918 Bathurst

RISE Presents: 416 R.I.S.E 2025
2025-04-25 08:00 - 18:30 UTC | 918 Bathurst: Culture, Arts, Media & Education, 918 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5R 3G5, Canada
Join us for the RISE + Flow Finale & Vendor Market! What does 13 mean to RISE? In many cultures, 13 is a number of transformation, of pushing past limitations, and of finding strength in adversity. For RISE, it represents 13 years of empowering artists to rewrite their narratives, to turn challenges into triumphs, and to defy the odds stacked against them. It’s a symbol of the community’s resilience, unwavering spirit, and commitment to creating space for voices that deserve to be heard!
Celebrate 13 years of defying expectations!
For more information and tickets, click here

Fresh Drops: Dance Workshop
2025-04-26 18:30 - 21:00, 2025-04-27 18:30 - 21:00
Fresh Drops will be hosting a two day dance hall dance workshop in our main Sanctuary space. Registration is currently open.
For more information, click here

Woosah: Celebrating 20 Years of UHHU
2025-05-02 18:30 - 23:00
To commemorate UHHU’s 20th anniversary, this event celebrates and serves as a tribute to our history, capturing the journey from our origins to the present and looking ahead to the future. We aim to celebrate the artistry and individuality of each dancer and the strength of our team, reminding our community that dance is more than a lifestyle—it’s a culture. This show honors all who have supported and contributed to UHHU’s legacy, inviting friends, family, and supporters to come together in unity. Above all, it’s a heartfelt reunion, embracing the core of UHHU and the reasons it began.
DETAILS

Date: May 2nd, 2025
Doors: 6:30pm
Show: 7:00-9:00pm
Afterparty: 9:00-11:00pm
Location: 918 Bathurst St.
Event Type: Dance Showcase
19+ cash bar

We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on and to have you a part of our celebration!

RUN IT BACK: Honouring Toronto Dancehall and Hip Hop Dance in the 2000s
2025-05-03 18:00 - 22:00
Join us for an evening of conversation, performance and celebration as we revisit some of the most iconic moments of the Toronto Dance in the 2000s! Hear from stars from your favorite music videos like Gimme the Light by Sean Paul & Pon De Replay by Rihanna, and see new dance sets from the brightest in Toronto Dancehall & Hip Hop dance!
Some questions we’ll be discussing with our panelists include: Who are the architects of Toronto dance? How was the world famous Toronto movement developed? What can we learn about community centres and Black migration that helps us understand Black Canadian Identity today?
Let’s reminisce over an iconic era together with some great music and performances!

Brendan Philip Album Release With Special Guest: The OBGMS
2025-05-10 19:00 - 23:00
A night of ecstatic reckoning.
Toronto-based artist Brendan Philip unveils his debut album What You Fear Already Happened in a singular performance of sound, sight, and invocation.
Joined by The OBGMs as his backing band, with an opening set by the apocalyptic punk outfit Ants are Plants.
This is not just a concert—it’s a sermon for the sleepless. A vision for the witnesses. The stage becomes pulpit, body becomes signal, every song a cipher.
Vinyl and limited-edition merch available.
For more information and tickets, click here

Innergenerational Presents: "Motherland"
2025-05-11 18:00 - 23:00
Join us for a heart-opening evening of poetry, storytelling, music, comedy and healing as InnerGenerational returns to 918 Bathurst for our 2025 edition: The Motherland!
This special Mother’s Day event is a celebration of roots, resilience, and the powerful relationships we hold with our mothers, mother tongues, and ancestral lands.
The evening will feature an open mic where the community voices take the stage, as well as intimate showcase performances.
For more information and tickets, click here

The Music Gallery Presents: What Is: Heartbreak
2025-05-13 20:00 - 22:00
This is the first night of What Is: heart(break) presented by The Music Gallery. 1:11 moonwatching dives deep into luminescent moonlit midnight pools exploring the full scope of the human voice accompanied by electronics, foley, and found sounds diffusing the night’s air in 6.2 surround sound.
Ethereal, avant-garde sonic textures transport us into the realm of the moon, ruler of dreams and all wandering lovers. In the thick of pale light and dark shadows, 1:11 moonwatching’s experimental improvisation and classical vocalism melded with visuals by Gary Kirkham remind us of moons replete with wishes and yet-to-be’s and of fateful encounters under night’s embrace.
For more information and tickets, click here

