Live Music in Downtown Toronto

Discover iconic venues and rich musical history in the heart of the city.

Yonge Street was once ground zero for Toronto’s music scene. In the 1960s, Canadian icons like Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, Joni Mitchell, Jackie Shane, and Oscar Peterson lit up clubs along the strip. 

Music still thrives nearby—Massey Hall remains a world-class venue, and the Phoenix Concert Theatre presents everything from rock to reggae. Toronto’s nightclub scene pulses along King Street, just west of Spadina Avenue

Scroll down to explore live music venues, record shops, and listening lounges nearby.

More to love about Downtown Toronto

Long-gone venues once lined Yonge Street, and shops like Sam the Record Man were essential stops for music fans. Today, you can still explore this history at Friar’s Music Museum, located on the second floor of the Shoppers Drug Mart at Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge–Dundas Square). 

Further downtown, Roy Thomson Hall is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Canadian Opera Company performs at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.