918 Bathurst

Rhythms of Renewal Featuring Eric Mandala & Masha Andreeva
2025-09-25 19:00 - 23:00 UTC | 918 Bathurst: Culture, Arts, Media & Education, 918 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5R 3G5, Canada
On September 25, Rhythms of Renewal returns to 918 Bathurst for an evening of sound, movement, and connection. Guided by the artistry of Eric Mandala and Masha Andreeva, the night will feature live music, dance, cacao, and community in our sanctuary space — a shared journey of heart-opening renewal.

Impulsa Tu Negocio TO - Tercera Edición 2025
2025-09-27 11:00 - 18:00
Imagine a place where you can discover Hispanic talent, support local businesses, and have an authentic experience.
That place exists and it’s coming back stronger than ever: the 3rd edition of Impulsa tu NegocioTO 2025!
This September 27th, we’ll meet again to celebrate who we are: creativity, effort, culture… and a lot of Hispanic flavor!
Get ready for a day full of real connections, incredible products, and inspiring moments.

SOUL VOCALS CONCERT SERIES
2025-10-03 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-11-07 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-06 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-20 20:00 - 22:00
The Soul Vocals Concert Series comes to 918 Bathurst this fall, produced and performed by multi-award-winning singer and songwriter Carlos Morgan. Presented by Caliban Arts Theatre, Contxt By Trane, and Solroc Music, the series celebrates the music of legendary soul artists: Donny Hathaway & Roberta Flack (Oct. 3), Luther Vandross (Nov. 7), Sam Cooke & Bill Withers (Dec. 6), and Teddy Pendergrass & Barry White (Dec. 20). Each evening begins with doors at 7 PM and showtime at 8 PM. Tickets are available as single shows or series passes through Eventbrite.

2-Part Tribute: Coltrane’s A Love Supreme & Weather Report featuring Isaiah Collier
2025-10-10 19:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-11 19:00 - 23:00
Presented by Caliban Arts Theatre, CONTXT by Trane with Zenerco Inc.:

3 Incredible Dates, 2 Incredible Concerts:

Friday October 10, 2025
A Tribute to John Coltrane’s Seminal Album A Love Supreme
The 60th Anniversary Concert
The Players:
Isaiah Collier (Saxophones), Chris Pruden (Piano), George Koller (Bass), Mark Hundevad (Drums)
Early Bird $60 — b4 September 15
Advance $70 — after, $80 — door
7:00pm doors – 8:00pm show
Location: 918 Bathurst, Annex/Toronto

Saturday October 11, 2025
Weather Reports Tribute Night with Special Guest Tony Zawinul
The Players:
Isaiah Collier (Saxophones), Rich Brown (Bass), Chris Pruden (Piano), Mark Kelso (Drums), Juan Carlos Medrano (Percussion)
Guests: John Devenish (MC), Tony Zawinul (Guest Speaker)
Early Bird $75 — b4 September 15
Advance $85 — after, $95 — door
7:00pm doors – 8:00pm show
Location: 918 Bathurst, Annex/Toronto

About Isaiah Collier:
Isaiah Collier is a Chicago/Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, activist, and educator. Isaiah Coller’s sound is a dynamic flurry of metaphors, yet he can hold back when necessary. He plays his influences, which he describes as a “sonic time machine; you can’t really put a time or destination on it.”
As far as where he plans to take his music, Collier says: “I reach backwards, and forwards simultaneously when creating art and what is ahead of me is the past…. After your solo, you think you’re done but the music is still going. Bringing the little instruments in, you are always participating, bringing in the micro aspect, shifting the atomic matter. With tempered bells you can capture intervals that can set things up in another key. When I go to the saxophone now — when you’ve got to a mastery of an instrument — you try figure out something else or it whispers, “Boring!” Now I’m no longer hearing “saxophone” on the saxophone. I think, “Man, how does this sound as a talking drum or a flute?”