Spectra Presents: Gallery 44 Members Exhibition
2025-05-14 12:00 - 2025-05-25 17:00
Spectra brings together new work by innovative members of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography in an exhibition that represents a variety of different photographic concepts. As the name suggests the work demonstrates the many possibilities that are open to contemporary photographers and celebrates the diversity of artistic practice revealing the ways seemingly disparate work can intersect. Spectra, a changing collective of members, has been an active participant in CONTACT Photography Festival since its inception.
(See full schedule for open dates)
For more information and tickets, click here

The Music Gallery Presents: What Is: Heartbreak
2025-05-17 19:00 - 22:00
This is the last night of What Is: heart(break). The show proposes the dignity of endings, clearings, and cathartic release. Secondsight offers a live, sonic meditation, gently guiding us to let go and empty it out, with the awareness that these are aspects of an intricate and never-ending cycle. Attendees can lie down and get comfy through a meditation that hovers between experimental ambient, esoteric sound healing practices, and spacious atmospheric textures inspired by afrosurrealism and dreamwork.
And when an ending still feels unbearable, Empty-It-Out Ensemble forms a drone orchestra punctuated by offerings by poets Jade Blair and Khashayar Mohammadi. Together, they create moments of trance, stillness, and sudden breaks that transport the body to a state of levity liberated from its weights and wounds.
Both acts serve as a beautiful cap-off to What Is: heart(break) and remind us that even when endings suck, they’re sometimes just what we need.
For more information, click here

100th Birthday Celebration of Malcolm X
2025-05-18 16:00 - 20:00
Welcome to the 100th birthday celebration of Malcolm X!
Come join us at 918 Bathurst St as we honor the legacy of this influential civil rights leader. This in-person event will feature guest speakers, musical performances, and a special exhibition highlighting Malcolm X’s life and work.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to commemorate a pivotal figure in history. Whether you’re a long-time admirer or just curious to learn more, this event is sure to be both educational and inspiring. See you there!

IAN MAKSIN in TORONTO: "BEYOND NEOCLASSICAL"
2025-05-22 19:00 - 20:30
Immerse yourself in the deep, soothing and healing vibrations of the cello with world acclaimed cellist, composer, and multilingual vocalist Ian Maksin! In this concert, he will perform brand new original instrumental music inspired by his recent travels to India and Nepal, as well as music written throughout the years and recorded on several releases: Zaria, Sempre, Alchemist, Amor Renatus. He will also share several songs from his collection of songs from over 50 countries in 38 languages. Maksin’s original music transcends well beyond New Age and Neo-Classical, as it encompasses elements of many genres from jazz to world music, drawing inspiration from traditional African, Mongolian and Middle Eastern Music, from Mozart and Bach, as well as from contemporary composers as Astor Piazzolla and Ludovico Einaudi. Expanded by use of the loop pedal and other electronics to sound like a real orchestra, his music will take you on a mystical spiritual journey through Tribal Africa, Mongolia, lands of North American natives, and beyond.

Dixon's Violin live in Toronto
2025-05-25 15:50 - 17:15
You’ve never heard violin like this! Inspiring audiences across North America, from Burning Man and Electric Forest to TED talks.
“The violinist that is changing the world” – Preserve the Future
“Standing ovation…It’s no surprise that Dixon was voted the best of the evening” – Examiner
“Not your ordinary violinist” – Fox 2 News
“It’s quite an accomplishment for a man who possibly invented a new genre on his violin” – City Pulse
“One in particular, Dixon’s Violin, blew minds with a folksy, heartfelt set, performed entirely by one man and one electric violin.” – Examiner
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Sunday, May 25
3:30pm – Doors Open
4:00pm – Concert begins (duration roughly 75 minutes)
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Tickets only $40 available here
Tickets $45 at the door if still available
All ages welcome! Tickets for children 12 and under are only $7
This is an indoor, seated show.
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About Dixon’s Violin:
You’ve never heard violin like this! The world’s premier visionary violinist, Dixon’s life mission is to inspire people – and he has done so at over 1,000 concerts across North America, including giving five TED talks/performances, over ten years at Burning Man and Electric Forest, plus radio, TV, and film appearances. A former technology leader and symphony violinist, Dixon walked away from a distinguished career to follow his dream full-time, and invented a whole new music genre. Dixon now improvises on a 5-string electric violin with a looping system he developed to create an all-live one-man symphony, guided by his remarkable personal story of life transformation.
https://dixonsviolin.com

