Inaugural Taste of Little Jamaica on July 18 cancelled over permits issues

Event organizers hope to return in 2027

Published Jul 07, 2026  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  1 minute read

Taste of Little Jamaica, scheduled for July 18 on Eglinton Ave. West, cancelled over permit issues Photo by Taste of Little Jamaica

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Over before it even started.

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Sadly, organizers of the inaugural Taste of Little Jamaica, which was set for Eglinton Ave. West between Oakwood Ave. and Glenhome Ave. on July 18, have had to cancel the one-day event because they were “ultimately unable to secure all of the approvals required to proceed this year.”

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the inaugural Taste of Little Jamaica,” said the event’s team in a statement on social media.

“Over the past several months, we have worked closely with the City of Toronto and community partners throughout the event planning and permitting process. While every effort was made to move the event forward, we were ultimately unable to secure all of the approvals required to proceed this year.”

The organizers say that while they are “deeply disappointed,” they “respect the City’s permitting process and appreciate the time and collaboration of everyone involved.”

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Organizers hope to have festival in 2027

The event’s team says they “will be contacting confirmed vendors and partners directly regarding next steps.

”We extend our heartfelt thanks to our vendors, performers, sponsors, volunteers, community partners, and everyone who expressed excitement about celebrating the culture, cuisine, and spirit of Little Jamaica with us,” said the statement.

“While this year’s event will not move forward as planned, our commitment to celebrating and uplifting the Little Jamaica community remains strong. We look forward to bringing this vision to life in 2027.”

This year’s event was to follow the February opening of the Eglinton LRT after a 14-year construction period that affected businesses on the street.

In 2025, the Little Jamaica Festival hosted by the local BIA was reportedly also scrapped days before it was set to take place due to funding constraints and permit issues.

The city of Toronto has yet to respond for comment about this year’s cancellation.

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