoothies and big dreams of sharing them with his sleepy friends! Enjoy a cozy reading session in Arabic and English, followed by fun, story-based activities for kids.
🌟 BookBridge Bookstore & Coffeeshop
💬 Language: Arabic / English
🗓️ Date: Sunday, June 29 – 12:00 to 2:00 PM
📍 Venue: BookBridge – 135 Sixth Street, Etobicoke, ON
🎟️ RSVP: Email bookbridgeinc@gmail.com or WhatsApp 647-528-8985
🎥 TAF25: Co-Existence, My Ass
Israeli comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi brings her one-woman show to the screen, dismantling the myth of coexistence with biting humour and raw honesty in this bold documentary.
🌟 Toronto Arab Film Festival 2025. Co-presented by The Documentary Organization of Canada & Toronto Palestine Film Festival
💬 Language: Arabic, English, and Hebrew (with subtitles)
🗓️ Date: Sunday, June 29 – 7:00 to 9:00 PM
📍 Venue: The Revue Cinema – 400 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto, ON
🎟️ Tickets: Eventive
Looking for more? Every issue of 🖐🏽 khamsa features five staff picks plus even more events organized by day. If you’re a member, keep scrolling. If not, sign up (it’s free!) to unlock the full list.