X Avant XX Night 1- Explosion, Retrospect, Melting Point
2025-10-15 19:30 - 22:00
Night 1 curated by John Gzowski (MG AD 2006–2008) & Jonathan Bunce (MG AD 2006-2011) is an homage to the works of James Tenney & Ron Gaskin. Through Critical Band and Eucalyptus, two Toronto mega-bands, we recollect the innovative moments threaded into the rich sonic history of our city.
This year is special. As we celebrate 50 years of history & 20 years of X Avant, we’ve gathered 5 curators to take over 918 Bathurst to enliven and celebrate 5 eras of precious sound.
John Gzwoski says, “Named after James Tenney’s seminal work, Critical Band was originally led by violinist Marc Sabat. [I] ran the group in the early 2000’s as a group dedicated to microtonal and tuning based new music. Performing original compositions and the works of guest composers, the group performed on new and returned instruments. Concerts were rare and precious as it usually meant building new instruments, learning them and the notation required to write for them.
In the 25 years since there are now more available instruments for this kind of music, from the Lumatone keyboard designed by Critical Band member Garnet Willis to the totally adjustable guitar fretboards designed by Prof. Dr. Tolgahan Çoğulu played in this concert. As tunings become almost mainstream with inclusions into software like Ableton Live and Dorico, its use in practice is still on the edges of experimentation.
This version of Critical Band will be [myself] on guitars, Debashis Sinha on percussion and electronics, Ben Grossman on hurdy gurdy and electronics, Christine Duncan on voice and Amahl Arulanandam on cello. A 25 year pearl of insight from decades of investigation into pitch and temperament.”
Jonathan Bunce says, “Eucalyptus will close out Night 1 of X Avant XX as a special nine-piece edition to celebrate the release of their new album, Topology of Time & Up Express etc., on Telephone Explosion Records. Founded in 2009 by composer, alto saxophonist, and bandleader Brodie West, the loose, swinging crew mix loungy sway, tropical polyrhythms, cosmic skronk, calypso grooves and Ethio-infused melodies into something both off-kilter and inviting. It’s cocktail jazz happy hour at the Mos Eisley cantina.
Together 16 years, they’re now one of Toronto’s longer-running bands, yet they’re a pearl of the city’s deeply interconnected music scene — continually discovered with delight by unsuspecting audiences at street festivals and park picnics. This X Avant nonet will include special guest Nicole Rampersaud on trumpet — traveling in from New Brunswick for this gig — as well as recent addition Aline Homzy on violin. Don’t get too comfortable in those folding chairs.”

X Avant XX Night 2 - Packed, Speed, Magnetic
2025-10-16 19:00 - 22:00
Night 2 curated by Sanjeet Takhar (MG AD 2020-Present) celebrates passion and energy rooted in unfazed, determined DIY spirit bringing communities together.
This year is special. As we celebrate 50 years of history & 20 years of X Avant, we’ve gathered 5 curators to take over 918 Bathurst to enliven and celebrate 5 eras of precious sound.
Sanjeet says, “Founded as a club night in Kampala, Uganda, Nyege Nyege began with a mission to create a safe, supportive space where East African DJs, musicians, and artists could take creative risks, share ideas, and build community. This foundation grew into a dynamic cultural platform that includes a festival, a professional recording studio and residency program, and two record labels—Nyege Nyege Tapes and Hakuna Kulala—dedicated to nurturing the underground music scene. With its own booking agency and relentless innovation, Nyege Nyege continues to champion a new generation of boundary-pushing creatives.
Sisso & Maiko’s Singeli—Tanzania’s breakneck dance music that layers frenetic loops with influences from Zanzibar’s taarab to South African afro-house, propelled by razor-sharp MCing that reflects the joys and struggles of urban life in Dar es Salaam. Will have you moving your body and screaming alongside your friends.
Alongside this, Violence Gratuite will perform selections from her debut album Baleine à Boss, a suite of pulsing techno and fractured trap infused with echoes of French pop. Rooted in imagery from the forests of western Cameroon and shaped by a restless, exploratory spirit.
We are proud to partner with local magazine The Vermin, a critical, experimental, volunteer-run project. They’ll curate opening artists and poets dedicated to exploring The Mouth, The Tongue, The Throat and will have copies of their work for sale. All of this was made possible with the hard work of Western Front, and is a part of a tour built by Debaser (Ottawa), Arts in the Margins (Montréal), and Send + Receive Festival (Winnipeg) and the MG.”

X Avant XX Night 3 - Gathering, Metamorphic, Recollection
2025-10-17 19:30 - 22:00
Night 3 curated by David Dacks (MG AD 2011-2020, ED 2021-2023) is a play of past and present syncing together to create imaginative and uncharted resonances.
This year is special. As we celebrate 50 years of history & 20 years of X Avant, we’ve gathered 5 curators to take over 918 Bathurst to enliven and celebrate 5 eras of precious sound.
David says, “Tonight’s programming is less about a grand musical concept. It speaks more to a certain amount of symmetry on a personal level.
One of the earliest curatorial decisions I made when heading the “World Avant” stream of programming in 2011 was Dublab’s visit to Toronto with their Tonalism be-in. Among the artists were Not The Wind Not The Flag, composed of Brandon Valdivia and Colin Fisher. I’ve worked with Colin many times in many settings over the years and he is a brilliant soloist and collaborator with, I think, the best electronic setup of anyone I know. Fast forward to the present and I am now with Labyrinth Ontario, where I’ve met the brilliant gayageum player Roa Lee. Her facility with modal music in an ensemble and outstanding solo ability make jaws drop and eyes well up wherever she plays. I can’t wait to see past and present join together for their first ever encounter of deeply emotive improvisation.
Furthering the sense of symmetry – if Colin represents the beginning of my programming tenure at the MG, Yaz Lancaster’s work was introduced to me by MG curator Sara Constant during the pandemic towards the very end of my time as AD in 2020. They presented a selection of livestreamed works for violin/voice/electronics from their home, as one did at that time. I’m so glad that we can celebrate the release of their new album AFTER in person at 918 Bathurst where their detailed sound design will be beautifully focused by the room’s acoustics.”