Playlist Storytellers
2025-05-28 19:00 - 22:00
Playlist Storytellers is a Toronto-based live show that combines true stories and the songs that inspired them. Throughout the night, Four curated storytellers share a true story from their life that involves a song. To help the audience relive that experience, the song is played after the story. Think of it as a mix between a storytelling show and a music listening session.

Live Podcast Event!
2025-05-29 18:00 - 21:00
Welcome to our Live Podcast Event! If political anxiety has felt like too much lately, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about it. Join us for a live recording of ‘Life Outside the Box’ on May 29th with a diverse panel of people with lived experience in politics, activism and organizing. On November 5th, the 47th president of the U.S. won his second term. On January 20th, there was a series of concerning events at the inauguration. On January 31st, The U.S. announced 25% tariffs on Canada. On February 27th, Ontarian’s went to the polls to vote for a new Premier. On April 28th, Canadian’s went to the polls to vote for a new Prime Minister. It has been a rocky start to 2025.
Our discussion will be focused on navigating the current political climate, non-stop barrage of news, and how people can take action and build emotional resilience in uncertain times.​

Prepare the Ground Festival
2025-05-30 19:00 - 2025-06-01 22:00
PREPARE THE GROUND is a community-led arts & heavy music festival taking place across multiple venues in Toronto, Ontario – the first of its kind in the city. The festival was founded by two lifelong friends, Toronto-based concert promoter Denholm Whale and KW Campol of music management company Mythos & the Perpetual Flame Ministries record label & art house.
Drawing inspiration from European festival stalwarts like Roadburn, Sonicboom, and Amplifest, Prepare the Ground is focused on heavy music as an ethos of collective catharsis more than a dedication to one specific metal subgenre. From burgeoning artists, to favorites you never thought would reunite, to one-off full album sets, a heavily curated and meticulously planned lineup is the festival’s key component.
For more information and tickets, click here

The Colors and Soul of Korea: Dancheong
2025-06-02 12:00 - 2025-06-11 17:00
To commemorate the 2024–2025 Korea–Canada Years of Cultural Exchange, OIS ART OF CANADA, in collaboration with MOOWOOSOO Gallery of Korea, is pleased to present “ The Colors and Soul of Korea- Dancheong”, an exhibition that explores the beauty and depth of traditional Korean art.
This exhibition highlights the artistic value and philosophy of Dancheong, the traditional decorative painting found on Korean architecture, showcasing a wide range of works from ancient craftsmanship to contemporary interpretations.
A total of 11 artists, including master Dancheong artisans and contemporary artists, will participate—offering a unique opportunity to experience the harmony between tradition and modernity.
🔸 Exhibition Dates: June 2 (Mon) – June 15 (Sun), 2025
🔸 Venue: 918 Bathurst Gallery (918 Bathurst St., Toronto, Ontario)
🔸 Admission: Free
🎉 Opening Reception:
• Date & Time: Friday, June 6, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Program Includes:
– Lecture by a Dancheong expert
– Traditional Korean music performance
– Korean traditional refreshments
The Opening Reception will offer a meaningful cultural experience through a talk that explores the history, symbolism, and contemporary relevance of Dancheong—along with performances and refreshments to engage all five senses.
We warmly invite your interest and participation.

