PaulThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of at least a dozen music venues in Toronto. That’s a devastating loss that the live music scene may never completely recover from.
Given that, it’s nice to see some positive music venue news. Massey Hall is returning as part of a larger structure – the Allied Music Centre. The incredible part of the announcement is that the Allied Music Centre will include 3 new live music venues (in addition to the returning Massey Hall, which is miraculously not being renamed).
The building will also house a recording studio, a live broadcasting hub (for the music venues), and a “series of dedicated creative spaces and resources to support the overall musical journey of a performer.”
I’ve always admired concert halls like Paradiso in Amsterdam – places that can host major events, but also foster music scenes by having multiple in-house venues of various sizes. Now it seems like Toronto might have its own version of that and I love it.