adam sandler toronto

10 famous people visiting Toronto this summer 2014

Celebrities visiting Toronto this summer are mostly limited to big-ticket touring musicians taking their 18-wheelers full of disco balls, confetti and catsuits through our biggest arenas. If you're the star-gazing type, though, that makes your job easy; just buy a ticket to the show. There's also a few well-known actors coming through town for shooting, conventions, or panels. Be patient (and maybe stake out a spot on a Yorkville patio) and you may just experience your own brush with greatness. Just don't be creepy, OK?

Here's a rundown of 10 famous people visiting Toronto this summer.

Adam Sandler
Did you have your commute wrecked by a closed-down Adelaide St. this spring? Maybe you were disappointed by a non-operational prop hot dog cart? You can thank Adam Sandler for that one - he's shooting the New York City-set film Pixels over the summer in Toronto. The movie, a remake of a 2010 short film, focuses on a crack team of hot-shot gamers saving the world from arcade game villains trying to attack the Earth. Between takes, Sandler's been spotted hanging out in Yorkville. I don't wanna judge, dude, but your kids are a little big for that stroller.

Lady Gaga
Once again, Mother Monster comes to grace us with her presence. She'll be taking her artRAVE tour through the ACC on July 9. Expect the usual Gaga show - y'know, octopus costumes, seahorse-shaped keytars, stuffed animals being shot out of cannons. Meanwhile, if you happen to be out and about on the streets of Toronto, keep your eye out for someone wearing a bra and orange chaps / onesie made of lace curtains / giant sperm-shaped hat. Yaaaaaaasss.

Katy Perry
She's responsible for all of your guilty-pleasure sing-in-the-shower songs, so we won't judge you if you shell out to see Katy Perry perform at the ACC on July 18, 19 and 21. (Whatcha got planned for that night off, Katy? Huh?) Proven fact: Google searches for "papier mache cupcake bra instructions" spike by 3000% in any given city one week before Katy Perry comes to town.

Jack White
Everyone's favourite White Stripe / Raconteur / Dead Weatherman has struck out on his own once again. Hot off the heels of his latest record, Lazaretto, White will be bringing his solo show to the ACC on July 31. When he's off-duty, he'll be ... well, I don't know where he'll be. Where does Jack White hang out when he's in Toronto? I'm envisioning a country bar in a bunker 50 feet below the ground where the walls are made entirely from the necks of dismantled Airlines.

Peter Dinklage
He's in town for the exact same reason Adam Sandler is - a starring turn in Pixels - but Dinklage gets his own spot on the list due to sheer Game of Thrones-related badassery. His rising profile, thanks to his role on the universally-beloved HBO series, has led to him being deluged by fans at Pearson and snapped by paparazzi hanging out with his family downtown. (The Daily Mail: Where it's always a slow news day.)

One Direction
Technically, yes, this is five famous people: Harry, Niall, Zayn, Louis and Liam will be kicking off their North American tour with back-to-back performances August 1 and 2 at the Rogers Centre. There will screaming. There will also probably be crying. Are you already crying? Oh, honey, it's going to be okay. Man, I hope that One Direction-branded mascara they're about to launch is waterproof.

William Shatner
Canadian national treasure William Shatner will be returning to the Fan Expo comic and sci-fi con at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre August 28-31. Shatner has been a top-billed convention favourite for decades thanks to his years as James T. Kirk, the captain of the Enterprise - or, if you were a preteen girl in 1999, his iconic turn as the pageant emcee in Miss Congeniality. The full convention schedule will be announced in August; while you're waiting, download all of these albums.

Patrick Stewart
If you're more of a Next Generation person, Fan Expo will also feature an appearance from Captain Picard. (He's also Professor Xavier. Can someone make him one of these T-shirts?) No talk or Q&A announcement has been made for the convention yet - though he's proven to be a candid and enlightening panel guest. If you'd like to queue up for an autograph or photo, however, you can make it so on Sunday, August 31 - he'll only be attending for one day.

Lena Dunham
Come early September, everyone will be freaking out over the jetloads of celebrities in town for TIFF. The festival's schedule is still up in the air, but after the smoke clears on September 14, the Just For Laughs festival will cap off a late summer of star-stalking with some of comedy's current greats.Girls mastermind Lena Dunham will be at the Sony Centre on September 20, reading from her upcoming book of essays and doing a Q&A. Will we become best friends? Watch this space for updates! (Other notable funny people coming to town for the fest include Seth Myers, Wanda Sykes and Nick Offerman.)

Lil Wayne (maybe)
There's this guy named Drake who's from around here, and likes to bring his famous buddies to town as surprise guests for his annual OVO music festival. Nothing's been announced officially, but I have a a pretty strong hunch that Lil Wayne will be making a repeat visit at this year's fest, which takes place August 3 and 4. (I guess this means Drake will be in Toronto, too.)

pure leafThanks to Pure Leaf for sponsoring our summer adventures. For more things to do this summer, check out our Best of Summer page.

Who did I miss? Add more famous people to the comments.


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