Immersive live theatrical installation celebrating women opening soon in Toronto

Did you know that Toronto is made up of 52 per cent women? Look around, ladies: there are a lot of us!

A new immersive live theatrical experience with an installation taking over public space in Toronto pays homage to just that: the large, wonderful, talented and essential community of women that live in the city.

The 52: Live Theatrical Experience spotlights the stories of 52 women who helped build and shape Toronto, contributing to areas of society such as civics, politics, arts, culture, sports, science, business and tech.

Installed within a grand public space, 52 vignettes written by 24 playwrights highlight the experiences of these 52 special women from local history.

Consisting of a rotating weaving together of monologues and choral performances, it’s guaranteed that no two performances of this experimental theatrical installation will be the same. It should even be possible to see the work more than once and get an original experience each time.

“Like dealing a deck of cards, no two shows will be alike—offering fresh perspectives on the countless ways women have transformed our city,” reads the official description of the performance.

“Each performance features a unique selection of stories and performers inspired by women who helped shape Toronto. No two evenings are exactly the same.”

The installation takes place within the jaw-dropping space of the Toronto City Archives, providing an industrial and thought-provoking backdrop for all of the performances.

The public theatre experience is affordable with tickets priced at $20. The 52: Live Theatrical Experience is part of the larger Luminato Festival, and there is also a larger exhibit that the theatrical performance is connected to.

Even if you’re not able to make it out to the live theatrical performance in Toronto, it’s also possible to learn more about the 52 amazing women included in the exhibit and the theatre experience online, with videos of the monologues available for viewing and more information about each individual woman that is spotlighted in the exhibition.

This theatrical installation has actually been performed in Toronto before, but even if you’ve seen it previously there is still more to unearth with new and different stories included this year for 2026.

Performances of The 52: Live Theatrical Experience take place from June 24 to 27, with performances scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. each evening.

City of Toronto Archives can be found at 255 Spadina Rd. in Toronto.

The Luminato Festival is currently on now with events happening across the city all month, running from June 3 to 28.