Toronto music venues open for business post-pandemic

When Toronto shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately, over a dozen music venues in the city were shuttered for good.

Rising rents and redevelopment were major culprits even before the pandemic put gatherings on hold for months.

On the bright side, as the city reopened, so did the music scene. In fact, two of the grandest spots got up and running within days of each other.

The historic El Mocambo at Spadina and College Aves., which granted had been undergoing extensive renovations long before the pandemic, returned with a bang in sparkling fashion with an Our Lady Peace concert on Oct. 30, 2021.

Days later, the Beaches made history with the opening of, well, History. The 2,500 capacity state-of-the-art venue kicked off on Nov. 7 with a performance by Bleachers after restrictions led to a delay. History is a partnership between Drake and Live Nation, with food by The Food Dudes. It features top-notch audiovisuals, floor and box suites and a number of VIP spaces.

The popular folk music heavy club Hugh’s Room closed after nearly 19 years in March, 2020 due to an unaffordable lease. Luckily, after two years they have found a new, permanent home at a historic church on Broadview. In the meantime, Hugh’s Room Live had been putting on concerts at 3030 Dundas St. W. and the El Mocambo.

“When we closed our doors at our old Dundas Street West location, we knew that the only way music venues can survive in Toronto’s real estate market is to control our future by owning our own home,” Brian Iler, chair of Hugh’s Room Live, said in a release.

The community and the City of Toronto reportedly helped with a loan so Hugh’s Room Live could purchase the new home, which will be more than just an event space.

As well, the city bought up some land that had shuttered businesses at 464-468 Queen St. W. that it will eventually turn into parkland. But they hope to make it a live music hub focused on Black, Indigenous and racialized artists for the time being.

Of course, Toronto also boasts a number of major venues: Scotiabank Arena, Rogers Centre, Roy Thomson Hall, Danforth Music Hall (with an updated sound system), History, the Budweiser Stage, Horseshoe Tavern and the El Mocambo, to name a handful.

And Overactive Media hopes to complete a 7,000 seat venue by 2025 at Exhibition Place. It is billed as a “premium music and entertainment” destination.