Prepare the Ground Toronto
@ptgtoronto.bsky.social
Heavy arts & music festival in Toronto, ON
https://www.preparetheground.com/
https://www.preparetheground.com/
Pass pickup has begun! Weekend & Friday pass holders can come by our festival hub at 295 Brunswick Ave to snag their passes early, and get a drink in the annex lobby bar!
Here is some behind the scenes footage of our friends at Presstime for making all of the merch that is now available.
Here is some behind the scenes footage of our friends at Presstime for making all of the merch that is now available.
May 28, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Pass pickup has begun! Weekend & Friday pass holders can come by our festival hub at 295 Brunswick Ave to snag their passes early, and get a drink in the annex lobby bar!
Here is some behind the scenes footage of our friends at Presstime for making all of the merch that is now available.
Here is some behind the scenes footage of our friends at Presstime for making all of the merch that is now available.
Thursday we are continuing our early pass pickup tradition! From 6pm - 10pm you can make your way to the Prepare the Ground hub, located at 296 Brunswick Ave, to pick up your weekend passes early to save you time on Friday! You will also get first crack at our amazing and limited festival merch!
May 26, 2026 at 4:10 PM
Thursday we are continuing our early pass pickup tradition! From 6pm - 10pm you can make your way to the Prepare the Ground hub, located at 296 Brunswick Ave, to pick up your weekend passes early to save you time on Friday! You will also get first crack at our amazing and limited festival merch!
We present to you our timetable for our upcoming 2026 edition. There are surprises and secrets in store, but for you lovely Preppers you can start to plan your weekends accordingly!
The schedule is also now live in the Prepare the Ground App that is available in the google play and apple app store.
The schedule is also now live in the Prepare the Ground App that is available in the google play and apple app store.
May 12, 2026 at 4:57 PM
We present to you our timetable for our upcoming 2026 edition. There are surprises and secrets in store, but for you lovely Preppers you can start to plan your weekends accordingly!
The schedule is also now live in the Prepare the Ground App that is available in the google play and apple app store.
The schedule is also now live in the Prepare the Ground App that is available in the google play and apple app store.
Steve McGill attended the first edition in 2024, this is the festival through his lens. What is your favourite memory of the festival? Orchid surprise set at the Baby G? KEN Mode levelling an overpacked Garrison? Let us know
April 17, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Steve McGill attended the first edition in 2024, this is the festival through his lens. What is your favourite memory of the festival? Orchid surprise set at the Baby G? KEN Mode levelling an overpacked Garrison? Let us know
Unwell were here in 2024, and in 2026 they return to push things further, stretching their sound into new and more exploratory territory. There’s a restless quality to Unwell’s music, as though Colohan is using the band to channel untold stories, opening space for reflection and expression.
April 13, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Unwell were here in 2024, and in 2026 they return to push things further, stretching their sound into new and more exploratory territory. There’s a restless quality to Unwell’s music, as though Colohan is using the band to channel untold stories, opening space for reflection and expression.
We are truly sad to say that ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead will no longer be able to play Prepare the Ground.
In their stead on Friday, May 29 we are honoured to welcome back one of the most important bands in North American Black Metal, Yellow Eyes.
In their stead on Friday, May 29 we are honoured to welcome back one of the most important bands in North American Black Metal, Yellow Eyes.
March 27, 2026 at 2:32 PM
We are truly sad to say that ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead will no longer be able to play Prepare the Ground.
In their stead on Friday, May 29 we are honoured to welcome back one of the most important bands in North American Black Metal, Yellow Eyes.
In their stead on Friday, May 29 we are honoured to welcome back one of the most important bands in North American Black Metal, Yellow Eyes.
The band pushes and pulls through shadowed passages and climbing crescendos, inviting you into a soundscape that is overwhelming and mesmerising, & ultimately beautiful. By the end of their set, Hell Is Other People leave a lingering weight in the air, their presence will resonate at PtG.
March 19, 2026 at 4:26 PM
The band pushes and pulls through shadowed passages and climbing crescendos, inviting you into a soundscape that is overwhelming and mesmerising, & ultimately beautiful. By the end of their set, Hell Is Other People leave a lingering weight in the air, their presence will resonate at PtG.
Fusing black metal ferocity and the velocity of hardcore, Austin’s Portrayal of Guilt punishes from opening screams to closing roars. Dissonance and abrasion go hand in hand with pulsating rhythms, moving to create a vortex of sound that hypnotises and overwhelms... no space for safety or control.
