Applications for our 2026 Festival ARE NOW OPEN March 15th and close April 15th at midnight.

Applicants will be notified of results by June 1st, 2026.

TBF 2026 is November 12-15th at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Downtown Toronto.

Things you need to know - we are dedicated to making our festival as inclusive and accessible as possible. TBF aims to showcase innovative, provocative, and captivating burlesque performances with a focus on creating a space where diverse perspectives and experiences are valued, appreciated and championed.

• No application fees - ever!

• All performance spots are paid in line with CADA/East rates.

• All acts are peer-reviewed by a panel of artist adjudicators, and each act is reviewed by at least three members of the adjudication panel.

• Confirmed performers will be limited to performing one solo and one duet/group number per year.

• Performers can submit up to two applications per year (either two solos, or a solo and duet/group, or two group).

• All applicants can request the adjudication notes on their acts.

• We actively seek to amplify underrepresented voices in burlesque, prioritizing applications from performers from the BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, and disabled communities.

• Our festival mandate ensures that at least 40% of programming is dedicated to marginalized artists, reinforcing our belief that burlesque is a space for everyone. In 2025, we surpassed those goals, with 58% BIPOC performers, 81% 2SLGBTQIA+ performers, 30% performers of size, 20% disabled performers, and 36% neurodivergent performers.

• Read more about our festival's diversity policies and about the accessibility of our venue partner, Buddies in Bad Times.

  Adjudication Criteria:
  

  Our adjudication rubric asks the jury to grade the works based on four factors:

  Originality / Creativity of the act -  Rate 1-5

  Execution / Performers skills - Rate 1-5

  Aesthetics of the performer / Act - Rate 1-5

  Do you want this act in the festival? - Rate 1-5

  Extra factor: for example an under-represented performer: Is this a performer you want to be heard/seen - Yes/No (Automatically add 2 points if YES)
  

  An application will have a rating from 5 - 20, in total, plus 2 points for the extra yes/no factor. Each act category is graded as follows:

  5 - Excellent - strong artistic vision, development and execution - performance has the potential to influence or challenge the field

  4 - Good - clear artistic vision, development and execution - performance has the potential to impact the field

  3 - Average - Decent artistic vision, development and execution - unsure of impact on field

  2 - Below Average - Unclear Artistic Vision, Act needs more development, Execution shows promise, but not yet ready for this showcase 

  1 - Not yet ready for the festival stage

Have questions about applications?

Email us at info AT torontoburlesquefestival DOT ca.