Toronto entertainment

The 13-time Stanley Cup–winning Maple Leafs slap the puck around Scotiabank Arena. Every game sells out with fiery fans – hockey is intrinsic to the culture, after all – but a limited number of same-day tickets...

Well past its 70th birthday, the legendary Horseshoe still plays a crucial role in the development of local indie rock. This place oozes a history of good times and classic performances. Come for a beer and check...

Headquarters of the Toronto International Film Festival, this resplendent cinema complex is the hub of all the action when the festival's in town. Throughout the year it's used primarily for TIFF Cinematheque,...

Swing dancers, jazz singers and blues crooners call this cool, candlelit basement lounge home, and it's hosted its fair share of musical greats over the years. Where else can you enjoy a martini while dipping...

This art deco theater with a two-tiered balcony screens a wonderfully varied schedule of new releases, art-house flicks, shorts, documentaries and vintage films, and is home to the mind-expanding Hot Docs...

This theater company has a repertoire ranging from new works to classics, most focused on the diversity of Canada's voices and identities. Youth-outreach initiatives and theater training programs are shining...

The Rex has risen from its pugilistic, blue-collar past to become an outstanding jazz and blues venue. Over a dozen Dixieland, experimental and other local and international acts knock over the joint each week....

Running for decades, Second City has nightly improv and sketch-comedy shows that'll have you laughing all night long. Big-name comedians such as Catherine O'Hara and Mike Myers got their start here. Its training...

This basement tavern rocks, with wooden-barrel stools and a small stage where you can catch some twang. You'll hear mostly country and blues, plus a bit of rock. Sunday bluegrass brunches (adult/child $7/free;...

One of the best small venues in town – its acoustics are tops – Adelaide Hall attracts both big-name and up-and-coming acts. On other nights, DJs and cover bands keep the place hopping. Look for the entrance...

Toronto's Major League Baseball team (a Toronto icon and a source of pride) plays at the Rogers Centre – it's the only MLB franchise based outside the USA. Buy tickets through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.ca)...

The 'Royal Alex,' as she is sometimes affectionately known, is one of the more impressive theaters in the city and home to splashy Broadway musicals. Built in 1907, it's among the oldest continuously operating...

The Toronto Argonauts crack their Canadian Football League (CFL) helmets at BMO Field at Exhibition Place, off Lake Shore Blvd W. Founded in 1873, the 'Argos' have won the Grey Cup a record 17 times, most...

Founded in 1979, Buddies is the world's oldest queer theater company. Its mission: to develop and produce queer voices and stories on stage. Check the website for programming; pay-what-you-can tickets are...

The 'Raps,' the NBA’s only Canadian team, have made the playoffs 11 times since they joined the league in 1995, but they never reached the finals…until 2019, when they defeated the vaunted Golden State Warriors...

Contemporary CanStage produces top-rated Canadian and international plays by the likes of David Mamet and Tony Kushner from its own Berkeley Street Theatre. It's also behind the wonderfully accessible...

Formerly the Canon, the Ed Mirvish Theatre was renamed in 2011 in honor of the late Ed Mirvish, a well-loved Toronto businessman, philanthropist and patron of the arts. One of four Mirvish theaters, the 1920s-era...

Shakespeare in High Park is one of Canada's longest-running outdoor theater events, having started in 1982. Guests sit on grassy levels by the amphitheater or – if they pay a little extra and in advance – on a...

Canada's national opera company has been warbling its phenomenal pipes for over 50 years. Tickets sell out fast, though standing-room tickets are available on performance days. Free concerts in the impressive...

This innovative theater company – 'Home of the Canadian Playwright' – has been busy since 1970 producing exclusively Canadian plays. Stay for the talk backs ('Matt's Chats') with cast members after most shows....