One of Toronto’s heritage concert halls is set to reopen as a regular live music venue later this year. The Concert Hall, as it’s now called, is located in the Masonic Temple building at the corner of Yonge and Davenport.
After a string of changes and updates, the venue is now managed by 888 Yonge, and Collective Concerts, Toronto’s largest independent promoter, has booked a variety of shows at the venue beginning September 2023.
A Storied Past
There was great fanfare when the Masonic Temple first opened on New Year’s Day 1918. While the sprawling Temple itself was meant to act as home to several chapters and lodges of the order, the Concert Hall was built as a money-making venture.
Equipped with dressing rooms, food prep areas, and a sizable stage, the goal from the outset was to rent the hall out to help with Temple expenses. The venue began its life largely as a lecture hall and ballroom for public dance events, as well as for community concerts.
Known over the years variously as The Concert Hall, The Auditorium, Club 888, The Rockpile, and Regency Ballroom, its reputation is largely one of a rock club. It’s certainly played host to many of the genre’s royalty, including Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, and The Who — all in 1969 alone. Frank Sinatra rented it for private parties, and the Rolling Stones rehearsed there as prep for their North American tours on several occasions.
By the 1970s, however, the structure itself was showing signs of wear. The Masons were also abandoning the downtown area, and the Temple declined until the mid-1990s, although it was still used occasionally for big name acts like David Bowie.
It was declared a heritage site by the city in 1997, narrowly staving off demolition. Purchased by CTV in 1998, it was taken over by MTV Canada in 2006 — but the Concert Hall itself was shuttered. In 2013, Info-Tech Research Group bought the building, which they proceeded to renovate. It’s been open for special events since then, but not on a regular basis.
The licensed facility has a square footage of over 5,500 ft2, and its capacity is 700. With its ornate raised arch preserved, and hardwood flooring, the venue retains much of its character.
While its past has not included many classical concerts, and with its fine acoustics, it fills an important slot in the city’s live music landscape.
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