X Avant XX Night 4 - Momentos, Wisdom, Forever
2025-10-18 19:30 - 22:00
Night 4 curated by Keisha Bell is a staged intervention reimagining MG’s story by commemorating and bringing forward overlooked jazz legacies that resoundingly shaped experimental sound forever.
This year is special. As we celebrate 50 years of history & 20 years of X Avant, we’ve gathered 5 curators to take over 918 Bathurst to enliven and celebrate 5 eras of precious sound.
Keisha says, “In summer 2020, I saw Cuban pianist Aruán Ortiz perform online and contacted him for composition lessons. A year later, I got to meet him in person when he performed with AfroHORN in Buffalo. They captured my imagination with a blend of Afro-Caribbean, jazz, and free improvisation. I discovered trumpeter Milena Casado on Bandcamp. When I saw that the first track was called “THIS IS MY HAIR,” AND she recorded a cover of “Unconditional Love”, I knew I was in for a treat.
Part of the mission of the MG is to “cultivate artistic experimentation and community through sound, music and sharing in the creative process.” Listening to both of these artists, I find their work easily aligns with this ethos. Their music transgresses boundaries while remaining rooted in the tradition of Black American music, encompassing the Americas from North to South.”

BLOOM - Sienna Hyun
2025-10-24 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-10-25 19:30 - 22:00
Every seed blooms in its own time. Sienna Hyuns music reminds us: hope can bloom anywhere, at any age, in any moment. No matter the hardship you face.

Something Wicked
2025-10-30 19:00 - 23:00
The Poetry Brothel Toronto invites you to join us for a Wicked night in our Wonderland… or, perhaps, a Wonderful night in our Wicked Land… Well, anyway: you’re invited to don your wicked and wonderful costumes and celebrate spooky season with us.
For one night only! On Thursday, October 30th, from 7-11 PM we will be bringing a vivaciously villainous cabaret to the stage of 918 Bathurst street. Remember last year, when Titania began our Villainous Halloween Cabaret with a summoning in Greek to Hecate, Goddess of Witches? When our poets came as werewolves and sorceresses, and captivated and charmed you with their wicked words?

Playlist Storytellers
2025-11-12 19:00 - 21:30
We have this theory that every song has two lives — the one before a song is released and the one after. The first life is the story of the artist and why they decided to write the song. The second life is all about how the song shows up in our lives and what role it played for us.
​​​Playlist Storytellers is a live show that explores the second life of songs.
Over the past two months we’ve found four people with amazing true stories about a song that changed their life. You’ll hear the stories and then we’ll all listen to the song after.
​​​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”
Gavin Sheppard — @gavatista

Gavin is an innovative cultural entrepreneur who uses art and music as tools for youth inclusion and economic growth. In 1999, he co-founded The Remix Project which has been an important creative incubator ever since.

Dae The Poet — @daethepoet

Dae is a multi-hyphenated artist of Jamaican and Bajan descent, born and raised In Toronto, Canada. The actor-dancer-poet-singer has been mentored through the Ada slaight foundation by artists such as Mustafa the Poet.

Christel Bartelse — @cbartelse

Christel is a Toronto-based performer, director, and teacher who trained extensively in acting, comedy, improv, and Pochinko clown, earning multiple Canadian Comedy Award nominations for her acclaimed solo shows performed at festivals across Canada, the US, and UK.

Zak Jones — @zakjones

Zak is the author of Fancy Gap, a dual Canadian-American writer, literary scholar, and US Army veteran who grew up between rural North Carolina and Toronto, winning the 2023 Bronwen Wallace Award and the 2023 Norma Epstein National Award for his short stories. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate studying veterans’ narratives in American Literature.

