3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Yonge-Dundas Square Area, Toronto

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.

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.