3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Sankofa Square Area, Toronto

This gem of Toronto’s arts scene includes two former vaudeville halls, built in 1913 and stacked one on top of the other. It's the world’s last operating double-decker theater complex—Elgin Theater on the lower level and Winter Garden Theater above—and a designated Canadian National Historic Site. Until 1928, the venues hosted silent-film and vaudeville stars like George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Edgar Bergen with Charlie McCarthy. Today, audiences still enjoy performances in stunning surroundings: the Elgin’s dramatic gold-leaf-and-cherub interior and the Winter Garden’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream–inspired décor, complete with tree branches overhead. The stages host Broadway-style musicals, comedians, jazz concerts, operas, and Toronto International Film Festival screenings. Monday-afternoon guided tours (90 minutes long) are usually offered a few select days each month.

This historic, world-renowned concert venue has delivered near-perfect acoustics and hosted top artists since 1894—from Dizzy Gillespie to Justin Bieber—along with comedians, indie bands, dance performances, and theater productions. Massey Hall reopened in 2021 after a three-year closure, unveiling a beautifully restored facade, carefully hand-repaired ceiling arches, and the new Allied Music Centre, a seven-story glass tower that adds space for events.

This 1920 vaudeville theater has gone by many names over the years, including the Pantages, the Imperial and the Canon. Now named for local businessman and theater impresario Ed Mirvish, it ranks among the most architecturally and acoustically impressive live theaters in Toronto. Designers consider it one of the most beautiful theaters in the world. The building underwent a major refurbishment in 1989. World-renowned theater architect Thomas Lamb designed the space, which features a grand staircase, gold-leaf detailing, and crystal chandeliers.