56 Best Performing Arts Venues in Toronto, Ontario

State-of-the-art facilities and wonderful murals by American artist Frank Stella grace this 2,000-seat theater, built by father-and-son producer team Ed and David Mirvish in 1993 to accommodate the technically demanding musical Miss Saigon. Big-budget musicals like Come from Away and The Book of Mormon and plays such as War Horse are also showcased.

The most historic of the Mirvish theaters, the "Royal Alex" has been the place to be seen in Toronto since 1907 and is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theater in North America. The restored and reconfigured theater features 1,244 plush red seats, gold plasterwork, and baroque swirls and flourishes that make theatergoing a refined experience. Charlton Heston made his debut here and Lawrence Olivier, Edith Piaf, Mary Pickford, Alan Bates, and John Gielgud have also graced the stage. Programs are a mix of blockbuster musicals and dramatic productions, some touring before or after Broadway appearances.

Most arena shows are held here rather than at the larger Rogers Centre due to superior acoustics. Past performances at the nearly 20,000-capacity arena have included Beyoncé, Rod Stewart, American Idol Live!, and Nine Inch Nails.

Shakespeare in High Park. Every summer, Shakespeare's most popular plays are performed under the stars at this outdoor amphitheater. Productions are usually knockouts and run from July through August, weather permitting. Performances are pay what you can, with a suggested C$20 donation, and regular seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure you get a spot, reserve a cushion in the Premium Zone online for C$25. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday at 8; gates open at 6 pm. It gets cold in this leafy park, so bring layers and a blanket to sit on; picnicking is encouraged. High Park, High Park Ave., main entrance off Bloor St. W., Greater Toronto, Toronto, ON, M6P 2B5. 416/368–3110. www.canadianstage.com. Pay what you can; free for children under 14. High Park.

This center has been presenting theater, music, dance, opera, film, and forums on public issues since 1970. The two main halls are the luxuriously appointed Bluma Appel Theatre and the Jane Mallett Theatre, both venues for recitals and performances by companies like the Canadian Stage Company, the Toronto Operetta, and Music Toronto (chamber music).

This modern, intimate theater is home to long-running local company Crow's Theatre, which is devoted to thought-provoking contemporary theater from Canadian and international playwrights. French brasserie Gare de l'Est is on-site for pre- or post-show eats and cocktails.

StubHub. Check ticket reseller StubHub for sold-out events or last-minute deals. Toronto, ON. 866/788–2482. www.stubhub.com.

SummerWorks Performance Festival. More than 50 plays, performances, concerts, and happenings deemed sufficiently forward-thinking and provocative are staged at the Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, and other venues around Queen West for the 11-day SummerWorks Performance Festival in August. Tickets are about C$15 per show. Queen West, Toronto, ON. 416/628–8216. www.summerworks.ca.

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 converted warehouse presents plays by new and established Canadian playwrights, with special focus on nurturing emerging voices in Canadian theater. The complex features multiple theater spaces and studios, and maverick companies will occasionally mount interesting experimental productions in some of the smaller rooms.

Taste of Little Italy. A smaller event when compared to the Danforth Festival, Taste of Little Italy takes place in June on College Street, where Italian-centric cuisine and live music are celebrated. Toronto, ON. www.tasteoflittleitaly.ca.

The Beaches International Jazz Festival. Held in late July, the 10-day The Beaches International Jazz Festival in the east Toronto Beach neighborhood showcases jazz, Latin, R&B, funk, soul, and world-music performers like eclectic R&B-pop-reggae group Jay Douglas and the All Stars and "blusion" pianist-saxophonist Deanna Bogart at its Woodbine Park and Kew Gardens stages. Musicians and food vendors also line 2 km of Queen Street East, which is closed to traffic for the event. All performances are free. Toronto, ON. 416/698–2152. www.beachesjazz.com. 501 Queen streetcar to Woodbine.

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.

Canada's internationally recognized classical-ballet company was founded in 1951 and is made up of more than 70 dancers and its own orchestra boasting alumnus Karen Kain as artistic director. It's the only company in Canada to perform a full range of traditional full-length ballet classics, including frequent stagings of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. The company also performs contemporary works and is dedicated to the development of Canadian choreography. The season runs late fall through spring at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Canada's first purpose-built ballet opera house.

This fully restored 1939 single-screen theater hosts film fest screenings and special engagements, as well as live comedy and music. On top of the usual concessions, next-door bar Birreria Volo has opened a specialty grocer and bottle shop in the lobby, so you can grab snacks even on the days you can't catch a flick.

Built in 1909 as a library funded by industrialist Andrew Carnegie, this heritage property underwent extensive renovations and reopened as a theater space in 2016. There's a café and bar as well.

High-quality French-language drama—with English subtitles—is performed at this theater, whose French and French-Canadian repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary. A children's play and a teen show are part of the season, which features about a half dozen plays.

Toronto's oldest alternative theater company, established in 1968, focuses on presenting themes of the unique Canadian cultural mosaic through collaborative productions and has launched the careers of many actors and playwrights.

Ticketmaster. Tickets for almost any event can be obtained through Ticketmaster. Toronto, ON. 855/985–5000. www.ticketmaster.ca.

Operated by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) organization, this state-of-the-art five-screen, five-story complex, opened in 2010, shows classic and avant-garde films, director retrospectives, actor tributes, national cinema spotlights, exclusive limited runs, and new documentaries and artistic films. Tickets are C$13.

Taking place in April, this youth-focused film festival screens new movies free for anyone under 25.

Dedicated to horror, sci-fi, and thriller films. Late October.

Toronto Fringe Festival. The city's largest theater festival, with more than 140 shows taking place in 35 venues (including a laundromat, storage space, and a back alley), takes place over 10 days in late June/early July. Raw and untested works by emerging (and some established) artists are the norm. Tickets are C$11 or less per show. The most popular shows are given extended runs in the Best of the Fringe Festival. Toronto, ON. 416/966–1062. www.fringetoronto.com.

Toronto Jazz Festival. Late June and early July bring music lovers to Toronto for the Toronto Jazz Festival. The 2013 bill included Smokey Robinson, Trombone Shorty, and Willie Nelson. Performances are at various venues around town. Concerts are priced individually, but you can buy a three- or five-show pass for a 15% or 20% discount on Mainstage shows. Toronto, ON. 416/928–2033. www.torontojazz.com.

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.

YPT is Canada’s largest and oldest professional theater for young people, which produces arts and theater education programming. Professional actors perform contemporary pieces that are relevant and kid-focused, from a heavily interactive romp like Where the Wild Things Are to a dramatic thought-provoker like Hana's Suitcase—the story of a young girl living during the Holocaust. Productions aren't condescending, nor do they compromise on dramatic integrity. They are as entertaining for adults as for kids.