The Music Gallery Presents: NO HAY BANDA | HxH
2025-06-05 20:00 - 22:30
A double-bill dedicated to the subtle frictions of layered, long-form music. Duo HxH brings their ambient-dub-cutup improvising practice to Toronto—while NO HAY BANDA performs a new work by Sarah Davachi that draws on the expansive nature of durational sound.
Our last show of the season is a night dedicated to the subtle frictions of layered, long-form music—featuring a double-bill of artists known for harnessing the expansive nature of detailed, durational sound.
Fresh off debut album STARK PHENOMENA, New York City-based duo HxH (Chris Ryan Williams and Lester St. Louis) bring their signature ambient-dub-cutup sound to Toronto, using gossamer layers of trumpet, cello, and grainy electronics to build what they call “an architecture of the expanse.” In the second half, Montreal’s NO HAY BANDA performs Sarah Davachi’s work Three Unisons for Four Voices: a 70-minute sextet that plays with the lush, delicate textures of an ensemble playing in fragile unison with itself—and the acoustic spaces of ‘in-betweenness’ that slowly begin to emerge.
PWYC (Suggested $20)
For more information, click here

Kara-Lis Coverdale Record Release
2025-06-13 21:00 - 23:00
Kara-Lis Coverdale composes and performs musical works across acoustic and electronic mediums to create works that transcend reality. Driven by a devotion to sonic afterlife, memory, and material curiosity, Coverdale’s work occupies new planes built upon a borderless understanding of electronic music rooted in the interlocking pathways ofmusical systems and languages. Steadfastly committed to developing and expanding her vivid understanding of music as an immersive, tunable, and listening world rich in emotion and sensitivity, she is heralded as “one of the most exciting composers in North America” (The Guardian), and named unique navigator of the digital frontier with an ease and emotive sensitivity “we cannot yet comprehend” (FADER), Coverdale’s work has been met with consistent critical acclaim.
For more tickets and more information, click here

Anatolian Folk Dancers of Toronto Present: Timeless Rhythms of Anatolia
2025-06-14 20:00 - 23:00
Join us for a magical evening filled with the timeless beauty of Anatolian culture. The choir and folk dance troupe are ready to transform the Sanctuary stage with soulful solo acts, powerful choral harmonies, and mesmerizing rhythms you won’t forget.
We will also pay a heartfelt tribute to Volkan Konak with one of his beloved works.
For more information and tickets, click here

THE TWO DEATHS OF OPHELIA
2025-06-19 19:30 - 21:30
THE TWO DEATHS OF OPHELIA conjures a sonic portrait of Ophelia, reimagining the Shakespearian character while exploring the themes of love, desire, madness, and death. At once sensuous and unsettled, the rushing current of the sound-world mimics the unpredictable flow of water — pulling and pushing the listener as tones and gestures metamorphose.
Join us as we begin our 2025 season with a team of Toronto’s best and boldest, and embark upon our largest and most ambitious project yet.
The Music
Linda Catlin Smith – Stare at the River
Linda Catlin Smith – The River+
Shawn Jaeger – Love Is+
Ann Southam – Rivers (selections)
Wolfgang Rihm – Ophelia Sings
Oliver Knussen – Ophelia Dances
Charles Wuorinen – Bearbeitungen über das Glogauer Liederbuch
Thomas Adès – Arcadiana (selections)
Luis Ramirez – new work commissioned by The Happenstancers, title TBD **
Ryan Chase – Now Wonder Nyce and Straunge **
Krzysztof Penderecki – Abschied
Claude Vivier – Bouchara
** designates world premiere
+ desisgnates Canadian premiere
The Artists
Simon Rivard, conductor
Reilly Nelson, Ophelia One
Danika Lorèn, First Ophelia
Jesse Blumberg, Hamlet One
Dion Mazerolle, First Hamlet
Luri Lee, violin
Sienna Cho, violin
Hee-Soo Yoon, violin and viola
Hezekiah Leung, viola
Peter Eom, cello
Travis Harrison, double bass
Lenny Ranallo, guitar
Joonghun Cho, keyboards
Wesley Shen, celeste
Chris James, flutes
Aleh Remezau, oboes
Brad Cherwin, clarinets
Nicolas Richard, bassoon
Ryan Garbett, horn
Declan Scott, trumpet
Nikki Huang, percussion
Thomas Li, percussion
Billy Wong, lighting
Fish Yu, electronics
Hoi Tong Keung, production manager

