The top 10 events in Toronto for June 2016

The top events in Toronto this June are big. Like, everyone seriously had a meeting and was like, in June 2016 let's blow what we used to do out of the water. This explains Pride Month, Luminato's Hearn takeover and Bestival's monstrous venue change, among many other new and improved touches to early-summer faves.

Here are my picks for the top events in Toronto this month.

Pride Month (June 1 - 31)
Pride Toronto completely takes over the city for the entire month of June with parties, music, theatre, film, human rights panels and other generally fun stuff. From the second the flag is raised at city hall on May 31, to the moment Justin Trudeau becomes the first Prime Minister to ever march in the Pride Parade, this is the gem of the month.

Lulaworld Festival (June 1-11)
The greatest collection of live music from around the planet is collected and presented at Lula Fest, which takes place at, you guessed it, Lula Lounge. Starting with a bang on opening night the festival features salsa, timba, jazz, blues and more, every single night until June 11. Times vary.

Field Trip (June 4-5)
Field Trip is the best because it's so spacious, laid back, and the grass hasn't yet been trampled on by thousands of festival folk. A mix of art, comedy, food, drink but most importantly the bands. The National and Robyn headline this year, and here's what it looked like last year.

Toronto Festival of Clowns (June 8-12)
To some, the Festival of Clowns is their greatest nightmare come to life. To others it's a hilarious, over the top weekend of buffoonery. Check out the official website for a full rundown of performers. Personal highlights would be Monsieur Faux Pas' aha! and Love with Leila.

Toronto Japanese Film Festival (June 9-23)
This film festival features 24 films in a variety of formats and genres. I'm no expert in this genre but judging by the film schedule and this amazing trailer, things looks pretty cool.

Ontario Craft Beer Week (June 10-19)
This is a province-wide festival celebrating the thriving independent craft beer industry in Ontario. Thriving? More like thunderously exploding! Breweries include Left Field and High Park.

Bestival (June 11-12)
The minute Bestival announced their full line up, Toronto smiled. But when they announced they were heading off the Island and into a new location, they signed up. This wacky and massive music and arts festival is the one. Tame Impala, The Cure and Grimes will all headline.

NXNE (June 13-19)
Forget everything you know about NXNE. On June 17 and 18 they're throwing a weekend-long outdoor music festival where Schoolboy Q will headline. But don't worry, there are still shows scattered through the city from June 15-19 and a tech and gaming takeover at Yonge and Dundas Square.

Luminato (June 10-26)
Luminato became a billion times cooler this year with the announcement that they would take over a abandoned power plant on the waterfront. Now the 17-day festival is upon us and it's all happening under one roof. I'm especially excited for the Yes Yes Y'all X Dudebox party and the opening bash.

Design Forward (June 16)
A runway show extravaganza where "top Canadian fashion designers who have made a commitment to ethical practices, without sacrificing style." Criteria includes: Locally made , use of organic, sustainable, or recycled fabrics, etc and it all goes down inside the Artscape Sandbox on Adelaide W.

What did I miss? Add your top event picks for May in the comments.

Photo by Andrew Williamson.

by Phil Villeneuve via blogTO