Toronto's highly anticipated new creative space opens its doors for a first look

You've probably heard names like the El Mocambo, the Horseshoe Tavern, or the Rivoli tossed around in conversations about this year's NXNE schedule, but the one you might not have heard just yet is It's Ok* Studios.

The stylish Queen West creative art space has been taken over for the week to serve as the festival's headquarters and has been flexing its versatility as a venue that can do business in the front and party in the back.

With so many workplaces in this city struggling to bring people back to the office, there are more than a few employers who could stand to take a page out of It's Ok's book.

The space has an in-house coffee shop, the walls are plastered with vintage posters and photos, and classy furniture fills the dead spaces - they even have a ping pong table on the second floor.

But how the space functions as an office is only one side of the story.

With NXNE in the house, there is bound to be something happening after dark. As expected, they turned up the volume on Wednesday night in classic Queen Street Fashion with the festival's opening party.

Yesterday we kicked off the festival in true NXNE fashion with an opening party to remember! Held at our #NXNE2023 HQ, @itsok_world, guests were invited to mix, mingle, and toast to the week ahead. 🥂 pic.twitter.com/ksKEcZfwsU

— NXNE (@nxne) June 15, 2023

Making the switch from business to casual, a bar took over the coffee station, a DJ took over the sound system, and It's Ok filled up with artists looking for a taste of the partying that NXNE is known for.

While NXNE is arguably the best showcase of emerging talent in this city, that didn't stop some of the more seasoned artists from showing face at the party.

Even Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo) made a brief appearance, which was captured in the first few seconds of the recap video below.

With Day 2 done and dusted, it's safe to say Day 3 has a lot to live up to. 😉 #NXNE2023

🎶: Telescope by @bealbypoint pic.twitter.com/7F6htnvTcc

— NXNE (@nxne) June 15, 2023

With the festival running until Sunday, It's OK will likely see a few more parties before it goes back to being a creative art space.

They don't seem too worried though, as far as hybrid spaces go, theirs is about as good as it gets.