Unsinkable Presents: Wavelengths
2025-06-25 18:00 - 21:00
For one unforgettable night only, join us for Wavelengths, the very first live storytelling showcase from Unsinkable—and we’re doing it big.
We’ve taken five fearless voices from the page to the stage. After two months of deep dives, edits, and heart-spilling moments, these storytellers are ready to share their lived experiences live and unfiltered. This is their graduation, celebration, and coming-out party all in one—and you’ve got front row seats.
Think TED Talk meets kitchen party. This isn’t just a show, it’s a soirée.
Bring your heart. Bring your curiosity. Bring a friend. But whatever you do—don’t miss this.
For more information and tickets, click here

Creation Story Tour: Bbyazul & Yamamaya w/ Saturn, Mental, Tropes, HSM
2025-07-11 19:00 - 22:00
We’re excited to announce the Creation Story Tour, a series of 7 live events all across North America, with performances from Bbyazul, Yamamaya, Saturn, Mental, Tropes, Heartstopmiami, and a few special guests. Coming to 918 Bathurst on Friday July 11th!

MPS Presents: Fron Reilly, Joyce To & Nilan Perera
2025-07-27 14:00 - 17:00
The Ministry of Phonic Services is elated to welcome you to a Sunday matinee show, featuring performances from pioneering artists pushing the boundaries of musical instruments. Inventors and experimenters convening to show that traditional instrumentation is merely a fragment of what’s possible.Fron Reilly is a Guelph-based woodworker and instrument maker, who has been making the viral rounds online for his cylindrical string instrument titled the ‘fron’. He will be performing music on its latest iteration, the ‘fron2’, along with his stretched bass drone hurdy-gurdy. An incredible treat to see the inventor interacting with his own invention. He will be joined by upright bass player Stephen Vickery for this performance.Also performing in the Sun Room is Australian percussionist Joyce To with ‘environment study’, a combination of exuberant new percussion ideas ranging from rediscovered children’s toys to musical ice sculptures. Nilan Perera will begin the afternoon with his prepared guitar, a celebrated master of the craft with a radical dedication to improvisational art.Join us in the 918 Bathurst Sun Room for this afternoon gathering, music finished by 5pm for everyone to enjoy the rest of their Sunday evening!

BELT COMMUNITY CHOIR EVENT / ONE DAY MORE / LES MISÉRABLE
2025-07-29 18:00 - 21:00
🎶 Join BELT’s Musical Theatre Community Choir!
Join BELT as we launch our very first Musical Theatre Community Choir—a welcoming, no-pressure space for anyone who loves to sing, regardless of experience or skill level!
This is a drop-in style rehearsal, perfect for anyone who wants to have fun, meet fellow musical theatre lovers, and belt out some iconic show tunes. No auditions, no previous singing experience, and no commitment required—just come along and enjoy the joy of singing in a group!
For our first rehearsal, we’ll be learning the powerful ensemble number “One Day More” from Les Misérables. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just someone who sings in the shower, this is your chance to experience the thrill of singing together as a community.
🎤 What to Expect:
A relaxed and friendly environment
Guidance from passionate musical theatre leaders
A chance to learn harmonies and sing with others
A whole lot of fun!

The Secret to True Happiness
2025-08-10 17:00 - 20:00
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn ‘The Secret to True Happiness’ from world renowed Bhakti Yoga master Balakhilya, Sunday August 10th, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Experience this rare opportunity to learn authentic Vedic wisdom from a world-renowned yoga meditation master as he shares the gift of kirtan, an enlivening meditation practice that anyone can benefit from.
Places are limited so RSVP now!
No charge, but donations are welcome.
All ages are welcome.
No experience is necessary.
Plus FREE Vegan Dahl & Samosas for everyone!
Don’t miss this one-time-only, special event!
Limited spots – Register now.
P.S. Feel free to invite a friend.
🌿 ABOUT BALAKHILYA 🌿
World-renowned teacher of yoga wisdom, Balakhilya das, has lived and practised the Bhakti-Yoga life for over 50 years and has a lot of precious experience to share. He teaches deep spiritual knowledge and practice in a way that is easily understandable for everyone.

