After more than 30 years as a fixture in Toronto’s live music ecosystem, The Phoenix Concert Theatre is set to close. The historic rock venue was known to host local talent like The Hip and Rush, along with international stars like The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, and Billie Eilish.
The venue will close its doors for good on January 15, 2025.
As it runs down its time as a music venue, The Phoenix will present a special programming series through the fall of 2024. Dubbed The Final Spin, the lineup is yet to be announced.
And, while the premises at 410 Sherbourne Street will be vacated, the club itself intends to live on, and is actively searching for a new physical home, as the owners announced on social media.
A Historic Site
It’s the latest in a series of former clubs, such as the Silver Dollar Room, that have been converted into condos.
The condo redevelopment at 410 Sherbourne has been in the works for a few years. Sorbara Group, owner of the property, and known for its residential developments, initially proposed a 39-storey, 456 unit residential condo project to replace the club back in 2021.
The Heritage Impact of that application notes, that “the site does not have physical/design or contextual value”, but noted, “intangible historical/associative value, through its direct association with three significant historical tenancies which represent different eras of the site’s history.”
The building on Sherbourne started its life as a German-Canadian venue called Club Harmonia, known for oompah bands and beer. That lasted from 1951 until the 1980s. It became the Diamond Club in 1984, which evolved into The Phoenix in 1991. As The Phoenix, the club quickly established itself as a venue for high profile bands and artists looking for a smaller venue for more intimate shows.
Along with its reputation as a rock venue, the Phoenix hosted many inclusive events for the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Pride, and other communities in the city. It was a fan favourite for that and other reasons.
Will The Phoenix Rise Again?
According to news reports, the owners of The Phoenix are working with the City of Toronto to find a new home for the venue downtown. City Councillor Chris Moise (Toronto Centre) is one of the officials working on the project.
“Addressing Toronto’s housing crisis remains a critical priority, but we must also preserve and nurture our city’s cultural spaces,” Moise commented to Streets of Toronto. “Arts and entertainment are integral pieces of creating vibrant, livable, complete communities. The Phoenix is an integral part of an ecosystem for our local businesses and the closure will have profound impacts for our budding artists, night economy, and on our downtown recovery efforts. I remain steadfast in my commitment to supporting The Phoenix find a new home.”
We wish the owners the best of luck in their search for new digs.
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! — local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox HERE.
- INTERVIEW | Tim Gentle Talks About Ian White’s Children’s Book Snowball: A Christmas Dilemma - December 12, 2025
- INTERVIEW | Composer Njo Kong Kie & Librettist Douglas Rodger Talk About Their Digital Opera The Futures Market - December 12, 2025
- PREVIEW | Something Different For The Holidays: Sex Dalmatian’s Hot Holiday Spectacular - December 11, 2025
