Wednesday, May 14, 2025
6:30 p.m. – Midnight

Ricarda’s Atrium
134 Peter Street, Toronto

Co-chaired by
Jennifer F. Longhurst
and Zai Mamdani

SOLD OUT

The Walrus Gala is the event of the year for the culturally curious and the civic-minded.

The cornerstone of our annual fundraising, The Walrus Gala raises funds to power our storytelling and our ability to showcase the best of Canadian literary and creative talent.

The Walrus provokes new thinking and sparks conversation on matters vital to Canadians. We publish fact-based journalism as well as literature and poetry. We produce ideas-based events across the country, and our fellowship program nurtures tomorrow’s journalists, content creators, and thought leaders.

This year, we will bring together over 350 industry leaders and influencers in a revitalized format. Enjoy the company of 
Canada’s brightest and most interesting thinkers in an informal dining setting, with an emphasis on socializing and networking 
all evening.

Join us for The Walrus Gala 2025 as we ­celebrate Canada’s boldest conversations, and secure the future of independent media in this country.


Tickets & Sponsorship Opportunities

The nationally-recognized convening power of The Walrus Gala will make your brand shine. You will be part of an influential audience who are committed 
to raising the bar for Canada’s future. Whether you are a lead sponsor or individual ticket holder, The Walrus Gala is an ideal business development and networking ­opportunity for organizations and individuals looking to make their mark, and forge strong ­connections with leaders across industries.

All guests will enjoy sumptuous appetizers and dinners by Ricarda’s chef Julien Laffargue, an open bar serving wines, house cocktails and mocktails, and pop-up performances by local creators.

To download our full sponsorship package, click here.

To learn more, please contact:

Kris-John Kucharik, Senior Manager of Philanthropy, at [email protected]

Laura Lavie, Head of Philanthropy, at [email protected]

Presenting Sponsor
$35,000 (1 x opportunities)
  • Custom sponsorship naming
  • Title sponsorship recognition and branding at key areas of the event space, in visual assets and programmed content
  • Branded support of a specific event element, TBD in collaboration with sponsor
  • 12-person lounge with dedicated table and bottle service
  • Prominent author, editor, or journalist at your table
  • Digital advertising at thewalrus.ca for a two-week period, plus 2 x full-page ads in our print issues during 2025
  • Social media promotion (150K+ followers) before, during and after the gala
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

For the two lead sponsor opportunities, we will 
be happy to discuss the possibility of a brand activation at the event.

Canada’s Conversation Sponsor [SOLD OUT]
$30,000 (1 x opportunities)
  • Sponsorship recognition and branding at key areas of the event space (bars and lounge areas), in visual assets and programmed content
  • Branded support of a specific event element, TBD in collaboration with sponsor
  • 12-person lounge with dedicated table and bottle service
  • Prominent author, editor, or journalist at your table
  • 2 x full-page ads in The Walrus print edition, 2025
  • Social media promotion (150K+ followers) before, during and after the gala
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

For the two lead sponsor opportunities, we will 
be happy to discuss the possibility of a brand activation at the event.

Live Arts Champion [SOLD OUT]
$25,000 (1 x opportunities)
  • Sponsorship recognition as Live Arts Champion in all visual assets
  • 12-person lounge with dedicated table and bottle service
  • Prominent author, editor, or journalist at your table
  • 1 x full-page ad in The Walrus print edition, 2025
  • Social media promotion (150K+ followers) before, during and after the gala
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

Extraordinary Sponsor
$20,000 (6 x opportunities)
  • Top-tier sponsorship recognition on assets in the event space and collateral
  • 10-person lounge with dedicated table and bottle service
  • Prominent author, editor, or journalist at your table
  • 1 x full-page ad in The Walrus print edition, 2025
  • Social media promotion (150K+ followers) before, during and after the gala
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

Auction Sponsor [SOLD OUT]
$15,000 (1 x opportunities)
  • 10-person reserved lounge with dedicated table and bottle service
  • Logo recognition on welcome signage, all auction screens, auction web page, visual assets, e-blasts (55,000+ recipients), and social media (150K+ followers)
  • Sponsorship of virtual auction technology (Givergy)
  • Shout out from the stage by event host or co-chair
  • 1 x full-page ad in The Walrus print edition, 2025
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

For more information, check out the Silent Auction web page from the The Walrus Gala 2024 here.

