On September 21, 2026, on the UN International Day of Peace, the International Peace Festival 2026 kicks off in the heart of Toronto. The grand opening will take place at Nathan Phillips Square near Toronto City Hall, bringing together diplomatic and community representatives, artists, cultural organizations, media, and the general public. For the second consecutive year, Business Woman magazine serves as a media partner of the International Peace Festival, supporting its mission to promote peace, international dialogue, and mutual understanding through culture and the arts.
The International Peace Festival | Festival International de la Paix (IPF | FIP) returns in 2026 with an extensive international program that begins on September 21 and spans art, music, international cinema, cultural events, panel discussions, and special programming. According to the festival’s official website, the program is international in scope—featuring events across five continents, with the Canadian segment spanning Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver.
September 21 — Opening Day at Toronto City Hall
The central event of the opening day will be the Opening Ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square. The official media schedule confirms that the opening is dedicated to the UN International Day of Peace and aims to bring together diplomatic representatives, Indigenous and community leaders, cultural organizations, artists, civil society, and the public around peace, international cooperation, cultural understanding, and friendship among nations.
The main program at Nathan Phillips Square will run from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM, featuring the official ceremony, a diplomatic segment, music, dance, and cultural performances. According to the organizers, admission to the Opening Celebrations is free of charge.
The official opening ceremony is scheduled from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM. It will include formal welcoming remarks, brief addresses, and presentations marking the UN International Day of Peace.
From 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM, a VIP Cocktail Reception will take place, featuring festival representatives, invited guests, community leaders, and the media. In the afternoon, the International Cultural Pavilion, cultural exhibits, and community and festival activities will be open to visitors.
Culinary stations, the Toronto Made Market, and live music will also form an integral part of the opening day. The evening artistic showcase on the main stage will run from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, presenting multicultural music, dance, vocal, and performance arts.
Art as a Universal Language of Peace
The International Peace Festival positions art and culture as vital tools for dialogue, reconciliation, and peacebuilding. The festival’s program includes film screenings, musical performances, art exhibitions, educational discussions, international networking, and other cultural events.
This vision lies at the foundation of the festival’s various streams: Film for Peace International, Music for Peace International, and Art for Peace International. The organizers emphasize the power of culture to transcend linguistic, national, and social barriers, fostering a shared space for mutual understanding.
Ukraine in Film for Peace 2026: “Children in the Fire”
Ukraine’s presence in this year’s film program holds special significance for the Ukrainian community.
In the 2026 Film For Peace Awards selection, Ukraine is represented by the documentary feature “Children in the Fire,” directed by Evgeny Afineevsky. The film is featured in the Eastern Europe section under the Honorary Film Tribute Awards category.
The inclusion of a Ukrainian documentary in the international Film for Peace program is deeply symbolic at a festival dedicated to peace, human rights, resilience, and reconciliation. Through non-fiction storytelling, the reality of the war in Ukraine and the lived experiences of Ukrainian children become part of a wider global conversation on the cost of war and the imperative of peace.
Film for Peace International brings together independent documentary, narrative, short, and animated cinema, focusing specifically on stories of courage, resilience, peace, and reconciliation. The organizers highlight women’s and children’s rights, human rights, and the pursuit of paths toward sustainable peace among the program’s key priorities.
International Program Running for Over a Month
The International Peace Festival 2026 is not limited to a single day. The opening on September 21 marks the start of a program that, according to the current festival schedule, runs through October 24, 2026, encompassing film screenings, exhibitions, concert performances, conferences, dialogues, and other cultural events.
The grand finale of the program will be the Peace Ambassadors Gala & Grand Ball, scheduled for October 24.
Business Woman — Media Partner of the International Peace Festival
For the second consecutive year, Business Woman magazine is an official media partner of the International Peace Festival.
For Business Woman, partnering with the festival offers an opportunity to champion international cultural dialogue and direct attention toward initiatives that unite people across nations, cultures, and professions around a fundamental value: peace.
This year’s partnership takes on particular resonance with Ukraine’s presence in the Film for Peace 2026 program. Showcasing “Children in the Fire” provides global audiences with another meaningful avenue to engage with Ukrainian stories through documentary cinema and witness the realities of war through the eyes of children.
The International Peace Festival serves as a reminder that culture is more than creative expression. It can become an instrument of international dialogue, a means of preserving memory, a platform for defending human rights, and a bridge toward mutual understanding.
The International Peace Festival 2026 opens on September 21 at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto City Hall, on the UN International Day of Peace.
Official Website of the International Peace Festival: https://www.internationalpeacefestival.net
Film for Peace Awards 2026 — Official Program
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Author: Nadiia Yashan, Director of Business Woman Magazine in Canada
Photo: Event organisers