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List of music venues in Toronto

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Toronto skyline, a 2023 concert held in Scotiabank Arena

The following is a list of music venues in the City of Toronto. Toronto is one of the most toured cities in the world, with 85% of large world tours passing through the city between 2015 and 2023.[1][2] Rogers Centre and Scotiabank Arena are the highest capacity venues in the city, and they host most of the shows by superstar artists.[1] Additionally, Toronto has the third largest concert market in the world, after New York and Los Angeles.[3]

Live Nation Canada owns many of the large and mid sized venues in Toronto, including Budweiser Stage, History, The Opera House, The Danforth Music Hall, and Velvet Underground.[4] This has been criticized by some as "monopolistic" and "big-footing".[4] Supporters believe Live Nation is a benefit as it acquires venues that may otherwise go out of business, but critics say their practices push out independent venues and smaller promoters.[4]

Map

[edit]

The following is an interactive map of Toronto's music venues with concert capacities greater than 1,000 people.

Map
Arenas are denoted in red, while concert halls / theatres are denoted in green.

Large venues

[edit]

This section includes music venues with a capacity greater than 1,000 people. Defunct venues are not included.

Venue Exterior image Interior image Max. capacity[a] Description Year opened Location
Rogers Centre
40,000 – 50,000[5] Large sports arena that can be reconfigured for concerts.[6] Previously known as the "skydome".[6] Since its design didn't have live acoustics in mind, sound quality can vary.[6] Accessible by a 10-minute-walk from Union Station[6] 1989 Entertainment District

(1 Blue Jays Way)[6]

Scotiabank Arena
19,800[7] Multi-use arena that hosts concerts. The venue describes itself as having a "state-of-the-art" BOSE sound system.[7] In terms of ticket sales, Scotiabank Arena is the busiest concert venue in Canada, and thirteenth busiest in the world as of 2018.[8] Accessible through the nearby Union Station.[7] 1999 Entertainment District

(40 Bay St)

Budweiser Stage†
17,000[9] Located on one of Ontario Place's artificial islands, Budweiser Stage is primarily a concert venue.[9] The venue consists of ringed sections.[9] The innermost area is enclosed and seats 5,000; the outermost ring is a grassy hill without seats, where smoking is allowed.[9] The sound quality is worsened in this section however, and improved in the inner seats.[9] Due to the closure of Ontario Place, parking is ample.[9] 1995 Ontario Place

(909 Lake Shore Boulevard W)[9]

CNE Bandshell†
10,000[10] Entirely outdoor venue that hosts concerts part of the Canadian National Exhibition.[10] 1936[10] Exhibition Place

(60 Prince Edward Island Cr)

Coca-Cola Coliseum
4,100 – 9,200[11] A multi-use arena originally built for the Canadian National Exhibition. Can be accessed via Exhibition GO, as well, 5,000 parking spaces are available.[11] 1921 Exhibition Place

(45 Manitoba Drive)

Sobeys Stadium†
9,100[3] Tennis arena located in the suburban York University campus.[3] As of the early 2020s, it was underutilized for tennis, causing it to be pivoted more towards concerts.[3] The venue can be accessed by the Pioneer Village subway station and has 7,000 parking spaces.[3] 2004 York University

(1 Shoreham Dr)

The Theatre at Great Canadian Toronto 5,000[12] Entertainment venue located in Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, which is the largest casino in Canada.[12] The venue is run by Great Canadian Entertainment and located near Pearson airport and Highways 401 and 427.[3] 2024 Etobicoke

(1133 Queens Plate Dr)

RBC Echo Beach†
4,000 Entirely outdoor venue which is also located in Ontario Place. Concertgoers stand on beach sand and there is no cover, unlike Budweiser Stage.[13] 2011[13] Ontario Place

(909 Lake Shore Boulevard W)[13]

Meridian Hall
3,200 Opened as O'Keefe Centre, renamed several times including Hummingbird Centre and Sony Centre. 1960 Downtown Toronto

(1 Front Street East)

Massey Hall
2,700[14] Historic performing arts theatre. The hall is designated a National Historic Site of Canada,[15] and was specifically designed for high-quality acoustics, one reason why live albums are frequently recorded there.[16] 1894[17] Downtown Toronto

