Collectives are reshaping Toronto nightlife
Toronto's nightlife scene has undoubtedly grown significantly over the past year. With restrictions lifted, nightlife has found itself thriving once again since early 2020.
Collectives are the new nightclubs
Over the past year, the city has seen party and music collectives at the forefront of weekend plans.
Instead of visiting nightclubs for the venue itself, partygoers have geared towards following popular collectives that showcase an array of local and international DJs.
Collectives have intricately designed digital party flyers to advertise their events, with Instagram being the epicentre of knowing what's happening in the city.
From themed events to secret location venues, there were a number of collectives that shaped Toronto's nightlife this past year.
Here are some of them.
Pep Rally
With their first event hosted at a studio space on John St. in 2019 by DJs Karim Olen Ash and Chippy Nonstop, Pep Rally has been at the center of Toronto’s queer rave scene.
The collective has hosted over five themed events, ranging from fashion icon Theirry Mugler to club kid aesthetics.
From Afrobeats to heavy electronic music, the collective has hosted DJs such as Bambii, Parfait and Nino Brown.
Tickets for Pep Rally events sell out fast, with past events held at CODA, Chef’s Hall and secret location warehouse venues.
Veneno
Formed by Toronto-based DJs Ana Luisa and Sofia Fly, the collective Veneno showcases Latin and electronic music across clubs and venues in Toronto.
The duo has hosted events at Cold Tea, BSMT 254 and had a stage at Pride Toronto 2022.
This year has been major for Veneno, collaborating with DJs such as Young Teesh and Ace Dillinger. The future only looks bright for the Veneno duo.
Kuruza
The arts and music collective Kuruza have captivated Toronto’s Afro-beats scene.
Created and curated by Toronto-based DJs Hangaelle, Minzi Roberta and Kiga, the collective held its Sound System events at Hush Hush and Nest.
In September, Kuruza performed alongside Yes Yes Y'all at iconic UK-based music platform Boiler Room’s Toronto event at The Parkdale Hall.
Yes Yes Y'all
One of Toronto's most influential party and music collectives continued to reshape the party scene.
Yes Yes Y'all made its 2022 debut in April to celebrate its 11-year anniversary and followed it up with three parties scattered throughout the year.
The collective was founded in 2009 by DJs Sammy Rawal, Nino Brown, L Rock, Yes Yes Jill, Stunts and L Rock.
Moonshine
Toronto got a taste of Montreal's scene with music collective Moonshine making their way to the city.
Known for its 'SMS for location' slogan, this party collective is known for its secret location venues.
Formed in 2014, the collective has hosted two major warehouse parties this year highlighting the city's local artists and performers.
Moonshine’s lineups have included DJs Vanyfox, Akantu and Miles Freedom to name a few.
Kian Gannon
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