9 Best Performing Arts in Toronto, Ontario

This handsome 1,135-seat concert hall pleases performers and audiences with rich acoustics and undulating wood "strings" floating overhead. Acts have included such greats as Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, Ravi Shankar, Midori, Taj Mahal, and Savion Glover. It's part of the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning.

Toronto's go-to spot for experimental music, the self-titled "center for creative music" presents an eclectic selection of avant-garde and experimental music from world and classical to jazz and avant-pop in a relaxed environment.

Since 1922 this orchestra has achieved world acclaim with music directors such as Sir Ernest MacMillan, Seiji Ozawa, and Sir Andrew Davis. Canadian-born Peter Oundjian reinvigorated the ensemble and significantly strengthened its presence in the world when he was musical director from 2004 until 2018. Guest performers have included pianist Lang Lang, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. Each season the orchestra screens a classic film, such as Star Wars or Singin' in the Rain, and plays the score as it runs. The TSO also presents about three concerts weekly at Roy Thomson Hall from October through June.

When summer comes, this outdoor amphitheater at the waterfront becomes one of the most sought-after concert venues in town. With a capacity of 16,000, it's a spot for big touring acts of all genres, from classic rock like Santana to hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar. It's also a common venue for hometown hero Drake's headline-grabbing OVO Fest and an annual warm-weather blowout for local folk-rockers Blue Rodeo. It's a seated venue, partially covered, though open-air tickets on a back lawn are also available. Nearby venue Echo Beach also offers slightly smaller shows on sand.

This historic music venue is famous for legendary '70s concerts by the Rolling Stones and Elvis Costello, but after local celebrity investor Michael Wekerle bought it and gave it an expensive renovation, it's active again in the 2020s. Still an intimate space with two different stages, the Elmo (as it's affectionately known) is now a very shiny, neon-lit tribute to classic rock with some of the crispest sound and lighting in town. Tickets can be costly.

Performances by students and faculty at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, ranging from symphony to jazz to full-scale operas, take place September through June at the 815-seat MacMillan Theatre. Smaller-scale performances fill the 490-seat Walter Hall. As a bonus, many performances are free to attend. During the summer, you may be able to catch a performance by a visiting musician.

Internationally renowned as one of the world's finest period ensembles, Tafelmusik presents baroque and classical music on original instruments. Most performances are held in Trinity–St. Paul's Centre, a stunningly revitalized church hall. Tafelmusik’s Sing-Along Messiah performance is a rollicking Christmas season highlight where the audience is invited to join in.

This sweeping Queen Anne revival–style building, built in 1889, is one of the city's grandest concert venues, with four event spaces packed over three stories. The Main Hall is a cavernous auditorium with a second-floor gallery overlooking the main floor below, though events are also often held in the basement-level Longboat Hall, which was once a gymnasium in the building's former life as a YMCA. The space hosts everything from touring bands to theater events to craft shows. Stop in to Otto's Bierhalle, which occupies the ground floor, for craft beer and great German-style snacks.

This group of more than 120 singers and choristers was formed in 1894 and performs major classical choral works at various venues, including the lovely Koerner Hall and Yorkminster Park Baptist Church at Yonge and St. Clair. The choir often performs with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, including at its annual Christmas performance of Handel's Messiah.