215 Best Performing Arts Venues in Canada

Occasional classical musical events include a Summer Classics Series and an Early Music Festival in May. The center also houses several art galleries and runs arts and crafts workshops for all ages.

This venue stages a diverse repertoire, primarily showcasing some of the biggest French-speaking acts in the province, though occasional English-speaking productions also grace its stage.

This beautiful, modern concert hall hosts more than 150 symphonic and operatic performances every year by the music faculty of the Université de Montréal. The repertoire includes both classic and contemporary works. To see what's on check  musique.umontreal.ca/en/concerts-and-events/on-the-bill/.

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.

A lovely converted church building is a popular venue for touring and local musicians, including some bigger names than you might expect in such an out-of-the-way place. There may only be one or two concerts a month, but they are worth checking out, and there are occasional community events and kids' musical activities, too. 

English-language favorites like Harvey, Inherit the Wind, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat get frequent billing at this Côte-des-Neiges venue, along with locally written works. The center is best known, however, as the home of the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre, which presents such musical works as The Jazz Singer and The Pirates of Penzance in Yiddish.

Top-notch plays, comedy, and a concert series are presented from July through September at this three-stage facility. At its heart is the Kipawo, a former Minas Basin ferry that was transformed into the original floating theater in the 1980s. 

This is the city's main theater, at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. With more than 1,100 seats on two levels, it has hosted the famous Anne of Green Gables—The Musical for more than 55 seasons.

The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium hosts the Alberta Ballet Company as well as classical music, opera, dance, pop, and rock concerts.

The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium hosts the Alberta Ballet Company as well as classical music, opera, dance, pop, and rock concerts.

Built in 1902 by Island architect W.C. Harris, this French Gothic--style church hosts performances by visiting artists from mid-June to mid-September as part of the Under the Spire festival of classical and other music. The church has exceptionally good acoustics, plus a beautiful pastoral setting, and the concerts here are often broadcast nationally by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

In summer, local musical acts perform and amateur actors mount plays several times a week at the St. Peters Courthouse Theatre. Logically enough, the venue is a restored courthouse that dates back to 1874.

Concerts, plays, and musicals are presented at this arts center that is also one of the many venues for the annual Celtic Colours Festival.

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. Italian eatery Piano Piano is on-site for pre- or post-show eats and cocktails.

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. The orchestra's Sing-Along Messiah performance is a rollicking Christmas season highlight where the audience is invited to join in.

For more than 40 years, Tangente has hosted weekly performances of contemporary and experimental dance between September and May on various Montréal stages (there are currently three venues in the city). It also acts as an archive for contemporary dance and experimental performance art, with more than 2,000 files focusing on major international dance schools and festivals, companies, and choreographers. Tangente encourages national and international exchanges between dance companies and artists.

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.

This hockey arena, home of the Sea Dogs, also hosts musical events, including big-name rock acts like Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses; comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld and John Cleese; shows like Riverdance and Mamma Mia!; and shows for children, such as Paw Patrol Live!.

Built in 1912, this exquisite former cinema and vaudeville theater in Little Burgundy has proudly preserved its small stage for the maneuvering of scenery, the artists' lodges under the stage, and the orchestra pit in the foreground. It is the only vintage movie theater in Montréal whose exterior façade and interior have remained almost unchanged. Known as the Corona Theatre until 2023, the Beanfield serves as a concert venue for emerging artists like Milk & Bone, Bobby Bazini, Tom Odell, Kamelot, and Brazilian comedian Rodrigo Marques.

This cabaret-style theater schedules pop music and musical comedy shows by the most famous French-speaking artists in Québec.

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. As well as boundary-pushing programming, visitors will find an open-door policy that reflects its community-first ethos—drop in for a coffee, set up your laptop for the day, or simply relax without pressure to make a purchase. The café/bar is open late on performance nights.

With the objective of introducing adolescent audiences to theater, the Pelletier, which celebrated its 60th year in 2024, puts on French-language productions in a beautifully restored Italianate hall. It's a 15-minute walk from the métro station.

The oldest professional francophone theater company in North America, Théâtre du Rideau Vert has been winning over audiences with its contemporary productions since 1948. Many popular francophone actors got their big break here.

Founded in 1967, the company is a cornerstone of the city’s vibrant performing arts scene, offering high-caliber French-language drama with English subtitles for accessibility. The company's repertoire spans classical pieces to bold contemporary works, spotlighting French and French-Canadian voices. Each season includes productions for a general audience, children and teens, making it a great cultural outing for all ages. Whether you're a Francophone or simply a Francophile, TfT delivers compelling theatre that transcends language barriers.

Named for one of Québec's most beloved actors, this theater makes its home in the smallest and most intimate of the four auditoriums in Place des Arts. It primarily stages major French-language productions.

This local theater company stages high-quality productions in both English and French. Under the leadership of executive artistic director Ellen David, TLB is now open year-round and showcases work by local artists in its new lobby. It aims to offer as much and as varied entertainment as possible while reflecting national and regional talent and content. The 175-seat, air-conditioned theater is located behind the Townships' institution, the Knowlton Pub.

Inaugurated in 1929, this gorgeous Art Deco theater rapidly became a local favorite and had its heyday in the '70s before it fell into disarray. After reopening its doors in the early '90s, the theater has regained much of its steam with mostly theater and live music acts, but also film screenings, comedy, and circus performances.

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.