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Experience Ontario 2026 │ Government of Ontario

December 16, 2025

Value

Varies.

Description

The Experience Ontario 2026 program provides support for festivals and events with a tourism economic impact to:

  • motivate visitors to discover Ontario
  • connect people with local experiences
  • increase tourism spending

Eligible Applicants

Eligible organizations must be:

  • a legal entity, established by or under legislation; federally or provincially incorporated; or a First Nation in the province of Ontario
  • an Indigenous community in Ontario; a regional or provincial organization representing First Nation, Métis, Inuit or urban Indigenous peoples; or an Indigenous service provider in Ontario
  • an operating business (e.g. business address, physical presence) in Ontario since January 1, 2025, or before
  • not be in default of the terms and conditions of any grant or loan agreement with any ministry or agency of the Government of Ontario
  • have a Canadian bank account in the legal name of the applicant at a Canadian financial institution conducting business in Ontario

In addition, your festival or event must meet all the following requirements:

  • take place between April 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027, over a minimum of two consecutive days*
  • include a minimum of five hours of programing each day
  • occur in the province of Ontario
  • be open to the public at large without membership in a club or group
  • NEW: in the past three years, one year’s attendance must include tourist attendance at 30 per cent of overall attendance, or 5,00 tourists
  • has been held at least once in the previous three-year period**
  • follow all municipal and provincial guidelines, including health and safety guidelines

*One-day tourism festivals or events held on Canada Day are eligible for funding.
**Not applicable for Capacity Building Stream.

Eligible Expenses

Examples of eligible expenses include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Programming and Production
    • Performance and appearance fees paid to artists, performers, and presenters, including travel, accommodation, hospitality and bookings (reasonable costs associated to expenses such as meals, transportation). Hospitality does not include alcohol or cannabis-related products.
    • Programming costs, including interactive, experiential and/or accessible programming.
    • Ontario-based production costs, including audio and visual support (e.g., rental of sound and lighting equipment and rental of event venue).
    • Wages for temporary/contract event staff directly related to programming and production for the festival or event.
    • For eligible sporting events, programming costs related to attracting and engaging spectators.
    • SOCAN or other licensing fees.
    • Honorarium for Elder/Knowledge Holder.
  • Marketing
    • Targeted paid media or advertising buys (e.g., broadcast, digital, social, print, out-of-home).
    • Distribution/shipping costs for printed materials.
    • Mobile application and website development and upgrades if promoting or supporting the festival or event.
    • Wages for temporary/contract event staff directly related to marketing for the festival or event.
  • Other
    • Translation costs directly related to the programming or marketing of the festival or event.
    • Costs related to volunteer training for the event, site/visitor services, or event security.
    • Accessibility services and improvements to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) directly associated with the event programming (e.g., ramps, accessible viewing areas).
    • Non-capital costs related to strengthening health and safety measures at the event (e.g., technology for digital contactless payment and admission).
    • Sanitation services (handwashing stations, hand sanitizer dispensers).
    • Economic impact studies.
    • Other costs deemed reasonable and directly attributable to the project that have been approved in writing by the ministry.

Deadline Date

You must submit your application by Tuesday, December 16, 2025, by 4:00 p.m. (EST).

Contact

Contact Name: Regional Development Advisor

E-mail Address: ExperienceOntario@ontario.ca

Website: https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/on00906

Industry:

Arts and Culture, Indigenous, Tourism

Location:

Ontario

Tags:

Events, Festivals

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