11 Fun Things to Do Solo in Toronto at Night

Welcome to Toronto! I treat my blog readers like my friends visiting from out of town. And something I always want to do is show them fun things to do in Toronto at night.

I’m also honest. Toronto is not a late-night city like Miami or New York. Shops close up early on weekdays. There aren’t enough 24-hour diners. But there’s a whole lot of arts, culture and food happening in Toronto at night for the solo traveller who wants to keep busy after dark. There’s even a spot to join a sauna party.

Here are 11 of my favourite things to do in Toronto at night when you’re solo. Stay safe and have fun!

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Sunset in a park

Start your night out in Toronto at twilight watching the sun go down over the city, or across Lake Ontario. One of the most popular spots is Riverdale Park, on the east side near Broadview subway station. Or take the ferry over to Hanlan’s Point on the Toronto Island and snap your version of the iconic photo of CN Tower.

Drinks with a view

Treat yourself with a fancy cocktail or mocktail at one of Toronto’s great rooftop bars. The Writers Room at the Park Hyatt. Harriet’s Rooftop at 1 Hotel. Valerie at Hotel X. You don’t need to be staying at these hotels to enjoy the world-class bartenders and incredible views of the city lights. Reservations recommended. For the cheap and cheerful walk-up version check out The Porch, always packed for its beer specials and expansive outdoor patio.

Take a boat cruise

Toronto is a waterfront city. From spring to fall, you can choose from all kinds of boat tours that take you out onto Lake Ontario for a few hours. Harbour Tours is good for just showing up on whim—they go out every hour up to 9pm in July and August. There’s a nightly Tall Ship cruise, too. If a Party Boat cruise is your jam, do a search on Eventbrite. Cruising is a great thing to enjoy solo in Toronto at night.

Catch a comedy show

Toronto has a fantastic comedy scene. One of my favourite places to catch hilarious new stand-up talent at an affordable price is The Comedy Bar on Bloor Street West, which runs shows every night and sometimes late night. If you prefer sketch comedy, Toronto’s famous Second City does dinner and show that’s always a solid choice. Both these places are progressive, inclusive spaces I recommend for women. (Not every comedy room is, sadly.)

Spend the night at a museum

Once a month on Friday nights, The Royal Ontario Museum (the one with the dinosaurs and the bat cave!) throws a 19+ party called ROM After Dark. It’s a fun way to browse the collection and see local talent. There’s generally a theme, either around a seasonal holiday or temporary exhibition. You have to buy tickets in advance, and they often sell out.  Over at the Art Gallery of Ontario, you can stay until 9pm on Wednesday and Friday nights—and if you’re under 25, the AGO is free.

Eat your way through a Night Market

Summer nights are meant for browsing food stalls and getting your hands sticky trying new things. One of the most unique things to do in Toronto at night is hang out at Stackt Market—an outdoor mall of indie boutiques made from shipping containers, which also has yummy food stations like tacos and bao and local beer and usually DJs or live music. If you’re in town during the Pan-Asian Waterfront Night Market in August it’s worth the price of admission for food and party vibes, with gorgeous lanterns on display everywhere.

Attend a film festival

Toronto loves film festivals. There’s practically one every week. If you’re alone in the city, it’s a great way to meet new people, as everyone loves talking about their festival faves in the line-ups and a lot of people attend solo, so it doesn’t feel weird.

The big one of course is TIFF – The Toronto International Film Festival – the world’s second largest film festival which brings A-list stars and directors to the city every September. Cinephiles revel in world premieres and foreign language films never to be seen again on the big screen. But it will cost you – premium tickets can go up to nearly $100! I wrote a guide to TIFF for Ultimate Ontario for first timers that’s helpful for scoring tickets and saving money. They usually shut down portions of King Street for free concerts and brand/sponsor giveaways and such too.

Other smaller but high-quality film festivals in Toronto are Toronto After Dark (for horror fans, in October), imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival (summer) and Reel Asian (November). The Italian Contemporary Film Festival has been building a cool scene with outdoor screenings in the Distillery District in summer.

Play some arcade games

If you like old school pinball and video games, one of the best deals for a night of fun is at Tilt in Parkdale—$10 for all you can play. Weekends can be Date Night Vibes, but weeknights are quieter and full of other single nerds. Downtown has The Rec Room. It’s more expensive—you load up a bracelet with credits and pay per game, but the location is very convenient to hotels. And over on Yonge Street north of Queen is Octo Zone, a “claw machine store” where you play to win all kinds of Japanese plushies.

Take a dance lesson

You do not need a partner to join a social dance class, which are designed for beginners and often include live bands. Swing Toronto runs events every week, which often include a free lesson in lindy hop or other swing styles. If you like classic rock ‘n’ roll check out Black Cat Boogie. Country music fan? Spurs runs popular queer line dancing parties.

Stroll a cool neighbourhood

One of the easiest, cheapest things to do in Toronto at night is wander one of the many neighbourhoods. Certain streets just have a cool atmosphere to walk around and people watch or grab a treat. I feel safe as a solo woman on College Street in Little Italy, on Ossington between Queen and Dundas, and on the Danforth. The Distillery District is more of an outdoor mall with historic buildings than a real neighbourhood, but it’s scenic and is especially worth visiting in the winter during the Holiday Market.

Visit a Social Sauna

Wellness can be fun too. The Othership is a social sauna experience you can hit up in Toronto at night instead of a club. For two hours, join a group for guided aromatherapy, sauna and ice bath rituals, with loud music and collective energy. Prefer quiet? You need a car or a taxi budget, but the traditional Russian Banya is open ‘til midnight and is a perfect place for solo relaxation.