Danforth Music Hall is a live music theatre at 147 Danforth Avenue in Toronto’s Greektown neighborhood, just steps from Broadview subway station. The building opened on August 18, 1919 as Allen’s Danforth Theatre, a silent-movie “photoplay palace,” and despite falling dark twice over the decades — once in the mid-2000s and again around 2010–11 — it remains one of Toronto’s oldest surviving theatre buildings.
Whether you’re checking capacity before buying tickets, tracing the building’s century of name changes, or planning your first visit, this guide covers the numbers, the history, and what to expect on show night.
Quick Answer: What Is the Danforth Music Hall’s Capacity?
The Danforth Music Hall holds about 1,427 people for general-admission, standing-room shows, or 1,145 people for events with reserved seating. Which figure applies depends on how a given promoter configures the room for that specific show.
Danforth Music Hall Capacity, Explained
Most touring concerts at the Danforth Music Hall are general admission, meaning the main floor is cleared for standing and the venue can pack in its full 1,427-person capacity, with additional standing and limited seating in the balcony above. For a general-admission night, expect a floor crowd close to the stage and balcony rail spots that offer a clearer sightline if you’d rather not stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
For comedy shows, sit-down concerts, and other seated bookings, the venue switches to a reserved-seating layout, which brings capacity down to roughly 1,145 across the orchestra level and balcony. That drop from the general-admission number reflects the space theatre seats take up compared to an open standing floor. Either way, the Danforth Music Hall sits in the mid-sized range for Toronto venues — bigger than a club, more intimate than an arena — which is exactly the niche that has made it a favorite stop for touring artists on the way up or scaling down for a special show.
From Silent Films to a Century-Old Landmark
The building’s early life was as a neighborhood movie palace. It opened on August 18, 1919 as Allen’s Danforth Theatre, built by brothers Jules and Jay Allen and designed by the architectural firm Hynes, Feldman, and Watson, and it was promoted at the time as “Canada’s First Super-Suburban Photoplay Palace.” It screened its first feature, “Through the Wrong Door,” that same year, part of a wave of theatre construction along Danforth Avenue following the opening of the Prince Edward Viaduct.
The original facade still shows Flemish bond brickwork, herringbone detailing, and opal glass windows from that 1919 construction, along with stylized “AT” motifs tied to the Allen Theatres chain. In 1985, the building was designated a property of historic interest under the Ontario Heritage Act, which helps explain why its early-20th-century character has survived even as the interior has been renovated and re-renovated for modern concerts.
The Venue’s Many Names
The theatre has cycled through several identities over the past century. Financial trouble at the Allen chain led to the building being renamed the Century Theatre in 1923 under a Famous Players subsidiary. By the end of the 1960s it had become the Titania, a Greek-language cinema serving Toronto’s growing Greektown community, before converting to a live concert hall called The Music Hall in 1978, when it began mixing second-run films with live shows.
By the early 2000s the building had fallen into disrepair — regulars reportedly picked seats to dodge water leaking from the ceiling — and it closed in 2004. Ellipsis Leisure Retail Inc. took over the vacant space and reopened it as a live-music venue in 2006, but that operation stalled too: in 2010, property owner Electra Films Limited evicted the tenants over unpaid rent, and the venue went dark again. Impresario Inc. then took over the space and reopened it as the Danforth Music Hall on December 1, 2011.
A Modern Concert Destination
Since its 2011 relaunch, the Danforth Music Hall has become a favored mid-sized stop for touring artists, hosting Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Lorde, Disclosure, St. Vincent, Metric, and Dave Chappelle, among many others. Earlier, while still operating as The Music Hall, the venue was named Performing Arts Centre of the Year in the under-1,500-capacity category at the 2008 Canadian Music Industry Awards.
Its location along the Danforth, steps from Broadview station on the TTC’s Bloor–Danforth subway line, keeps it easy to reach for concertgoers, and its heritage designation ensures the theatre’s early-20th-century character stays intact even as it continues booking contemporary shows.
Planning Your Visit
Tickets for Danforth Music Hall shows are sold through Ticketmaster or at the venue’s own box office, which opens only on show days, roughly 90 minutes before the advertised doors time; it’s cash-free and accepts debit and major credit cards, and any will-call orders require photo ID matching the name on the order. Pricing and exact door/showtimes vary by event, so always confirm the current schedule and prices for your specific show before you go.
The venue has no on-site parking lot, but paid public parking is available along Danforth Avenue and side streets, plus a Green P lot behind the nearby Shoppers Drug Mart — arriving by subway to Broadview station is usually the simplest option. Bag policy is strict: bags are limited to 12″ x 6″ x 12″ (including purses), backpacks of any kind are not permitted, and small clutches, fanny packs, or clear bags are the safest bet. For accessibility requests, current hours, and the full lineup of policies, check the official Danforth Music Hall visitor page before your show.
Danforth Music Hall capacity and history FAQs
What is the capacity of the Danforth Music Hall?
The venue holds about 1,427 people for general-admission, standing-room shows, or 1,145 people when it’s configured with reserved seating.
Is Danforth Music Hall general admission or seated?
It depends on the show. Most touring concerts are general admission (standing on the main floor), while comedy shows and some concerts use reserved seating throughout the orchestra and balcony.
How old is the Danforth Music Hall?
The building opened on August 18, 1919 as Allen’s Danforth Theatre, making it over a century old, though it has closed and reopened more than once since — most recently shutting down in 2010 before Impresario Inc. reopened it as the Danforth Music Hall on December 1, 2011.
What was the Danforth Music Hall called before?
It has had several names: Allen’s Danforth Theatre (1919), Century Theatre (1923), the Titania (a Greek-language cinema from the late 1960s to 1978), and The Music Hall (1978–2004, then again 2006–10) before becoming the Danforth Music Hall in December 2011.
Where is the Danforth Music Hall located?
It’s at 147 Danforth Avenue in Toronto’s Greektown, close to Broadview station on the TTC’s Bloor–Danforth subway line.
Is there parking at Danforth Music Hall?
There’s no on-site lot. Concertgoers use paid public parking on Danforth Avenue and surrounding streets, a Green P lot behind the nearby Shoppers Drug Mart, or arrive via Broadview subway station.
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