The Most Legendary Music Venues In Toronto

Musicians know they’ve made it if they have the chance to play Massey Hall. As Canada’s oldest concert hall and the first building in Canada meant exclusively for musical performances, Massey Hall is a Toronto (if not a Canadian) institution. Massey Hall was constructed by industrialist Hart Massey in memory of his late son; Massey gifted the venue to the City of Toronto, with an official opening on the 14th of June, 1894, featuring a performance of Handel’s Messiah. For over 115 years, Massey Hall has opened its famous red doors to music enthusiasts, and musical geniuses such as George Gershwin, Ivor Stravinsky, and Neil Young have graced its stage. Over a century old, it is considered a Toronto Heritage site. While it is mainly a music venue, it has also hosted boxing matches, speeches, movie screenings, and meetings.

Similar to The Danforth, Lee’s Palace was originally a movie theatre built by the same chain, and it was a shoemaker’s shop before that. Lee’s was then converted into a cabaret, inspired by NYC drag shows. The façade’s famous mural was created by Al Runt, who also did the one for The Cameron House (and the TTC Ride Guide!). The venue is a two-floor building; the first floor is for live music, and the second floor (known as the Dance Cave) acts as a nightclub. The live performances are typically alternative rock, although there is a bit of everything.

A staple on the Queen West strip, Horseshoe Tavern gets its name from its past as a blacksmith shop. Initially meant for country artists, it gradually opened its doors to different genres. The tavern went through a punk and new wave phase and hosted legendary music acts such as The Rolling Stones and The Police in the late ’70s. Briefly a strip club, the venue now presents live music again, from unknown musicians to more famous bands. The Horseshoe Tavern is divided in two spaces; the backroom is dedicated entirely to music, separated from the bar at the front.

The Phoenix Concert Theatre debuted as a nightclub on the weekend and is a concert venue during the rest of the week. The venue has hosted such artists as Bob Dylan, and Green Day in 2004, but it also hosts events and performances from various festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2005, the owners felt the need to shut down one of The Phoenix’s regular events after three shootings happened in the span of a week, right in front of the building. Despite the controversy, The Phoenix has continued to thrive. With one of the city’s largest dance floors, the venue is a staple.

Despite its name, The Opera House has never hosted operas. However, unlike many of these venues, its beginnings were always focused on music. The Opera House flourished as a Vaudeville theatre, mixing burlesque, comedy, and music, until films took over. The venue switched to musical performances in 1989 and made its reputation as a grunge club. With its 850-person capacity, it has hosted many bands and artists (like Nirvana in 1991) on the ascent, before they could make the switch to bigger venues.

The Music Gallery got its start in the basement of a former YMCA on Queen Street W. Serving as a safe haven for musical experimentation, The Music Gallery was evicted from its original venue when the building was demolished in 2000. Refusing to stay down, a ‘Guerrilla Gallery’ was mounted for a year, with events happening in venues all around the city. Toronto’s ‘Centre for for Creative Music’ has now found a new home in the St. George the Martyr Anglican Church. The venue hosts everything from classical representations to jazz concerts and embraces all types of music.