24 Best Performing Arts Venues in Canada

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 known as the crown jewel of The Royal Conservatory's headquarters.

Canada's oldest symphony orchestra, directed by the dynamic German conductor Clemens Schuldt, performs mainly at Louis-Fréchette Hall in the Grand Théâtre de Québec. Expect some of the most acclaimed classical works, but also fun surprises like hip-hop renditions and movie scores.

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.

This popular live music venue inside the Arts Hotel is the best place to catch local folk acts and troubadours from across Canada and beyond. This is a listening room for true music lovers, so chatter is kept to a whisper and you're reminded of that before each show commences.

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.

The Aussie Rules Foodhouse and Bar is a popular piano bar that features dueling pianos playing a wide variety of musical styles.

Featuring traditional music and dancing, ceilidhs are held at St. Michael's Parish Hall every evening from July to late August, starting at 7:30. The hall opens at 5 for ticket sales, or you can be sure to get in by phoning ahead for a reservation.

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.

Cowboys Dance Hall includes a bar and a dance hall that plays Top 40 country, dance, and rock tunes, with live entertainment on occasion. It's open Wednesday through Saturday and holds 1,200 people.

This music and dance academy has a 604-seat hall in Ste-Irénée, 15 km (9 miles) south of La Malbaie. Musicians from around the world, many of whom teach or study at the school, perform during its International Festival. The festival, which runs from mid-June to late August, includes Sunday brunches with music, a buffet, and a view of the St. Lawrence. Some weekend concerts are also held in the fall and spring.

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.

Innovative theater and modern dance are showcased at this intimate Downtown space, set in a 1907 firehouse on the border of trendy Gastown and the Downtown East Side.

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.

Le Vieux Clocher de l'Université de Sherbrooke presents music, from classical to jazz, and a variety of theater and comedy shows.

Originally built in 1881 as a Methodist church, and converted into a theater by local impresario Bernard Caza 100 years later, this theater headlines well-known francophone comedians and singers such as Claude Dubois and Gilles Vigneault. Most, if not all, performances are in French.

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/.

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.

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

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.

The resident company at the Orpheum Theatre presents classical and popular music. Some of their performances are at other city venues such as the Chan Centre in Point Grey. 

Place des Arts is located in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles and has been hosting performances since 1963. In 2011, the venue underwent a major face-lift and makeover to stunning effect. The glass-walled Maison Symphonique concert hall is the permanent home of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra; with state-of-the-art acoustics and only 75 feet between the end of the stage and the last row, it's an intimate place for concerts. The Salle Wilfrid Pelletier performance space is used by three resident companies: the Opéra de Montréal, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and the popular Jean Duceppe theater company. The venue's four other performance spaces host dance, theater, and festival events.

The other outdoor stages and other venues that make up the Quartier des Spectacles allow for lots of shows and festivals to be staged in one common area. Even if you don't have tickets to something, you can walk around the Quartier during festival season (pretty much all summer) to take in a variety of shows and concerts for free.