15 End-of-Summer Must-Dos for Nightlife in Toronto

Hot town, summer in the city… make the most of summer’s final sultry nights in the 6ix. Because if there’s one thing Toronto is great at, it is knowing how to extend the season right through September. 

From sampling our old-school city traditions to checking out top DJs as they spin at the hottest rooftops, your social calendar may crash from being overloaded.
 

Arts and culture after dark

Each year, the stars descend on the 6ix for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Entering its 49th year, TIFF (September 5 to 15, 2024) screens the best of Canadian and international cinema to an audience of industry and everyday film lovers.

Red carpets, galas, world premières and special programming abound, including cinephile faves like the Short Cuts, TIFF Docs and Midnight Madness series.

This year’s festival includes new films from Paul Schrader (Oh, Canada, starring Richard Gere and Uma Thurman), Rebel Wilson (The Deb, her directorial debut) and Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine As Light, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival this year).

Keep your eyes peeled: you may spot TIFF celebs slated to visit town, including Selena Gomez, Cate Blanchett, Will Ferrell, Pharrell Williams, Zoe Saldaña and others.

Let’s face it: our fascination with dinosaurs didn’t end with childhood. Get a sneak peek at their bones during The Royal Ontario Museum’s ROM After Dark series, an adults-only experience without the crowds.

The Art Gallery of Ontario is another Toronto cultural attraction that takes on a different sheen after dark. Whether you’d prefer to take in ambient DJ sets and multimedia performances during the AV Live series or try your hand at a Friday night workshop, there’s plenty to do. 

The biggest to-do is Art Bash (September 26, 2024), the AGO’s gala fundraising blowout. This year’s theme is COLOUR, a celebration of modernism with cuisine and cocktails to match.

Chase an evening wellness high

Attention all vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and the veg-curious: Vegandale (September 7, 2024) turns the plant-based lifestyle into an Instagrammable celebration with a music lineup headlined by Connor Price and DJ Lohrasp Kansara.

The all-day festival runs into the evening, with a party atmosphere that includes VIP bottle service if you opt for premium tickets. Whether you splurge or not, expect cool interactive art installations and all the food.

Get those endorphins flowing at Othership, where group breathwork, saunas and cold plunges combine to create epic feel-good vibes.

This social space features amphitheatre seating and coached or free-form evening sessions, where sound, meditation, towel-waving, and stretch work combine to amp up the effects of the sauna and cold-plunge routine.

Immerse yourself in interactive activations 

Transport yourself to another world at Illuminarium in the Distillery Historic District. This entertainment complex serves immersive, interactive spectacles through video, audio and projection technology.

You will backtrack through memory lane in Lite-Brite Worlds of Wonder and travel through the galaxy in Space: An Experience Beyond Earth.

Looking for a more chill experience? Check it out after a day of sightseeing. Illuminarium’s 18+ Twilight Hours take place on Thursday nights.

Or sign up for the SOUL Expansion Breath & Sound Experience, a transformative evening program of sound healing, breathwork and meditation.

Downsview’s Bubble Planet Experience offers five fantastical pastel landscapes that will appeal to all your senses, from an LED “underwater” room to a “bubble ocean” of balloons and more.

Turn a date night or girls’ getaway into a one-night art retreat at Neon Brush Toronto, where you will create a glow-in-the-dark painting in a funky black-lit setting. Of course, there will be music and cocktails (including zero-alcohol options). 

Also see: 10 Places to Say Cheers with Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Explore the nightlife at Toronto’s coolest hotels

Toronto is one of the best nightlife cities, and much of the after-dark action is hotel-centred, making it easy to mix and mingle close to your home base.

Expect live music and DJ sets at W Hotel’s Living Room and the Yard. Or hit up their rooftop lounge, Skylight, on Friday and Saturday nights for progressive Middle Eastern and afro-beats.

Meanwhile, Harriet’s Rooftop at 1 Hotel Toronto is a must for live music and DJ performances. Sip on one of their signature Purple Rain cocktails (Grey Goose Pear, St. Germain, homemade lychee hibiscus juice and prosecco) as you soak in the scene.

At Ace Hotel’s Evangeline bar, Groove Fusion nights (select Fridays) celebrate techno, house, old-school R&B, and disco curated by DJ Classic Roots. Live DJ sets feature guest talent, so get ready to dance through the night in a fashionably nostalgic atmosphere.

West End Toronto’s The Drake Hotel is a music hotspot in the heart of boho Parkdale. Take in ongoing art installations as you head to the Drake Underground for live music, DJ sets, poetry slams, film screenings and more. Catch a show at night, then head down for drag brunch the following afternoon.