31 Best Performing Arts in Ontario, Canada

This jewel in the crown of the Toronto arts scene consists of two former vaudeville halls, built in 1913, one on top of the other. It's the last operating double-decker theater complex in the world (the Elgin is downstairs and the Winter Garden upstairs) and a Canadian National Historic Site. Until 1928, the theaters hosted silent-film and vaudeville legends like George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Edgar Bergen with Charlie McCarthy. Today's performances are still surrounded by magnificent settings: Elgin's dramatic gold-leaf-and-cherub-adorned interior and the Winter Garden's A Midsummer Night's Dream--inspired decor, complete with tree branches overhead. These stages host Broadway-caliber musicals, comedians, jazz concerts, operas, and Toronto International Film Festival screenings. Guided tours are offered for C$12.

This historical and internationally renowned concert venue is known for near-perfect acoustics and for hosting acclaimed artists since 1894—from Dizzy Gillespie to Justin Bieber, as well as comedians, indie bands, dance performances, and theater plays. After a three-year closure, Massey Hall reopened in 2021 revealing a beautifully repaired facade; detailed hand restoration of its signature ceiling arches; and the construction of the Allied Music Centre, a seven-story glass tower, which provides additional space for events.

One of the two largest classical repertory companies in the world—England's Royal Shakespeare Company is the other—the Festival presents not only Shakespeare plays, but also works by other dramatists (including new plays) and popular musicals and musical revues in its four theaters.

The 1,800-seat Festival Theatre ( 55 Queen St.), with its hexagonal wooden thrust stage and permanent wooden stage set, is the largest and the oldest of the theaters—in its first incarnation in 1953 it was just a stage under a tent. The 1,100-seat Avon Theatre ( 99 Downie St.) has a traditional proscenium stage, while the Tom Patterson Theatre ( 111 Lakeside Dr.) has a long, runway-style thrust stage and 600 seats. The petite Studio Theatre ( 34 George St. E), with only 260 seats, is the go-to space for experimental and new works. It has a modern appearance and a hexagonal thrust stage.

Throughout the season, 12 to 16 productions are mounted, always with at least a couple of family-friendly productions. At the height of the festival in July and August you may be able to choose from among eight performances. The festival also offers numerous concerts, workshops, tours, lectures, and talks, such as Meet the Festival, where the public can ask questions of actors and artists. The festival has both matinees and evening performances (and many visitors do see two plays per day).

For five weeks in July and August, Stratford Summer Music brings musicians—from elegant string quartets to folky bluegrass bands—to indoor and outdoor venues around town. Outdoor performances, like those sounding from a barge on the Avon River, are free. Series may include Friday night cabarets at Revival House and classical music lunches. Some performances sell out, so get tickets in advance.

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 oldest contemporary dance company in the city, TDT has created more than 100 original works since its beginnings in the 1960s, often using original scores by Canadian composers. Two or three pieces are performed each year in its home theater in Cabbagetown.

Perhaps the most important film festival in the world after Cannes and Sundance, TIFF is open to the public and even the star-studded galas are accessible to the average Joe. More than 300 works by both acclaimed and lesser-known directors from around the world are shown. Movies that premiere at TIFF have won Academy Awards and launched the careers of emerging actors and directors—TIFF audiences have been among the first in the world to see movies like La La Land, Slumdog Millionaire, and Juno. The red carpet is rolled out for star-studded premieres, and actors and directors may be on hand afterward for Q&As. Along with the serious documentaries, foreign films, and Oscar contenders, TIFF has fun with its Midnight Madness program, screening campy horror films, comedies, and action movies.

Founded in 1950, the COC has grown into the largest producer of opera in Canada, and has proven innovative and often daring with presentations that range from popular operas to more modern or rarely performed works. The COC maintains its international reputation for artistic excellence and creative leadership by presenting new productions from a diverse repertoire, collaborating with leading opera companies and festivals, and attracting the world's foremost Canadian and international artists. It often hosts world-renowned performers, and it pioneered the use of scrolling SURTITLES, which allow the audience to follow the libretto in English in a capsulized translation that appears above the stage. Tickets sell out quickly. Tours (C$20 for adults; C$15 for seniors/students) of the COC's opera house, the magnificent Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, are given when the performance schedule allows (usually on Sundays); check the website for times and dates.

This arena is a huge venue where NHL hockey is played—the Ottawa Senators are the home team—and where such big-name acts as Rush perform when in town. It's 20 minutes from downtown, but double that during rush hour or when there is an event.

This 1920 vaudeville theater has had numerous names over the years, including the Pantages, the Imperial, and the Canon. Now named in honor of local businessman and theater impresario Ed Mirvish, it's one of the most architecturally and acoustically exciting live theaters in Toronto. The theater itself is considered one of the most beautiful in the world and was refurbished in 1989. Designed by world-renowned theater architect Thomas Lamb, it has a grand staircase, gold-leaf detailing, and crystal chandeliers.

Free Concert Series. The Canadian Opera Company's Free Concert Series takes place September through June with music and dance performances most Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon in the Four Seasons Centre's Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Check the calendar on the COC website to see what's on. 145 Queen St. W., Queen West, Toronto, ON, M5H 4G1. 416/363–8231. www.coc.ca. Osgoode Station.

This venue has two theaters for dance and two renowned dance series: Next Steps which runs from September through the spring, and World Stage which also includes theatre and begins in January. The Fleck Dance Theatre was built specifically for modern dance in 1983. The proscenium stage hosts some of the best local and Canadian modern and contemporary companies, in addition to some international acts. The Enwave Theatre welcomes these same types of dance performances as well as plays and concerts. It has excellent acoustics. Both theaters are small (446 and 422 seats, respectively) so you're never far from the stage.

In July and August, free movies are screened outdoors as part of the Free Flicks program. Documentaries, frequently accompanying summer festivals, cultural events, and retrospectives, are presented ad hoc throughout the year.

Created in concert with homegrown megastar Drake, this spacious 2,553-seat venue is a bona fide performing arts destination in the otherwise sleepy Beach, drawing boldface names across a variety of genres—Stereolab, the Psychedelic Furs, Lil Nas X, Muse, and Demi Lovato, to name just a few.

North America's largest documentary film festival. April--May.

This major event features films made by and about people in the LGBTQ+ community. May--June.

Luminato. Every June, Luminato packs in 100 or more events spanning the arts from plays to tango lessons, from puppetry to poetry, and from art installations to funk bands. The festival attracts some big names such as Joni Mitchell, the Mark Morris Dance Group, and Marina Abramović. Toronto, ON. 416/368–3100. www.luminato.com.

North by Northeast. Each June, Toronto hosts North by Northeast, an annual festival that brings more than 1,000 musicians to the indoor and outdoor venues around the city. Affiliated with the similar South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, NXNE also presents film, comedy, art, and a digital interactive media conference as part of the week-long event. Massive free outdoor concerts anchor NXNE downtown, but the heart of the festival is the lineup at more than 50 club venues across the city. Tickets and passes are available on the website and go on sale as early as mid-January. (Significant early-bird discounts apply.) Front-of-the-line access is given to those with a Priority Pass (C$200)–others may have to line up for highly anticipated bands, sometimes hours in advance. Toronto, ON. 416/863–6963. www.nxne.com.

Since its opening in 1985, Opera Atelier has been dedicated to staging 17th- and 18th-century baroque operas, with extravagant sets and costumes and original instruments. The two annual productions are stage at the Elgin Theatre each fall and spring.

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.

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.

This building is the home of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and a top venue for the performing arts, from opera to dance. In summer the center co-hosts the Ottawa Dance Festival.

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.