Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre will relocate from its longtime home on Sherbourne Street to Parkdale Hall at 1605 Queen St. W. next fall, pending city zoning approvals. Owner Lisa Zbitnew announced the planned move on Tuesday, citing the impending residential development that forced the venue’s departure from its Cabbagetown location after more than 35 years.
Relocation Plans and Venue Specifications
The Phoenix Concert Theatre has submitted architectural and rezoning plans to the City of Toronto to transition its operations to the historic Parkdale Hall in the city’s west end. Management intends to transfer signature memorabilia, including photographs of past performers and the concrete lion situated outside the Sherbourne Street entrance, to serve as museum-like pieces honouring the venue’s history. Both properties will maintain normal operating schedules while city staff review the zoning applications throughout the transition period leading into 2027.
History of Parkdale Hall
The chosen replacement building originally opened in the 1920s as the Parkdale Theatre, conceived by cinema pioneers Jay and Jules Allen. Architect C. Howard Crane, who also designed the Danforth Music Hall, drew up the original plans for the 1,500-seat theatre. Alex Chan, president of Parkdale Hall, noted that uniting the century-old entertainment history of the Queen Street West building with the Phoenix’s three-decade legacy bridges two distinct eras of Toronto’s cultural scene. The multi-use event space currently hosts weddings, galas, and community gatherings alongside concerts.
Music Industry and Community Response
Music journalist and radio broadcaster Alan Cross described the relocation as fantastic news for Toronto’s west end, noting a scarcity of mid-sized performance spaces in that part of the city. Cross pointed out that the transit-accessible location near antique and vintage shops could provide an economic boost to Parkdale. Since opening at its Cabbagetown site in 1991—following its previous iteration as the Diamond Club—the Phoenix has hosted prominent international and domestic acts, including Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Post Malone, The Ramones, Foo Fighters, Rage Against The Machine, The Tragically Hip, Rush, and Broken Social Scene.
