Things to do in Toronto this week: July 26–August 1", "hero_event": "Herbie Hancock @ Massey Hall

This week the weather does the planning for you. Sunday hits overcast and mild—high of 27 degrees, rain almost nowhere—making it the golden day to move. Then Monday through Wednesday turn damp: fog rolling in Monday, heavy showers Tuesday, drizzle Wednesday. By Thursday the rain backs off and Friday clears toward the weekend. The takeaway is simple: get outdoors and catch live music while you can on Sunday, then retreat indoors midweek while the city dampens.

Herbie Hancock plays Massey Hall Sunday at 8 p.m. The American jazz pianist and bandleader shaped modern jazz and fusion across decades—a rare headliner draw at one of the city's most storied venues. This is not a casual Sunday; this is Massey Hall on a clear evening. Tickets will move fast if they haven't already.

If Hancock sells out or you want options on that dry Sunday afternoon, Elderbrook spins electronic music at Cabana Pool Bar starting at 1 p.m.—the English DJ and producer built his name on "How Many Times," remixed by Andhim and ranked one of Mixmag's best songs of 2015. A pool venue on a 27-degree day is exactly what Sunday is built for. Later that evening, BabyChiefDoit (the Chicago rapper behind 2025's Billboard-charting "Went West") takes The Mod Club at 7 p.m., and Nine Vicious, who released his third studio album Emotions in April, plays The Concert Hall at 8 p.m.

Monday evening, as fog settles in, The Femcels arrive at The Drake Hotel at 7 p.m.—the English electronic pop duo released their debut album I Have to Get Hotter in January. It's the kind of intimate room that suits a damp Monday night indoors.

The wet stretch midweek is made for opera. Summer Opera Lyric Theatre's productions run through the week at Alumnae Theatre Main Stage: Earnest, The Importance of Being plays Sunday through Wednesday with two performances, Katya Kabanova opens Tuesday at 8 p.m., and The Medium runs Wednesday and Thursday with two performances. This is real theatre indoors while rain taps the windows—exactly the mood for it.

Beyond the stage, the new food openings signal where to eat this week. Bar Butcher just opened at the base of Bay Street in the old Miller Tavern space, slashing steakhouse prices—a 12-ounce Alberta strip loin runs $76 instead of $155 at competitors like Harbour 60. On Tuesday at 1 p.m., Pizzeria Badiali and Miss Vickie's are running a free vodka sauce pizza pop-up at 581 Markham Street with tastings of the signature sauce and matching chips. If you want something warmer for the damp midweek nights, Chef Porpy's Larb Muang brings authentic Northern Thai cuisine sourced directly from Thailand—exactly the kind of meal that makes a wet Wednesday feel less heavy.

Liberty Village is also gaining The Bull BBQ Pit's third Toronto location in a former Italian restaurant space, though an opening date hasn't landed yet. When it does, slow-smoked brisket and ribs will be waiting.

If the week were mine, I'd catch Herbie Hancock at Massey Hall Sunday evening—it's the kind of performance that defines a city's cultural calendar, and the weather is on your side.