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The Editor\'s Desk · Toronto Briefing

World Cup kicks off at BMO — live music after.

Friday's warm and long, the sun's out late, and the 6ix is ready to party.

Fri · Jun 26, 2026 Updated 1:55 PM
World Cup kicks off at BMO — live music after.

Morning. It's 16 and partly cloudy — grab sunscreen if you're heading out; the UV's sitting at 8, which is high enough to catch you if you're not thinking about it. You've got a solid 15.5 hours of daylight today, and sunset doesn't drop until 9:03 PM, so plan your evening around that.

A couple of heads-ups on the roads: there's a collision on the 427 northbound express at Dundas with the right lane and shoulder closed, so if that's your route, leave a bit earlier or find another way. There's also some construction work happening around the Kingsway and Kings Lynn Rd area, plus Bannon Ave near Elliott, but nothing that should wreck your whole day.

On the local side — there was an industrial accident at North York Shopping Centre this morning. In lighter news, there's a Labrador out there actually helping the city fight invasive species, which is pretty cool. And if you own a house in T.O., Toronto's got flood protection rebates up to $6,650 you can claim, so if you've been thinking about that, now's the time to look into it.

Food-wise, if you're thinking lunch or an early dinner, there's a bunch of dog-friendly patios around the city that are streaming the World Cup — so bring the pup if you've got one. Bubble tea's also on the menu if that's your move; there are five spots worth waiting in line for. And if you haven't heard, Kraft Dinner just launched a ramen line that's apparently blowing up on TikTok, so that's a thing now.

Here's the main event: Senegal's playing the playoff winner at BMO Field at 3:00 PM — World Cup match, first big match of the day in the city. If you're not at the stadium, the FIFA Fan Festival's running at Fort York and the Bentway starting at 1:30 PM, so that's your spot to soak in the vibe without a ticket.

Tonite, it's live music everywhere. Kittie's at the Danforth, Local Goblin's at Sneaky Dee's with a couple of openers, 2charm's at the Drake, and there's a Leafs Draft Watch Party over at Scotiabank Arena at 5:30 PM if you're into that. Weather's on your side — partly cloudy and warm enough that you won't be sweating through your shirt, but bring a light layer for later when the sun drops.

It's a Friday. Get out there.

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