TIFF brings 'pop up economy' with small biz, overall spending up 10% in 2025

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source The Toronto International Film Festival, which unfurls Thursday and runs until Sept. 20, isn't just about movie-watching and star-gazing. It also creates a 'pop-up economy' according to data from Visa, whose 29-year-old partnership with TIFF continues this year. Visa says last year, TIFF saw local small business spending up 10% year-over-year, while overall spending in the TIFF Zone – where the majority of films are shown along King Street – grew 10%. Meanwhile, foreign visitor spending hit a record high — up 15% year-over-year — accounting for 20% of all local commerce during the festival. Additionally, since 2022, the number of small businesses operating in the TIFF Zone expanded by 30%, driving a 20% increase in small business sales. 'For nearly three decades, Visa has been proud to partner with TIFF, one of the world's most influential film festivals,' said Michiel Wielhouwer, President and Country Manager, Visa Canada, in a statement. 'We're thrilled to extend this important partnership and continue giving Visa cardholders opportunities to get closer to the Festival experiences they love.' Visa cardholders get early access to tickets, priority lines and lounges at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall. Visa Sharing The Screen will also this year distribute 500 complimentary screening tickets and host a special Creator Talk with director Rebeca Huntt and soccer icon Megan Rapinoe in support of their documentary RAPINOE, premiering at TIFF on Thursday. 'Visa has been an excellent partner to TIFF for nearly three decades, and we're grateful for their continued commitment to our Festival,' said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF, in a statement. For those who want a peek at the energy TIFF brings to downtown Toronto, the pedestrian-only Festival Street returns Thursday to Sunday on King Street West between Peter Street and University Avenue. The street will welcome close to half a million people and will feature art installations, live music and DJs, free outdoor film screenings, art market, food trucks, partner activations and family-friendly activities. One major change is that the iconic TIFF Festival Street sign has been redesigned with LED lighting creating a vibrant (and no longer orange) backdrop for one of TIFF's most beloved annual traditions: the Festival Street photo. TIFF kicks off Thursday night with Academy Award winner Sian Heder's big-screen adaptation of Judy Heumann's bestselling memoir Being Heumann.