Playlist Storytellers August 13th, 2025 @ 7:00pm
2025-08-13 19:00 - 21:30
“Songs help us time travel. They have the power to transport us back to the exact sights, smells and emotions of a memory”
​​Playlist Storytellers is a live storytelling show based in Toronto. Four curated storytellers share real stories from their life that involve a song, and then the song is played for the audience after so they can relive the story.
​​Four storytellers. Four stories. Four songs.
​​​​”It doesn’t matter what a song is about, what matters is what it means to us. We never forget the songs that made us feel something”
​Jay McCarrol
​Jay is a Canadian musician, composer, writer, and actor. He is best known for co-creating and starring in Nirvanna the Band the Show, and for composing the scores for films including BlackBerry, The Kid Detective, Hell of a Summer, and The Dirties.
​Catie Thorne
​Catie is a Toronto-based theatre artist who explores the intersection of tradition, innovation, and humanity in her artistic practice. She is the co-founder and artistic director of Sheep’s Clothing Theatre and a producing assistant at SummerWorks. Her play Pony Girls was selected for Hamilton Fringe on the Streets 2025 and she is the director and co-creator of Blood Brothers, an immersive retelling of Julius Caesar set in a fraternity. Catie is also the winner of Talk it Out 2025.
​Ada Nicolle
​Ada is a comedian and crossword constructor based in Toronto, Ontario. As a fan of both, Ada has performed stand-up comedy at the New York crossword tournament Lollapuzzoola, and has turned a lot of Toronto comics into crossword solvers. When she’s not doing either, she’s hanging out with her new cat Mira, or listening to the recent Cheekface album on repeat.
​Elaine Gold
​Elaine is a stand up, storyteller, retired deli waitress and Parkdale resident. Telling stories for over a decade and touring the city on foot doing it.
​​​DRESS CODE. Wear what’s comfortable.
​​​​SEATING. This is a seated event (chairs). First come first serve for seat selection.
​​​​MEDIA. Photos and video will be taken during the event. You are welcome to take your own photos and videos.
​​​​CAPACITY. 100 person capacity.
​​​​YOUR TICKET. Your ticket includes entrance fee, drinks (red wine & water), Pizza and Tessa’s Famous Meringues.
​​​​THE PROGRAM. Here’s how the night will go:
​​​​7:00 – Doors Open
​​​​7:45 – Storytelling starts
​​​​9:15 – Storytelling ends
​​Disclaimer:
​​This event will be recorded and Playlist Storytellers reserves the right to use photos and video from the event for marketing and communications purposes. By attending the event, you consent to the use of your image for these purposes.

Signals Chamber Concert - August 17th, 2025
2025-08-17 19:30 - 22:00
Please join in on August 17th for an intimate concert featuring recent works by Japanese and Japanese-Canadian composers. There will be the Canadian premiere of Sato Matsui’s “Trois Apparitions de la Nuit” and the world premiere of Paul Kawabe’s “Signals”. The programming explores the various connections to Japanese culture that the composers share. These are rarely performed works that will be brought to life for an evening by a small group of incredible musicians, we hope to see you there!
For more information and registration, click here.

BELT You Will Be Found
2025-08-20 19:00 - 22:00
Back by popular demand, BELT is hosting its second-ever drop-in Musical Theatre Choir rehearsal—and everyone’s welcome! Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just love to sing in the shower, this no-pressure, all-ages event is a chance to connect with fellow theatre lovers and belt out the powerful anthem “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen. No auditions, no experience required—just bring your voice and your love for show tunes.
For more information and registration, click here.

CAMP XULF
2025-08-23 19:00 - 22:00
We want to take this opportunity to celebrate the idea of fleeting but deep connections—something we think molds the core of both FLUX and XULF. We might not have very long together, but the time we do have always feels magical ! After this summer, things will change. Life will pull us in different directions—some of us will move on from jobs, school, post-sec dance, or even the city. We want this show to serve as a reminder that we can always find our way back to each other when the time is right !
