I came here for the first time for the pancakes booze and art show event a couple weeks ago. Surprisingly I've never been to The Opera House before so I was excited to see what I was in store for.

It was a packed event so the space was a little stuffy but nothing terrible.

I liked the multi level, although there was much more space down below than on the top. The bathrooms are also a little... more

Quaint venue, but rule of thumb for any summer events: it feels like you're cooking from the inside out. There's no AC which leaves the air feeling very stiff and heavy and neither standing downstairs nor sitting upstairs makes a difference. Sound quality isn't too shabby, but I've experienced better. The heat in the venue made it almost unbearable to attend the event, but I sweat it out (pun... more

The tribute to Don Berns couldn't be at a better place than the Opera House. The sound, the lighting, the ambience was perfect...so was the people. I had problems with one of the security personnel as he had trouble scanning my VIP ticket, but hey! It's better to be sure, and I was not at all angry. I was patient, he finally got it to work and...it was all worth the wait. The event was beyond... more

The Opera House is one of those nice cozy venues which really isn't all that hard to navigate. It's smallish size makes it seem intimate, but not so cramped that you cannot move. The bar and merch booths are always conveniently at the back, where you can chill out if you don't feel like getting up close and personal with the band you're checking out.

Another bonus is that the balcony area is... more

My friends and I bought tickets to an event, but when we got there we were told we can't go in because supposedly we'd been pre drinking... they thought our water bottle full of WATER had alcohol in it, and therefore told us "goodbye". After 20 minutes of bargaining with the security they told us that it's their venue and they can deny us entry WITHOUT GIVING A REASON.
The owner was also... more

Decent Venue but not the easiest to get to.

Coming from Finch station, take the subway to Bloor Yonge and transfer to the eastbound train to Broadview then take the 504 street car southbound to Queen East and it's about a 5 mins walk from there.

I went here to see Alvvays for their biggest headlining show in Toronto, a Sold-Out crowd at Opera House.

The venue is pretty small, and it has a... more

went and saw Despised Icon and Ion Dissonance last night. My ears are still ringing. The microphones feedbacked a little but we were all too blown away to notice. The opera house is pretty handy when it comes to mid sized venues. DESPISED ICON KILLED IT didnt they?

I've been coming to the Opera House for shows for about 10 years now, and it's easily one of my favorite venues in Toronto.

It's not the most modern venue in the area, but I would have to disagree with some of the previous reviews that it's falling apart. It does have the dive bar feel to it. but for the type of shows put on there, it's the perfect atmosphere. I mean, who would want to go to a... more

This might be the most depressing place I've visited in Toronto this year. This place is a dive bar in a deep state of denial...some people find dive bars charming or cozy but mostly they make me want to shower in bleach. The Opera House is inconveniently located, smells weird, and has almost no seating. After standing around for 4-5 hours to listen to a local band, I'm mostly looking forward... more

The female bouncers are down right violent. A lady with a grey mullet scratched me tonight b/c she wanted to confiscate my husband's legal medical marijuana that I forgot I had in my purse. Told her I would dispose of it and come back in without it, but instead she decided to rip it from my hand, throw it in the garbage, and not let me in. Wow. Is this 1953? She seemed to be on a real power... more

I like the venue especially for an intimate concert like Mika on Friday. For an artist that I think could easily fill 3/4 of the ACC, I love that he chooses to play in smaller places and much more a concert than a show.

There is a large stage in front and two bars on either side. It's all general admission so die hard fans can go straight to the front, and on the floor.

What I loved was how... more

Saw Mika here last night. Not only was it a great show but I was impressed with the cool choice of venue. The trip from Queen Station on the streetcar was much faster than I expected, security was easy to deal with, bar prices were reasonable with no line-ups, and the building itself is both intimate and interesting due to various balconies, etc.

On the negative side, I'm not sure that the... more

Easily one of my favourite venues that has hosted some amazing talent ranging from all styles of musical genres. The most memorable gigs that I've seen here so far have been Amon Tobin, Buckshot & DJ Evil Dee, and Kaiser Chiefs.

The door staff are so nice that it's almost surreal. I wish I could say that for most places in Toronto. Even the crowd is a great mix of down to earth people who are... more

I ve been at this cool place for a jazz listenin occasion

Good location (Queen East)
Good accoustic
A balcony
Nice pricing
Most importantly, an old opera house w ornments ll make u feel comfort.

Go for it!

I would love to give this venue 5 stars for atmosphere, sight lines and alcohol accessibility - BUT the sound is horrible. Muddy, imbalanced and concert experience destroying.

It p@!%!s me off because out of town bands I like keep coming here.

Please - Opera House do something.