March 12, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Fusing black metal ferocity and the velocity of hardcore, Austin’s Portrayal of Guilt punishes from opening screams to closing roars. Dissonance and abrasion go hand in hand with pulsating rhythms, moving to create a vortex of sound that hypnotises and overwhelms... no space for safety or control.
Ramping up the volume to its maximum, Indian Handcrafts turn that weight into pure momentum, letting their songs surge with crackling energy and frenetic dynamism. The riffs hit hard and the band fills the room from wall to wall with an unstoppable drive that demands attention.
March 9, 2026 at 4:10 PM
Ramping up the volume to its maximum, Indian Handcrafts turn that weight into pure momentum, letting their songs surge with crackling energy and frenetic dynamism. The riffs hit hard and the band fills the room from wall to wall with an unstoppable drive that demands attention.
Pretty lean into free-spirited energy, rhythms stretch and shimmer as songs unfold with effortless cool. The performance is carried by warm riffs and playful beats - the kind of set that invites you to drift along - time softens at the edges and the glow of psychedelic colour takes hold.
March 6, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Pretty lean into free-spirited energy, rhythms stretch and shimmer as songs unfold with effortless cool. The performance is carried by warm riffs and playful beats - the kind of set that invites you to drift along - time softens at the edges and the glow of psychedelic colour takes hold.
Volunteer registration is now open for Prepare the Ground 2026. The festival's beating heart is the community of volunteers and attendees who make it possible. View all of the info and the application on our website. Join us in making PtG a special experience for everyone descending on Toronto!
February 27, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Volunteer registration is now open for Prepare the Ground 2026. The festival's beating heart is the community of volunteers and attendees who make it possible. View all of the info and the application on our website. Join us in making PtG a special experience for everyone descending on Toronto!
Witch Club Satan emerged from the Norwegian underground, channeling the primal energy of black metal, stripping the genre to its raw core and reshaping its legacy with incendiary intent.
February 24, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Witch Club Satan emerged from the Norwegian underground, channeling the primal energy of black metal, stripping the genre to its raw core and reshaping its legacy with incendiary intent.
Wayfarer's music is expansive and echoes across evocative landscapes with powerful immediacy, offering audiences a tangible sense of living the past through the present, a journey perfectly captured on their latest album, “American Gothic.”
February 16, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Wayfarer's music is expansive and echoes across evocative landscapes with powerful immediacy, offering audiences a tangible sense of living the past through the present, a journey perfectly captured on their latest album, “American Gothic.”
Last year’s debut, Die Close, showcased just how committed to the craft Olds truly is. Rooted firmly in heavy metal’s classic foundations, the record embraces touches of doom, goth, and black metal, expanding the palette without losing sight of its core intensity.
February 13, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Last year’s debut, Die Close, showcased just how committed to the craft Olds truly is. Rooted firmly in heavy metal’s classic foundations, the record embraces touches of doom, goth, and black metal, expanding the palette without losing sight of its core intensity.
Tomorrow, Wed February 11 @ 5 PM EST on Instagram Live the one and only Metal & Coffee will be in conversation with Prepare the Ground Co-Director & Curator KW to chat all about the festival, the quantity of coffee they each drink ( its too much ) and who they're most excited to see this May!
February 10, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Tomorrow, Wed February 11 @ 5 PM EST on Instagram Live the one and only Metal & Coffee will be in conversation with Prepare the Ground Co-Director & Curator KW to chat all about the festival, the quantity of coffee they each drink ( its too much ) and who they're most excited to see this May!
Borne from extreme isolation in the Spring of 2020, Toronto’s lowheaven sit in the shadows left by the melding of darkness and light, their post-hardcore style pushing for weighted contrast and emotive candor - finding balance between heaviness and softness.
February 9, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Borne from extreme isolation in the Spring of 2020, Toronto’s lowheaven sit in the shadows left by the melding of darkness and light, their post-hardcore style pushing for weighted contrast and emotive candor - finding balance between heaviness and softness.
There aren't many bands who encapsulate what Prepare the Ground is about from an ethos and musical aspect more than Mizmor, and finally welcoming them to our stage is as thrilling for us as it is for you.
February 5, 2026 at 5:37 PM
There aren't many bands who encapsulate what Prepare the Ground is about from an ethos and musical aspect more than Mizmor, and finally welcoming them to our stage is as thrilling for us as it is for you.
