There’s an iconic castle in Toronto that is transforming its beautiful garden into a unique and intimate concert series during “golden hour” throughout the summer.
Casa Loma is hosting a Canada’s Walk of Fame sunset concert series every Tuesday evening throughout the entire summer under the majestic Glass Pavilion. On June 11, the castle kicked off the series with incredible performances by Canada’s queen of R&B Jully Black, and J3M, one of the winners from Canada’s Walk of Fame’s RBC Emerging Musician Program.
The historic castle was first built in 1914 by financier Sir Henry Pellatt. Currently, it’s owned by the City of Toronto and serves as a heritage landmark as well as a popular tourist attraction. The castle is known for having over 650,000 visitors every year and for being a picturesque stage for special occasions. Currently, the castle stands as one of the only true castles in North America.
The opening night of the series was hosted by musicians NIIVA and Sam Drysdale, and also included eye-captivating performances from emerging artists in the program.
Casa Loma General Manager of Tourism and Operations Catriona Delaney says she’s excited to offer a new summer program that will attract both visitors and locals to one of Canada’s most coveted heritage sites.
“What better place to showcase Great Canadian talent than at a vantage point like this? You have a fabulous backdrop of the castle. You have the city over here, and then over here, in the pavilion, we’ve got a night of incredible music under the stars,” she said in an interview with Now Toronto.
This year, Delaney says the series has expanded to include more than just R&B. In the coming weeks, guests can expect intimate performances from The Trews, Logan Staats, and Jackie Richardson, and many more. Other genres included in the lineup are rock and roll, alt-rock, country and Indigenous music.
Additionally, the castle is putting a major spotlight on up-and-coming Canadian artists, in hopes of encouraging more visitors to participate and support local talent.
“Canadian talent has always been important to us, here at Casa Loma, but we really want to make sure that we’re giving the most artists that we possibly can, the most exposure that we can, and bringing, really, not just new talent, but also the new genres, because music evolves in the same way that everything else does,” Delaney said.
“We’re looking at different styles of music and different tastes. There’s something new every week. You just don’t know what you’re going to get, but what I can promise you is that it’s going to be fabulous,” she continued.
General admission tickets are $45 each and guests will have an abundance of al fresco food and drink options while onsite. For every ticket sold, $2.50 will go towards supporting Kids Help Phone.
There are also dining tables in the Glass Pavilion and the gardens that provide service, which are available at a minimum spend of $20 per person.
Guests can also purchase food and drinks to take to their seats, however admission does not include access to castle grounds, which closes at 5 p.m.
For guests interested in the BlueBlood Steakhouse VIP Experience, tickets are $250 per person and include a prix fixe dinner at the refined dining establishment and reserved seats in the Glass Pavilion for the symphony performance.
Casa Loma’s sunset concerts run until Aug. 27. Doors open at 5 p.m and every concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
To purchase tickets, click here.
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