Everything old is new again as ’80s, ’90s and ’00s bands tour through Toronto. Here are 25 can’t-miss shows for live music fans.
Toronto stages will be heavy with nostalgia this summer and fall as top 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s acts tour through one of North America’s best cities for live music. Resurrect the good vibes by building a weekend getaway around your fave retro acts. Here are 25 big-name talents hitting town to unholster their mikes and reprise their hits.
1. Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa
July 26, 2023 at Budweiser Stage
Break out the gin and juice and raise a toast: hip hop megastars Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa dispense a double shot of star power on their High School Reunion Tour.
2. Boy George & Culture Club
August 1, 2023 at Budweiser Stage
Oh Boy! This one is a must-see for die-hard ’80s devotees (openers Howard Jones, and Berlin of “Take My Breath Away” fame, are the throwback cherries on top).
3. Lionel Ritchie and Earth, Wind & Fire
August 8, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
He played for King Charles III this spring, and now it’s your turn to be the audience. When Lionel Ritchie reunites with his band to ignite classics like Brick House, you’ll be the one dancing (on the ceiling).
4. Steve Vai
August 8, 2023 at Danforth Music Hall
The guitar legend—who got his start with Frank Zappa and lent his virtuoso power chords to the likes of David Lee Roth, Mary J. Blige, Motörhead and more—hits Danforth Music Hall for an intimate show featuring classics and deep cuts.
5. LL Cool J, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rakim, Queen Latifah, Jadakiss and DJ Z-Trip
August 19, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
If “Parents Just Don’t Understand” perfectly captured your teen angst, pay homage by snagging a ticket for hip hop star DJ Jazzy Jeff. Catch icons of the genre LL Cool J and Queen Latifa, both of whom continue to burn bright on stage and screen.
6. Blue Rodeo
August 26, 2023 at Budweiser Stage
Perfect for a night near the lake, beloved CanCon country-rock band Blue Rodeo saddles up for a dive back into hits like “Til I Am Myself Again” and the winsome “It Hasn’t Hit Me Yet.”
7. ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd
August 27, 2023 at Budweiser Stage
Load up on two classic Southern-fried rock legends in one night to hear Lynyrd Skynyrd’s soaring classic “Free Bird,” while opening act ZZ Top’s synth-blues standard “La Grange” still simmers.
8. Smashing Pumpkins
September 2, 2023 at Budweiser Stage
This quintessentially ’90s band straddles grunge and indie rock like no other. Bust out the slip dresses, butterfly hair clips and plaid shirts for a slice of Billy Corgan’s raspy classics.
9. Beck
September 3, 2023 at Budweiser Stage
He rose to fame in the ’90s for his slacker rock blend of rapped lyrics over a slide-guitar sample in “Loser,” but alt-rocker Beck is a proven innovator who keeps things fresh.
10. Sting
September 5, 2023 at Budweiser Stage
Sting is aging like fine wine, and fans will never turn down a swig whenever the ex-Police man with the golden voice is in town.
11. Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper
September 6, 2023 at Budweiser Stage
Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” was on the lips of every teen in 1972, and class is back in session for fans thirsty for a depth charge of heavy metal.
12. Eric Clapton
September 10, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
Slowhand is back, and guitar god Eric Clapton will be strumming iconic rock hits from his six-decade career.
13. Peter Gabriel
September 11, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
If the haunting strains of “In Your Eyes” take you back to the days of mixed tapes and third-period French, relive the magic when Peter Gabriel comes back to town.
14. Aerosmith
September 12, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
Walk this way and rustle up some tickets as Steven Tyler saunters up to his scarf-wrapped mic stand on the band’s final tour to reprise the legacy rock band’s monster hits. The Black Crowes, another mega throwback, are openers.
15. The Chicks
September 18, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
They may have shortened their name in 2020, but The Chicks are playing the long game harmonizing since the late ’80s on country ballads that still sound sweet today.
16. Duran Duran
September 19, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
Simon LeBon and the wild boys show no sign of slowing down. The model-perfect rockers’ rise to fame coincided with the dawn of MTV and they still sound (and look) amazing.
17. Guns N’ Roses
September 3, 2023 at Rogers Centre
With his five-octave range, no one can belt out a retro banger like Axl Rose. This much anticipated reunion tour is a combustible combo of Slash’s guitar pyrotechnics and Axl’s vocals.
18. Wu-Tang Clan and Nas with De La Soul
October 1, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
When one of the most influential ’90s hip hop groups in history, Wu-Tang Clan, teams up with rap pioneers Nas and De La Soul for a concert, it’s a must attend for their legion of old-school fans.
19. Queen and Adam Lambert
October 8, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
On their Rhapsody Tour, Adam Lambert does the honours as lead vocalist for this beloved mega group’s incredible musical canon of hits.
20. Violent Femmes
October 11, 2023 at Queen Elizabeth Centre
If the angsty 1983 earworm “Blister in the Sun” still makes you pogo like a manic teen, celebrate the 40th anniversary of this folk-punk band’s debut album with this concert.
21. Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Ricky Martin
October 17 & 18, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
Reboot “La Vida Loca” with OG Latin music powerhouses and dance the night away at the Trilogy tour, which Ricky Martin describes as a wild party from beginning to end.
22. Shania Twain
October 22, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
Let’s go, girls! Diehard fans should make a pilgrimage to see Canada’s country diva Shania Twain, who is enjoying a well-deserved renaissance right now during her Queen of Me tour.
23. Depeche Mode
November 5, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
If you just can’t get enough of quintessential British New Wave ’80s band Depeche Mode, bust out the glowsticks. Effervescent hits like “People are People” are still relevant today as a bona fide Pride anthem.
24. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
November 14 & 16, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
The Boss is as classic as the white tee and Levi’s on 1984’s Born To Run album, and just as durable. There is no sign his glory days are drawing to an end when Springsteen belts out gems from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.
25. Kiss
November 22, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena
Were you a card-carrying member of the Kiss Army? You’ll regret it forever if you don’t re-enlist for one last tour of duty. These glam rock gods’ rendition of “Beth” will have you dabbing your eyes (and flashing back to school dances).
