The Kick & Push Festival runs from July 24th - August 17th.
- July 24 @ 7:30PM: The First Push! A Kick & Push Gathering takes place at The Backyard Patio Bar and Grill. Featuring bites, drinks, and mingling. Enjoy socializing with artists, community members, and the Kick & Push team on an accessible outdoor patio. Admission, a drink ticket, and snacks are free upon entry.
- July 25 - August 3: Providence, the latest work written and directed by Craig Walker and local artists from the Eye of the Dawn Collective. This site-specific play is located on our namesake, the K&P trail, colloquially called the Kick & Push, on its 150th anniversary. The play explores the lives of immigrant workers in 1875, one day before the railway’s opening. Performances take place on the K&P trail at Hagerman Ave, where the last pieces of the K&P railway remain. Evenings (6pm): July 25-26 & July 31 - August 3, Matinees (2PM): July 27 & August 2.
- July 26 @ 3 - 5PM: The official launch party for the 11th season of The Kick & Push Festival! In the Springer Market Square Amphitheatre next to City Hall, our Festival launch will highlight what this season has in store for Kingston audiences. Enjoy food, drinks, previews, speeches, and music from local band Fakejazz Orchestra, as we celebrate all things Kick & Push!
- August 6 - 10: Le Roi Boréal (The Boreal King) is co-presented by The Kick & Push and Kingston’s Centre Culturel Frontenac (CCF). Watch as a puppeteered Moose explores urban spaces carrying the essence of the four seasons with him. Featuring stunning visuals, sounds, and smells, Le Roi Boréal is a sensorial wonder for all ages and backgrounds. Tickets and times coming soon.
- August 7 - 17: The TK Fringe Kingston’s annual fringe festival, returns. This year, the Fringe offers 19 different shows for a diverse audience. The Festival takes place at three venues across Kingston: Davies Lounge, The Confederation Hotel, and The Baby Grand.
- August: Our Cedar Island Residency in partnership with Parks Canada. Indigenous works created through this residency will be presented towards the end of our season, in August. Tickets for this event will include boat transportation to and from Cedar Island National Park.
- Leisa Rich is returning to the Festival again this year to showcase her textile work in mixed-media encounters throughout the city!
- More information to come, and up to date information will be available on our website https://www.thekickandpush.com/2025-programming.
Our event will take place, in part, at Tett Centre. The space is integral to facilitating and nurturing artists and their work throughout our festival season. Contact Liam Karry (liam@thekickandpush.com) for more up to date information about our day-to-day usage as the information becomes available to us through artist talks and meetings. Staff members will be masked, artists are encouraged to do so as comfortable. Our email for access needs is access@thekickandpush.com.
About
The Kick & Push Festival is an annual innovative performance festival that takes place in Kingston, Ontario. It is a professionally run month-long summer festival featuring award-winning Canadian performers and original, internationally award-winning work across alternative and traditional venues in Kingston.
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