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Polaris Festival

 

AMPLIFY – YYZ Live & Polaris Music Prize Present DJ Sarah Levi

September 4th 2026 | Toronto Pearson International Airport | Terminal 1 and 3 | Free | All Ages

In celebration of the 2026 Polaris Festival, presented by SiriusXM Canada, Polaris Music Prize joins YYZ Live and the City of Toronto’s Music Office to bring live Canadian music into one of the country’s busiest gateways.

YYZ Live & Polaris Music Prize Present DJ Sarah Levi transforms Toronto Pearson International Airport from a place of transit into a temporary listening space, inviting travellers, airport workers, families, and visitors to encounter Polaris-recognized Canadian music as art while moving through the airport.

The 2026 Polaris Festival is a month-long celebration of Canadian music as art, bringing together concerts, salons, listening sessions, conversations, artist development initiatives, and the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony at Massey Hall. Through the Festival, Polaris creates space for audiences to listen differently, discover artists in unexpected places, and explore how music can reshape the environments we move through every day.

Music at YYZ

Have some time to spare while travelling through Toronto Pearson? Take a moment to stop and listen.

Presented through Pearson’s YYZ Live program, the concert brings a Polaris-recognized artist into the terminal for two live instrumental sets designed to create a welcoming and engaging experience for audiences of all ages.

YYZ Live places music directly into the rhythms of everyday life. People may encounter the performance while arriving in Toronto, waiting for a flight, meeting family, working at the airport, or simply passing through the terminal.

Airports are defined by movement: departures, arrivals, waiting, reunions, and transitions between places.

The performance will feature an entirely instrumental set by a Polaris-recognized artist, adapted specifically for the acoustic environment of Toronto Pearson. With a stripped-back performance format and an emphasis on melody, musicianship, and atmosphere, the concert creates an accessible way for travellers of all ages to discover Canadian music.

No ticket is required. Audiences are invited simply to encounter the music as they move through the airport.

DJ Sarah Levi

DJ Sarah Levi is a Toronto-born and globally seasoned artist. They are a proud queer DJ on a mission to inspire others to claim space in an industry with a long history of gender imbalance. Since starting in 2014, Sarah Levi has opened for renowned artists like Charli XCX, Alison Wonderland, and Purple Disco Machine. Sarah Levi holds coveted residencies with the Toronto PWHL’s Sceptres and the RBC Amphitheatre. She has also mentored the JUNO award-winning band The Beaches in their new DJ endeavours. Her first single “Nasty” is out now, which embraces high-energy female vocals and beats inspired by UKG and house tracks. Sarah Levi has lots more original music on the way, coming in 2026. Sarah Levi’s electrifying sets have pulsed from Costa Rica, Miami, Montreal, Tulum, and LA, making Sarah Levi not just Toronto’s own, but a global force in the making.

About YYZ Live

YYZ Live is Toronto Pearson International Airport’s ongoing live music program, presented in partnership with the City of Toronto.

Throughout the year, the program brings more than 100 performances by local musicians representing a wide range of genres into Terminals 1 and 3. By presenting live music throughout the airport, YYZ Live creates opportunities for travellers and airport communities to discover Toronto artists while transforming moments of waiting and transit into cultural experiences.

About Polaris Music Prize

Polaris Music Prize is a Canadian charitable arts organization honouring music as art. Through its Album, Song, and Heritage Prizes, Polaris amplifies Canadian artists based on artistic merit — not genre, sales, or algorithmic popularity.

The 2026 Polaris Festival is presented by SiriusXM Canada and made possible through the support of Experience Ontario, Ontario Creates, the City of Toronto’s Cultural Festivals Funding Program, FACTOR, the Government of Canada, Canada’s private radio broadcasters, and the Festival’s many community and venue partners.

 

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