The night economy describes the social, cultural and economic activities that take place between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in Toronto. It not only encompasses enjoying Toronto’s nightlife, but also amenities and support for those who work at night including individuals who help manage life at night, such as hospitality industry workers, bar owners, shift workers and emergency services professionals. A healthy night economy supports all the needs of its residents and visitors at night.
Read the Good Neighbour Guide for Late Night Businesses for comprehensive resources and best practices for live music venues, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, retailers, service providers and others operating late hours.
The City of Toronto will strengthen Toronto’s nightlife using, and in some cases re-aligning, existing City resources through three main objectives:
To meet these objectives, the City formed the Night Economy Internal Working Group, which consists of representatives across City divisions who are collaborating with industry stakeholders to make meaningful changes that will ensure Toronto’s night experience is safe and positive for everyone.
In 2018, the City began reviewing the licensing and zoning regulations for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues in Toronto. In 2023, the City engaged industry stakeholders and residents through consultation sessions and a survey on how to redefine and clarify licensing and zoning for nightlife businesses.
The City shared what was heard during these consultations at a virtual information session on June 5, 2023. Download the staff presentation.
In December 2023, City Council adopted amendments to the Licensing Bylaw and the Zoning Bylaws. Highlights include:
• Modernizing licensing and zoning rules for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues;
• Expanding permitted nightclub areas to commercial zones city-wide, subject to conditions;
• Increasing the permitted maximum area bars and restaurants can use for entertainment;
• Updating business licence categories to capture public halls, live music venues and rental spaces for entertainment; and
• Strengthening compliance and enforcement and proactively addressing problematic establishments.
The changes will come into effect on January 1, 2025 and more updates will be provided later in 2024.
For more information, please refer to the January 17 Night Economy Town Hall Staff Presentation (pages 19 to 27).
On January 17, 2024, the City held the inaugural Night Economy Town Hall to share the latest Night Economy project updates and introduce the Good Neighbour Guide for Late-Night Businesses.
Download the staff presentation.
The next Night Economy town hall will be held in 2025.
The Good Neighbour Guide for Late-Night Businesses is intended as a comprehensive resource for late-night businesses, such as live music venues, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, retailers, service providers and others operating between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The guide presents relevant information and provides links to related resources from the City and external sources that are intended to support operators in running a safe establishment that benefits the surrounding community.
Download the Good Neighbour Guide for Late-Night Businesses.
This guide is intended to provide a simplified overview of the various resources available to music event organizers in Toronto and a summary of what processes and permits might be required for various kinds of events in different types of spaces (public or private; indoor or outdoor).
Download the Resource Guide for Music Event Organizers.