Things to do in Toronto this week: July 12–18
Leonard Cohen's legacy takes the stage at CAA Theatre, while Buck Meek and Lord Huron anchor a strong music week—and the first clear days arrive just in time for patios and pools.
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This is a week split cleanly between sun and cloud. Sunday and Monday deliver clear skies and warmth—16 to 35 degrees across the two days—which means patios, pools, and open-air venues are the move. By midweek, cloud rolls in and temperatures settle, and by Saturday a 31 percent rain chance turns the day indoors. Plan accordingly.
The standout cultural event is The Secret Chord: A Leonard Cohen Experience at CAA Theatre, running from July 12 through 16 across four performances. This is a full immersion into Cohen's songwriting and poetry—his folk, contemporary folk, and singer-songwriter sensibility translated to stage. If you've never sat with Cohen's work in a room built for it, this is the week to spend an evening there.
Music elsewhere leans indie and roots. Buck Meek, guitarist and backing vocalist for Big Thief, plays The Great Hall on Monday, July 13 at 7 PM (tickets from $35). His solo work—four albums deep, including The Mirror released earlier this year—sits in folk and indie territory; this is a solid room for a musician with real craft. The same night, Lord Huron, the Los Angeles indie rock band behind Lonesome Dreams and Strange Trails, takes the RBC Amphitheatre stage at 8 PM. If Monday's weather holds clear and warm, this is your outdoor music night.
On the pool side, Chus & Ceballos—Spanish house DJs known for their splitme style—play Cabana Pool Bar on Sunday at 1 PM. It's midday, it's clear, it's a pool party. Go early.
Beyond the stages, the city's food and neighbourhood life is worth your time. Uncle Pete's, the viral focaccia sandwich spot that shuttered after a short run in Little Italy, opens again this weekend at Track & Field on King West—if you missed it the first time, Sunday is your scoop. For a Monday dinner after Meek's show, head to Fox on John, the gastropub on the edge of Ossington; it's the kind of place that works before or after live music. The week also sees Nam 6ix opening in Scarborough, the expansion of Banh Mi Nana's creators into Toronto proper—expect the same banh mi that moved 2,000 sandwiches on day one, plus lesser-known Vietnamese dishes. If you're crossing the city, make it worth the trip.
Church Street between Wellesley and Alexander has been car-free since mid-June, and three weeks in, the shift is working—residents and business owners report a tangible improvement in atmosphere. It's a small urban win worth experiencing on one of this week's clear days.
The FIFA World Cup continues its run at Toronto's stadium; the full schedule is at /toronto/fifa-world-cup. Check for matches as the tournament pushes toward its final rounds.
If I had one night this week, I'd take Monday at The Great Hall for Buck Meek—clear weather, a room built for listening, and a musician who has something real to say.