I think this is a great place to see a metal or less known band. Acoustics may not be perfect but you can see the band from everywhere and I thought the place had a great atmosphere. The highlights:

- Easy to get there (street car runs every few minutes, 10 minutes from Younge st.)
- Cheap drinks
- Multiple bars
- security is not as aggressive as other locations
- intimate feel with the Band -... more

Pretty good place to see a smaller concert. High ceilings and open concept mean that the sight-lines are great. I've been to two concerts here and neither of them were overly packed (mostly because it is smaller indie bands that play this venue) and I was able to get really close to the stage on both occasions. The sound quality is pretty good and you can pretty much be guaranteed a decent show... more

Very nice venue for a music show. I won tickets to a free VIP set with Metric in June and the show and sound was really good. Their is a Subway near the venue for food but not much else.
The reason for one star knocked off is that the beer the venue was selling was labelled CANADIAN OLYMPICS 2010... This was in June 2012. I still drank it, but that's some crazy old beer they're selling there.

I think the Opera House is a great great great venue to see live music. The sight-lines are good and the mezzanine is fantastic! Even for a sold out show we had an awesome view and plenty of space up there to enjoy it, and free and easy bar access. The sound was alright. The bathrooms are filthy and in between bands the line up for the ladies was cray-zay, but whatevs. It was fun to imagine the... more

BOTTOM LINE: Um, I can't hear any of the lyrics because the sound reverbs so much off all the walls, so....1 STAR.

Not sure how other Yelpers, despite their complaints, still end up giving this place 4 STARS. I've been to a few shows here over the years but don't think I ever realized how poor the sound is until my recent attendance to the Hilltop Hoods for CMW. This hip hop group with melodic... more

great venue,

I didn't drink when I was here so I can't comment on the prices but there are a total of 4 bars in the place, 3 on the first floor and one on the balcony.

security is good here, they pat everyone down and have security making sure that if any s@!t goes down they can stop it really quick. There was an attendant in the washroom i am assuming for this reason, although he stands... more

Convenient location. Close to the DVP and 10 minute streetcar downtown. The inside is very art deco/retro which i thought was cool. There probably isn't a bad spot in the place and you get a great view of the stage. Sound was good, i guess it depends on the band. The crowd was very civil and not crammed, so you could actually move around without stepping on toes. I like the small venues for... more

Despite the fact that the music playing when I went was absolutely terrible (with the exception of one band - "two seconds") I think the opera house is a pretty sweet venue. With a sound system to kill. I love the style of the decor inside. It's a little creepy being felt up when you come through the door but all that says to me is that you should feel a little bit safer being here than at bars... more

This place might get such a good rating from me because it reminds me so much of my favorite place to see a concert back home (the Uptown Theatre). I'm very into old-style converted venues. Also, because the first band I saw there was The Gaslight Anthem, and c'mon, how could that be a bad thing?

The stage is set high and offers a great view from pretty much anywhere (if you can score a spot... more

The worst part of the Opera House is where it's located. If it weren't for the Opera House you would never find yourself in this part of Toronto.

That aside it's a great venue. It's all standing, though I believe there are some seats on the upstairs balcony.

Yes! I was surprised to see such high reviews for this place when most of the people I know cringe when I mention its name.

Like these other Yelpers, I've had some really good times at the Opera House. Most of them were in my Brit-pop years, where I was more stunned by the twinkling of the mop-headed boys' eyes than the actual venue, but I do have some wonderful, vivid memories of the venue,... more

the opera house is a really fun venue and convenient on a few fronts. firstly its home to an enormous proscenium stage at the back that is even better viewed from the multi-tiered balcony. that last sentence really combines a couple things. the room itself is intimate enough to easily get within a couple feet of the performers to cry your eyes out and scream if you like. the floor before the... more

Excellent place. Great atmosphere and it didn't feel too crowded. I went there to see M83 with some friends and the only problem is that there's nowhere nearby to go afterward. You basically have to get on the streetcar and get back downtown.

Coat-check is easy to get to, bathrooms are clean and easy to get to. Bar service was quick. Overall a nice place to see a concert.

Queen Street A-Bit-East, not that far from Jilly's (yelp.ca/biz/jillys-toron…) (if you need it), the Opera House sits at Queen and Broadview. Large vaulted ceilings, a pronounced proscenium arch, and a balcony give this place the feeling that you're watching a show in, well, an opera house. Except the Rollins Band play there.

This is definitely another one of the premier performance venues in... more

The Opera House is far on Queen East, so here's what you'll need to go to a concert there.

First, know that you are NOT going to meet up with your friends back in the wet end after even though you said you would because The Opera House is so far and a 30+ cab ride after won't seem worth it. So go, knowing that this is all your doing that night.

Make sure the band you're going to see if one of... more

I played here on my 25th birthday. It was 13 degrees fahrenheit outside. Amazing show, local kids got me a penis cake that I ate mid-set. I had some food down the street.

Good times.