YDC TEN MATINEE SHOW
2025-11-15 16:00 - 17:30
YOUR DANCE CLASS PRESENTS: TENA Celebration of Strength, Confidence, and Connection
✨ Ten shows. Five years. Countless moments that built a community. ✨
Your Dance Class returns to the stage with TEN—a powerful evening of dance honoring the legacy, growth, and energy that have defined the past five years.
This isn’t just a performance—it’s a love letter to everyone who has stepped into the room, shown up for themselves, and danced their story. Expect bold heels, fierce jazz funk, and captivating jazz pieces that embody everything YDC stands for: strength, confidence, sensuality, friendship, empowerment, and joy.
From commanding struts to raw, emotive choreography and show-stopping ensemble moments, TEN is more than a milestone—it’s a movement. Come celebrate the art, the community, and the magic we’ve created together.

YDC TEN - Evening Show
2025-11-15 19:30 - 21:00

Toronto City Opera Presents: Pagliacci
2025-11-19 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-22 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-23 16:00 - 18:00
TCO celebrates its 80th anniversary with a season of operatic hits and a milestone collaboration. An immersive production of the electrifying Pagliacci will bring the intensity of Leoncavallo’s story up close and personal at the 918 Bathurst Centre, and Offenbach’s glittering Orpheus in the Underworld will feature full orchestra from the North York Concert Orchestra: a historic first for Toronto City Opera!
Catch the most exciting up and coming opera stars and the astonishing Toronto City Opera Chorus live in our community and celebrate 80 years of creating opera for everyone!

BELT x MIRVISH CHOIR EVENT / ROAR / & JULIET EDITION
2025-11-26 18:30 - 21:00
We’re so excited to finally announce that we’re partnering with Mirvish for our next choir event! This time, we’ll be learning the anthemic “Roar” from the hit musical & Juliet, which opens at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on December 3rd. No experience is required – just come ready to sing, connect, and feel empowered.
Much like the show itself, our event celebrates finding your voice and the joy of community through music. We’re thrilled to be back at 918 Bathurst for this special night – doors open at 6:30 PM and we’ll start singing at 7:00 PM. In just two hours, we’ll teach you all to sing this absolute banger! 🎶
Expect fun giveaways, great vibes, and plenty of photo ops. This is an all-ages event – bring your kids, bring your grandparents, or come solo and make new friends! 💕
Come sing your heart out and be part of something truly uplifting! 🎤✨
XOXO
-The BELT Team

A Stone Apple: A Live Performance by Rue Yi
2025-11-29 20:00 - 21:00
Overview

An ambient + electronic set with songs and stories presented by Rue Yi with Ultrapresence.

‘a stone apple’ is a one-hour set by Rue Yi which will involve storytelling, music, and movement.
Produced by Daria Zapragaeva & Tavia Christina
Choreographed by Susannah Haight
Projection Mapping by Tae Lee
Directed by Giran Findlay-Liu
Cinematography by Will Sheppard
Lighting by Liam VanderPloeg

"THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD" A Staged Reading with cast, music, & lighting
2025-12-10 19:00 - 22:00
Overview

A Russian-Jewish furrier & an Indigenous trapper, friends & partners for years until treacherous waters overflow in the year of the flood.

“THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD,” a Staged Reading of a play by Howard Wiseman
Cast includes: Daniella Chudnovsky, Jakob Ehman, Diane Flacks, Michael Lawrenchuk, Ron Lea, Alon Nashman, James Dallas Smith. Directed by Renae Morriseau.
Come and be part of an emerging new play set in Winnipeg in 1950 which speaks across time. Join us for a captivating staged reading of “The Year of the Flood” at 918 Bathurst St. Cultural Arts Centre. Immerse yourself in this in-person event presented by a cast of award-winning, amazing actors from across Canada.
This drama explores a unique, often funny relationship between Herb, a Russian-Jewish furrier and Alec, a trapper and former chief of the Saulteaux, who has traded with him for years, a relationship which threatens their respective communities and their own sons who are impatient to take over from these two elders.
Herb and Alec share a quality of individuality and soulfulness, yet are starting to lose their power. Their families, communities, and mother nature itself seems to turn against them in the year of the flood.

Shelley Hamilton presents: The Sade Experience
2026-06-18 20:00 - 23:00
The Sade Experience is an immersive, living journey into the heart and soul of a global icon. Created and performed by the mesmerizing, evocative talents of Shelley Hamilton, this ensemble delivers the ultimate “quiet storm” experience, bringing unparalleled depth and presence to the stage, and every song curated for pure immersion.
Joining Shelley on stage will be Joe Palawan on Keys, Sean Bray on guitar, Carrie Chesnutt on sax, Dave Patel on Drums and Dane Wedderburn on bass.