(178 Victoria Street)[17]

Roy Thomson Hall
2,600[18] Concert hall that houses the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.[18] It is known for its distinctive glass canopy design.[18] The hall was renovated in the early 2000s following criticism about poor acoustics.[18] 1982[18] Entertainment District

(60 Simcoe St)[19]

History
2,600[20] Drake-owned venue which is almost completely standing-room only.[20] Food and alcohol are served by the bars surrounding the floor.[20] There are also a small amount of box and theatre style seats available.[20] 2021[20] The Beaches

(1663 Queen Street E)

Rebel
2,500 2016
Elgin Theatre
2,100 1913
Four Seasons Centre
2,000
Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage†
2,000 Outdoor venue located on the waterfront.[21] It hosts free shows and music festivals.[21] 1992[22] Harbourfront

(235 Queens Quay W.)

Convocation Hall
1,700 University of Toronto

(31 King's College Circle)

Meridian Arts Centre
1,700[23] 1993[23] North York

(5040 Yonge St)

Danforth Music Hall
1,400[24] Originally built as a cinema theatre, the hall is designated as a heritage building.[24] It can be accessed via Broadview station on the Bloor–Danforth line. 1919[24] Riverdale

(147 Danforth Ave)[24]

Winter Garden Theatre
1,410 1913
Phoenix Concert Theatre
1,350
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
1,250 1956
The Concert Hall
1,200
Koerner Hall
1,100 Concert hall part of The Royal Conservatory of Music's Telus Centre for Performance and Learning.[25] Built for high-quality acoustics.[25] Accessible via St. George Station on the Bloor-Danforth line.[25] 2009 Yorkville

(273 Bloor Street W)

The symbol "†" denotes an outdoor venue.

Small venues

[edit]

This section includes music venues with a capacity less than 1,000 people. Defunct venues are not included.

Venue Capacity[b] Year built[c] Location Ref.
The Opera House 800 1909 Riverside

(735 Queen St E)

[26]
The El Mocambo 650 1910 Kensington Market

(464 Spadina Ave)

[17]
The Axis Club 620 2002 Little Italy

(722 College St)

[27]
Lee's Palace 550 1919 The Annex

(529 Bloor St W)

[17][28]
Adelaide Hall 550 2013 Downtown Toronto

(250 Adelaide St W)

[29][30]
The Great Hall 480 1889 Near Parkdale

(1087 Queen St W)

[31]
Velvet Underground 440 1995 Queen West

(508 Queen St W)

[32]
Horseshoe Tavern 400 1947 Downtown Toronto

(370 Queen St W)

[33][17]
The Royal Theatre 400 1939 Little Italy

(608 College st)

[34]
Lula Lounge 340 2002 Brockton Village

(1585 Dundas St W)

[35]
Ground Control 330 2023 Queen West

(1279 Queen Street W)

[36]
The Garrison 270 2009 Trinity-Bellwoods

(1197 Dundas St W)

[37]
The Rivoli 240 1982 Queen West

(334 Queen Street W)

[38]
Mazzoleni Concert Hall

(Royal Conservatory of Music)

240 1901 Yorkville

(273 Bloor Street W)

[39]
The Redwood Theatre 240 1914 Leslieville

(1300 Gerrard Street E)

[40]
Hugh's Room 200 1894 East Chinatown

(296 Broadview Ave)

[41]
Sneaky Dee's 200 1987 Little Italy

(431 College St)

[42]
The Drake Hotel 200 1890 Near Parkdale

(1150 Queen St W)

[43]
918 Bathurst Centre

(The Music Gallery)

200 1976 The Annex

(918 Bathurst St)

[44]
Bovine Sex Club 200 1991 Queen West

(542 Queen St W)

[45]
The Baby G 170 2016 Brockton Village

(1608 Dundas St W)

[46]
The Dakota Tavern 130 2007 Trinity-Bellwoods

(249 Ossington Ave)

[47]
The Monarch Tavern 120 1910 Little Italy

(12 Clinton St)

[48]
Free Times Cafe 110 1980 Kensington Market

(320 College St)

[49]
The Cameron House 70 1896 Queen West

(408 Queen St W)

