The Burlington Performing Arts Centre sits in the heart of downtown Burlington, right on the Lake Ontario waterfront near Spencer Smith Park. Easy to reach from across the GTA, Hamilton, and beyond, whether you are driving, flying in, or taking GO Transit.
The venue is in the heart of downtown Burlington at Locust Street and Lakeshore Road, one block east of Brant Street. The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) is your main route in from every direction.
A quick orientation, because the QEW can be confusing: if you are coming from Toronto and the GTA you are heading west toward Hamilton, so follow the green QEW Niagara / Fort Erie signs. If you are coming from Hamilton, Niagara, or points west, you are heading east, so follow the QEW Toronto signs.
Take the QEW toward Hamilton and Niagara. As you reach Burlington, exit at Brant Street and head south toward the lake. Follow Brant Street down to Lakeshore Road, turn left (east), and the venue is one block along at Locust Street. The municipal parking garage is right beside the centre.
Take the QEW toward Toronto. In Burlington, exit at the North Shore Boulevard / Lakeshore Road exit (Exit 97). Follow Lakeshore Road east into downtown and continue to Locust Street. You can also stay on to the Brant Street exit and come south into the core if that suits your route better.
Both the Brant Street exit and the North Shore Boulevard / Lakeshore Road exit (Exit 97) drop you into downtown within minutes. Brant Street puts you right on the main street through the core, which is the most intuitive approach. If you are using GPS, set your destination to 440 Locust Street, Burlington and it will pick the best ramp for live traffic.
Billy Bishop is the closest airport to downtown Toronto. From the island terminal, take the pedestrian tunnel or the short ferry across to the mainland at the foot of Bathurst Street, then pick up the Gardiner Expressway westbound. The Gardiner flows into the QEW past Highway 427. Stay on the QEW toward Hamilton and Niagara, then follow the east (Toronto and GTA) driving directions above. Plan for roughly 65 km and about 55 to 80 minutes by car, depending on traffic.
Prefer transit? A short ride connects the airport to Union Station, where you can board the GO Lakeshore West line toward Aldershot and Hamilton. See the transit section below.
From Pearson, take Highway 427 South to the QEW toward Hamilton and Niagara, then continue through Mississauga and Oakville into Burlington and follow the east (Toronto and GTA) driving directions above. Plan for roughly 50 km and about 40 to 60 minutes by car, depending on traffic. At peak times, Highway 407 ETR (toll) can be a faster alternative across the top before dropping down to the QEW.
Prefer transit? Take the UP Express from Pearson to Union Station, then transfer to the GO Lakeshore West line toward Aldershot and Hamilton. See the transit section below.
Hamilton’s airport is the closest to Burlington and an easy drive in from the west. From YHM, take Highway 6 north toward Hamilton, then Highway 403 east, which connects to the QEW toward Toronto. Exit at the North Shore Boulevard / Lakeshore Road exit (Exit 97) and follow Lakeshore Road east into downtown to Locust Street. Plan for roughly 30 km and about 30 to 40 minutes by car, depending on traffic.
Burlington sits on GO Transit’s Lakeshore West line, which makes the train an easy, traffic free way to reach the summit. Two stations serve the area: Burlington GO, the closer of the two to downtown, and Aldershot GO just to the west.
From Union Station or any Lakeshore West stop, take a GO train heading toward Aldershot or Hamilton and get off at Burlington GO. Trains run frequently throughout the day, with extra service at peak times.
From Hamilton GO Centre, West Harbour GO, or connecting GO bus routes, take a Lakeshore West train or bus heading east toward Toronto and get off at Aldershot GO or Burlington GO.
Burlington GO is about 2 km from the venue. From there you have a few easy options: a short taxi or rideshare (about 7 minutes), a connecting Burlington Transit local bus into the downtown core, or a pleasant walk of roughly 25 minutes down toward the lake. For live schedules and the best connection on the day, use the Burlington Transit trip planner or a transit app such as Triplinx.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre sits directly beside the Waterfront Parking Garage at 414 Locust Street, with sheltered access into the centre. This is the most convenient place to park.
Because the summit runs on a Monday and Tuesday, standard municipal daytime rates apply in the garage during summit hours. Good news for evening sessions: municipal parking, including the garage, is free after 6 p.m. on weekdays. For current rates and to confirm details before you travel, check the City of Burlington parking pages.
If the garage fills up, downtown Burlington has additional municipal lots and metered street parking within a short walk along Lakeshore Road, Brant Street, and the surrounding blocks. Arriving a little early gives you the best choice of spots and a relaxed start to the day.
Accessible parking is available in the Waterfront Parking Garage and at designated on street spaces nearby, all within a short, step free route to the venue entrance. If you have specific accessibility needs for your visit, reach out to the NGBi team ahead of time and we will help you plan the smoothest arrival.
Burlington Performing Arts Centre
440 Locust Street, Burlington, Ontario
September 28 and 29, 2026
Burlington GO
About 2 km from the venue
From the east and west: Exit 97, North Shore Blvd / Lakeshore Rd
Have questions about getting here or need accessibility support? The NGBi team is happy to help before the summit.
