Looking for a midday escape? This fall, Toronto’s lunch break scene is about to become more exciting with a series of free noon-hour concerts at various city venues over the coming months.
Starting for the first time on Oct. 23, Sound Break, presented by TO Live and co-curated by both Max Rubino and Ayşe Barut, is offering a new, free, weekly pop-up concert, with alternating venues, including the Meridian Arts Centre, Meridian Hall, and St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.
Every Thursday at 12 p.m. until Dec. 18, these free performances will spotlight a diverse lineup of city-based artists, including alternative and Indigenous talent, poets, and musicians of various genres spanning Hip-Hop, indie pop, jazz, folk, and more.
“People are so busy at work, and a lot of people will work right through their lunch hour. So, we thought it would be a great idea if people could take a break from that and experience some great music. It’s a real kind of community idea,” Director of Programming with TO Live Max Rubino told Now Toronto on Wednesday.
With a mission to support city-based artists, Rubino says Sound Break offers a good opportunity for Torontonian musicians to perform and for local audiences to discover the music and talents that they know and love.
Lunchtime concertgoers can enjoy the series whether uptown or downtown, with a “relaxed and welcoming vibe.” Attendees are also being invited to bring their lunch, coffee, or snacks from concessions to enjoy the show, take a break, and soak in the music.
“So, the first Sound Break is actually tomorrow at the Meridian Arts Centre, and a really terrific Hip-Hop/jazz trumpeter by the name of THE Chmst will be there. So, we’ve got nine artists performing between now and Christmas,” Rubino said.
Other artists slated to perform throughout the concert series include alternative-pop/R&B musician Ley Vara, soul, folk, ambient, and indie rock artist Chuk Fent, and Oneida/Mohawk Wolf Clan, Six Nations-born and bred independent singer-songwriter Lacey Hill, among others.
Rubino says the organization plans to explore a continuation of Sound Break in 2026, and emphasizes programs beyond the Thursday series, like “Making Space,” which offers free rehearsal space and tech support to artists.
Additionally, TO Live offers other programs like “Explorations,” a research grant process for local musicians looking to expand their craft. The organization will also launch a new monthly series called Studio Sessions at Meridian Arts Centre.
The full 2025 Sound Break schedule is as follows:
- Oct. 23: THE Chmst (hip-hop jazz) at Meridian Arts Centre, in the lower main lobby.
- Oct. 30: Ley Vara (pop / R&B) at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, in the Bluma Appel Theatre lobby.
- Nov. 6: The Horah Machine (klezmer) at| Meridian Arts Centre, in the lower main lobby.
- Nov. 13: Chuk Fent (alternative/psychedelic) at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, in the Bluma Appel Theatre lobby.
- Nov. 20: Basset (indie folk) at Meridian Arts Centre, in the lower main lobby.
- Nov. 27: Belinda Corpuz (pop/folk/jazz) at Meridian Hall, in the main lobby.
- Dec. 4, 2025: Lauryn Kovacs (indie pop) at Meridian Arts Centre, lower main lobby.
- Dec. 11: Lacey Hill (Indigenous soul) at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, in the Bluma Appel Theatre lobby.
- Dec.18: Eyeda Sophia (hip-hop) at Meridian Arts Centre, in the lower main lobby.
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