What to know
- The party is only for women and aims to create a safe, judgment-free space to dance, have fun, and build community—no unwanted stares or harassment.
- The event features collaborations with local businesses, including giveaways and a partnership with the Love Shop to encourage body positivity and empowerment.
- Security will be in place to ensure everyone feels comfortable, and the founder hopes to expand these events beyond nightlife to foster more connections among women in the city.
Picture a night out where you can dance, laugh and let loose—without worrying about wandering hands or uncomfortable stares. Besties Toronto is making that reality with its girls-only party on May 22 at Myst Toronto.
This woman-founded initiative aims to fill a gap in the city’s third spaces – especially for women interested in nightlife.
That’s why Besties Toronto is creating this community for girls to dance the night away with friends—or make new ones.
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Co-founder Daniela Montano worked in the nightlife industry as a bartender and on bottle service for years, and has continuously seen women getting harassed in clubs.
“Girls are not comfortable because of the guys… It’s just not secure anymore, and day by day, it’s getting worse,” Montano told Now Toronto.
That’s what inspired her and her friend Mai Sanchez to create Besties Toronto.
“I just wanted to do a night where you can feel free. Nobody’s gonna judge you, nobody’s gonna touch you, nobody’s gonna look at you weird,” Montano added.
Besties Toronto’s slogan reflects exactly that: “Say no to harassment, say yes to good energy.”
To ensure safety, security will remain in place.
But the event goes beyond just the party; Montano aims to create a space for women to embrace their sexuality, too.
So, she’s collaborating with the Love Shop to talk about women’s bodies and possibly gift an item—details are still being finalized!
“I just want them to feel welcome, to feel happy, to feel empowered. Women can support women, but sometimes we’re our biggest haters. There’s a lot of judging… and I just want to end that,” Montano explained.
Other businesses decided to collaborate on this woman-focused initiative, doing a giveaway for services like nails, hair, lashes or tattoos.
But not all businesses were as welcoming. Montano shared how difficult it was to find a nightclub willing to host an all-girls party.
“They say women don’t spend… Women need men to pay for your drinks… This misconception made it really hard for me to get one nightclub to open up,” she explained.
But Myst Toronto accepted, and the first-ever Besties Toronto event is set to take place on Friday May 22.
Under her Instagram post, many girls were excited, but men proved her point.
“Who’s paying for the bottles?” a man commented.
But women were excited for this initiative.
“AHHHH the ONLYY place I wanna beeee!!!!” one user wrote.
“Yesss,” another commented.
Montano’s hoping to also host events beyond nightlife, such as yoga.
“I feel like we need more connection between each other… Women need more support from each other,” Montano said.