Welcome Sponsor [SOLD OUT]
$15,000 (1 x opportunities)
  • 10-person reserved lounge with dedicated table and bottle service
  • Logo recognition on welcome signage, all auction screens, auction web page, visual assets, e-blasts (55,000+ recipients), and social media (150K+ followers)
  • Verbal welcome by staff at guest registration, which includes personalized sponsor mention
  • 1 x full-page ad in The Walrus print edition, 2025
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

Inspirational Sponsor
$12,500 (10 x opportunities)
  • 10-person reserved lounge with table service
  • Sponsorship recognition on all visual asset
  • 1 x 1/3-page ad in The Walrus print edition, 2025
  • Social media promotion (150K+ followers) before, during and after the gala
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

Legendary Sponsor [SOLD OUT]
$10,000 (4 x opportunities)
  • 8-person lounge
  • Sponsorship recognition on all visual asset
  • 1 x 1/3-page ad in The Walrus print edition, 2025
  • Social media promotion (150K+ followers)
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

Photo Booth Sponsor [SOLD OUT]
$10,000 (1 x opportunities)
  • 8-person lounge adjacent to the photo booth (with corresponding branding)
  • Sponsorship recognition on all visual asset
  • 1 x 1/3-page ad in The Walrus print edition, 2025
  • Social media promotion (150K+ followers)
  • One-year print subscription to The Walrus for your guests

Distinguished Guest: Individual Ticket
$1,250 per ticket
  • Mix and mingle at your table with industry leaders and influencers
  • Recognition on visual assets at the event
  • Individual ticket holders receive a tax receipt for the maximum allowable amount

Featured Speakers & Artists

Vicky Wang
Live Portrait Artist
Read more about Vicky
Vicky Wang is an artist specializing in live art portraits. Her signature style is defined by fun and flowing lines that reflect her zest for life, joyful spirit, and deep love of human connection. Engaging with the people she draws is at the heart of her process, and she founded her business, A Portrait by Vicky, to share the joy of her art at live events.

Phil Wizard
2024 Olympic Gold Medalist – Dancer, Performer, Athlete
Read more about Phil
Phil Wizard is an Artist / Athlete in the discipline of Breaking. Representing the United Rivals and Redbull BC One All Stars, Phil has earned widespread recognition for his achievements. Most notably he made recent history as the first ever breaker to win the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 where breaking made its debut.

Dr. Duke Redbird
Poet, Indigenous Elder
Read more about Duke
Dr. Duke Redbird is an Elder from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, on the shores of Lake Huron. A celebrated Indigenous Visionary as well as an established public intellectual, poet, broadcaster, and filmmaker, Dr. Redbird is instrumental in bringing an innovative, Indigenous approach to art education, as was rooted in his pioneering work at OCAD University. He is an Elder and Advisor to various public and private organizations, and his online presence brings his breadth of cultural knowledge and artistic practice to the benefit of a global audience.

Kagan McLeod
Illustrator
Read more about Kagan
Kagan McLeod has worked as an illustrator since 2000. Recent clients include GQ Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter. His work is featured in the credit sequence of Marvel’s She Hulk: Attorney At Law, and his instructional drawing book Draw People Every Day was published in 2019 from Penguin Random House.

Jennifer Hollett
Executive Director,
The Walrus
Read more about Jennifer
Jennifer has worked as the head of news and government at Twitter Canada and is the co-founder of the fact-checking Super PAC App, which debuted at number one in the App Store. As an award-winning host, reporter, and producer, she’s covered stories across Canada and around the world with CBC News, CTV News, and MuchMusic. Jennifer has a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA with a specialization in journalism and communications from Concordia University.

Carmine Starnino
Editor-in-Chief, The Walrus
Read more about Carmine
Carmine was one of the founding editors of Maisonneuve magazine and a senior editor at Reader’s Digest Canada. He has published eight books, including This Way Out (2009), which was nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry, and two collections of literary essays. Leviathan (2016) is his most recent collection of poetry. He was a finalist for PWAC’s Editor of the Year in 2011.

Online Auction

Auction opens
Friday, April 25, 2025
9 a.m. ET

Auction closes
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
10 p.m. ET

The Walrus Gala Auction is Live!

Every year, The Walrus hosts an online auction in conjunction with The Walrus Gala to raise critical funds for the future of Canada’s conversation and fact-based journalism. Head over to our auction site, hosted on Givergy, to bid on holiday and travel experiences across Canada, original artworks from renowned artists, dining experiences at top restaurants and wineries, exclusive cultural and gallery experiences, plus so much more.

2024 Gala Highlights

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PIMENTEL AND TOM SANDLER

Our Sponsors & Supporters

Contact Us

For vendor information and logistics, and auction donations/enquiries:

Elizabeth Wellwood
Producer, Founder, 85E Events and Production

For guest information and dietary concerns:

Vilayath Ali
Donor Relations Officer

For donor, sponsorship, and general inquiries:

Kris-John Kucharik
Senior Manager of Philanthropy

For donor and sponsorship inquiries:

Laura Lavie
Head of Philanthropy