Drawing influence from post-punk and deathrock, Boston’s Final Gasp channel darkness through driving rhythms, melodic guitars, and a deadly attachment to the past, their music echoing the underground vibe of 80s goth clubs.
February 2, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Drawing influence from post-punk and deathrock, Boston’s Final Gasp channel darkness through driving rhythms, melodic guitars, and a deadly attachment to the past, their music echoing the underground vibe of 80s goth clubs.
Built on slow-moving riffs, Vancouver’s Tribunal craft a deliberate and imposing monument to sound with their patient, weighty doom. Songs unfold in calm measure, each moment living in the present, melting into the next, creating a weight that carries through each track and into the live setting.
January 30, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Built on slow-moving riffs, Vancouver’s Tribunal craft a deliberate and imposing monument to sound with their patient, weighty doom. Songs unfold in calm measure, each moment living in the present, melting into the next, creating a weight that carries through each track and into the live setting.
A recap of the new additions we put out yesterday. From legendary ambiance of William Basinski, to the feral rage of Witch Club Satan, to guttural roars of Portrayal of Guilt, to the meditative destruction of Mizmor & the pageantry & brutality of Blood Vulture there is truly something for everyone.
January 28, 2026 at 4:17 PM
A recap of the new additions we put out yesterday. From legendary ambiance of William Basinski, to the feral rage of Witch Club Satan, to guttural roars of Portrayal of Guilt, to the meditative destruction of Mizmor & the pageantry & brutality of Blood Vulture there is truly something for everyone.
We are honoured to welcome 18 more artists including William Basinski, Witch Club Satan, Mizmor, Portrayal of Guilt, Wayfarer, Indian Handcrafts, Blood Vulture, Final Gasp, Tribunal and more. As always, we have a few tricks up our sleeves.
Single day tickets now available.
Single day tickets now available.
January 27, 2026 at 3:04 PM
We are honoured to welcome 18 more artists including William Basinski, Witch Club Satan, Mizmor, Portrayal of Guilt, Wayfarer, Indian Handcrafts, Blood Vulture, Final Gasp, Tribunal and more. As always, we have a few tricks up our sleeves.
Single day tickets now available.
Single day tickets now available.
Soft daylight breaks through the darkness, a whisper of promise floats on the breeze, and the calmness in the air stirs as branches snap underfoot. A wanderer seeks redemption and offers gifts to the coming dawn as warm rays bathe the world in renewed light and take what is owed.
January 15, 2026 at 4:05 PM
Soft daylight breaks through the darkness, a whisper of promise floats on the breeze, and the calmness in the air stirs as branches snap underfoot. A wanderer seeks redemption and offers gifts to the coming dawn as warm rays bathe the world in renewed light and take what is owed.
Repetitive cycles of guitar are juxtaposed against harsh vocals and climbing melodies, bringing a sense of dread to fleeting moments of beauty, the rot creeping into the spaces between sounds and taking root at the very base of the heart.
January 12, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Repetitive cycles of guitar are juxtaposed against harsh vocals and climbing melodies, bringing a sense of dread to fleeting moments of beauty, the rot creeping into the spaces between sounds and taking root at the very base of the heart.
Controlled chaos imbues tension into songs that marry frenzy with longer passages, fuelling the passion that seeps into the intensity of Wiegedood live performance. Be prepared for bold, authentic despair, stark atmosphere, and ferocious bite when they take to the Prepare the Ground stage next May.
January 8, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Controlled chaos imbues tension into songs that marry frenzy with longer passages, fuelling the passion that seeps into the intensity of Wiegedood live performance. Be prepared for bold, authentic despair, stark atmosphere, and ferocious bite when they take to the Prepare the Ground stage next May.
At the heart of UUGGHH’s sound lies bass and drums, forming a driving backbone that anchors the chaos. Layered over this foundation is glitchy noise rock and weirdo hardcore, punctuated by frantic shouts, impassioned spoken word passages, and an attitude that has to be seen to be believed.
January 6, 2026 at 4:17 PM
At the heart of UUGGHH’s sound lies bass and drums, forming a driving backbone that anchors the chaos. Layered over this foundation is glitchy noise rock and weirdo hardcore, punctuated by frantic shouts, impassioned spoken word passages, and an attitude that has to be seen to be believed.