The hottest shows in Toronto this month include the return of Ryan Reynolds, Talking Heads icon David Byrne, Icelandic-Chinese musician Laufey, Nuit Blanche and much more
Festival of Authors
The Toronto International Festival of Authors runs Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 at Victoria University with more than 100 conversations, masterclasses, talks, and readings, featuring authors such as Rachel Maddow, Rebecca Solnit, Kiran Desai, and Madeleine Thien.
Ryan Reynolds
Join Ryan Reynolds and special guests for John Candy: I Like Me – An Evening with Ryan Reynolds & Friends on Monday, Oct. 6, at Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, an all-ages screening of the new John Candy documentary.
Childish
Tarragon Theatre is set for the Toronto premiere of CHILD-ish (Oct. 21 to Nov. 16), a witty and heartfelt verbatim theatre production where four adult actors perform the exact words of forty children reflecting on love, life and the world.
Laufey
Grammy-winning Icelandic-Chinese multi-instrumentalist Laufey brings her A Matter of Time Tour with special guest Suki Waterhouse to Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 19 and 20, in support of her upcoming album A Matter of Time.
David Byrne
David Byrne brings An Evening with David Byrne: Who Is the Sky? Tour to Massey Hall in Toronto for three nights, Oct. 21–23, celebrating his new album Who Is the Sky? with special appearances from musical collaborators, including St. Vincent and Hayley Williams.
Hocus Pocus
Disney’s cult classic Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Midler, gets the full concert treatment at Meridian Hall, Oct. 17–18, with the TO Live Orchestra performing the beloved score live to picture — just in time for Halloween.
Jesse Welles
Jesse Welles brings his Under The Powerlines Tour to Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on Oct. 18, following the release of his fifth studio album, Devil’s Den, a cabin-recorded collection that continues his poetic folk-rock storytelling.
Tell Tale Harbour
Alan Doyle, of Great Big Sea fame, stars in Tell Tale Harbour, a heartwarming and hilarious East Coast musical about a small town’s big scheme to save itself, running until Nov. 2, at the Royal Alexandra Theatre after a sold-out Charlottetown debut.
Slave Play
Canadian Stage presents the Canadian premiere of Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play, a provocative, razor-sharp satire exploring love, race and relationships, running until Oct. 26 at the Berkeley Street Theatre.
Neko Case
Acclaimed singer-songwriter and New Pornographers co-founder Neko Case brings her fearless artistry and lyrical storytelling to Massey Hall on Oct. 20 in support of her new album Neon Grey Midnight Green, with opener Des Demonas.
Roméo et Juliette
Roméo et Juliette plays at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre until Oct. 18, reimagining Shakespeare’s tale in Gilded Age New York, featuring Gounod’s sweeping score, the COC Orchestra and Chorus and a cast of magical performers.
GoGo Penguin
GoGo Penguin, the Manchester trio fusing jazz, classical and electronic influences, makes its Koerner Hall debut on Oct. 18, with music from its new album, Necessary Fictions, as part of the Royal Conservatory’s Pop & Beyond series.