[35][50]
The Rex Un­known 1951 Downtown Toronto

(194 Queen St W)

[51]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ This value is rounded to the nearest hundreds and only shows the capacity of venues in concert configuration.
  2. ^ Rounded to nearest tens.
  3. ^ This is the year the building was constructed, but not necessarily when the venue became a music venue.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Toronto Named Most Popular World Tour Destination | Billboard Canada". ca.billboard.com. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  2. ^ "Toronto ranked the most visited music tour destination in the world". www.blogto.com. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Rockin' off the freeway: With new concert venues to the north, Toronto's live music scene is moving to the suburbs". The Globe and Mail. 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  4. ^ a b c "Is concert promoter Live Nation's growing footprint in Toronto stomping out competition?". The Globe and Mail. 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  5. ^ "No luck getting Taylor Swift tickets in Toronto? You only had a one in about 400 chance". The Globe and Mail. 2023-08-09. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Rogers Centre". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "Scotiabank Arena". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023.
  8. ^ "2018 YEAR END Worldwide Ticket Sales TOP 200 ARENA VENUES" (PDF). Pollstar. 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "Budweiser Stage". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Bliss, Karen (2023-08-25). "End-of-Summer Concerts Return to the CNE Bandshell With a Stacked Canadian Lineup". Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  11. ^ a b "FAQ". Coca-Cola Coliseum. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  12. ^ a b "Toronto Is Getting a New 5,000-Seat Concert Venue". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  13. ^ a b c "RBC Echo Beach". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023.
  14. ^ Kilbourn, William (1993). Intimate Grandeur: One Hundred Years At Massey Hall. Toronto: Stoddart. ISBN 9780773727427.
  15. ^ "Massey Hall". National Register of Historic Places. Parks Canada. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  16. ^ "Massey Hall". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Iconic live music venues in Ontario". Destination Ontario.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Roy Thomson Hall". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  19. ^ "Roy Thomson Hall". NOW Toronto. 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  20. ^ a b c d e Dingwall, Kate (2022-02-07). "A look inside History, Drake's much-hyped east end concert venue". Toronto Life. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  21. ^ a b "Outdoor venues for live music". Destination Ontario. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  22. ^ "Novita Techne - Theatre Consultants - Sirius Stage, Harbourfront". novita.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  23. ^ a b "Toronto Centre for the Arts". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  24. ^ a b c d "Danforth Music Hall". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  25. ^ a b c "Koerner Hall". The Royal Conservatory of Music. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  26. ^ "The Opera House". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  27. ^ "Axis Club". www.blogto.com. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  28. ^ "Lee's Palace". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  29. ^ "Radio (formerly Adelaide Hall)". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021.
  30. ^ "About". www.adelaidehallto.com. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  31. ^ "The Great Hall". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  32. ^ "Velvet Underground". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023.
  33. ^ "Horseshoe Tavern". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  34. ^ "The Royal Theatre, Toronto". The Royal Theatre, Toronto. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  35. ^ a b "50 Magical Concert Venues that are the Heart and Soul of Canadian Music". CBC News.
  36. ^ Gallant, Megan (October 10, 2023). "New music venue Ground Control invites Toronto to dive into Bowie's universe". Streets Of Toronto. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  37. ^ "The Garrison". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023.
  38. ^ "About Us". Rivoli Toronto. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  39. ^ "Facilities". The Royal Conservatory of Music. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  40. ^ "Redwood Theatre celebrates 110th Anniversary". CityNews.
  41. ^ "50 Magical Concert Venues that are the Heart and Soul of Canadian Music". CBC News.
  42. ^ "The history of Sneaky Dee's in Toronto". www.blogto.com. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  43. ^ "Drake Hotel". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  44. ^ "About". 918 Bathurst. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  45. ^ "Bovine Sex Club". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023.
  46. ^ "The Baby G". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  47. ^ Quill, Greg (2009-02-01). "A bar that stays close to its roots". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  48. ^ "The Monarch Tavern". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  49. ^ "About us". freetimescafe. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  50. ^ "History of the Cameron House". The Cameron House. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  51. ^ Gutteridge, Adam (2023-08-13). "Down at Toronto's Rex Hotel, live jazz weaves its spell nightly". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
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