Friar's Music Museum

Friar's Music Museum The only bricks and mortar music museum in Toronto. Located on the 2nd floor in the Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square) Shoppers Drug Mart.

This free and accessible museum pays homage to Toronto’s rich music history by collaborating with local musicians, students and other local artists. In 2020, we were a top three short listed nominee for the Leading Culture Destinations Awards, Soft Power Destinations of the Year Category, for the Best Soft Power Cultural Activation award worldwide.

Cree composer-cellist Cris Derksen, one of the featured artists in our Shaking the Foundations exhibit, is shaking up th...
05/01/2026

Cree composer-cellist Cris Derksen, one of the featured artists in our Shaking the Foundations exhibit, is shaking up the classical music world. From the Globe & Mail: “She recently scored Cikilaxwm: Controlled Burn, Cameron Fraser-Monroe’s new dance for Ballet Kelowna in British Columbia, where it will debut this week. The ballet was inspired by her symphonic piece Controlled Burn, commissioned by Canada’s superstar conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin for Montreal’s Metropolitan Orchestra. Derksen played cello when the piece was performed at Carnegie Hall in 2023. On May 25, three movements of Derksen’s Mass for Nipiy: A Prayer For Water, a choral piece from 2023 commissioned by Toronto’s Amadeus Choir, will be presented at the same famed New York venue.”

Experimental music savant Gayle Young, one of the trailblazing women featured in our Shaking the Foundations exhibit, is...
04/24/2026

Experimental music savant Gayle Young, one of the trailblazing women featured in our Shaking the Foundations exhibit, is performing at the Tranzac Club on Sunday, April 26th from 7:30-9:30pm, alongside an exploration in microtonality by the Sympathetic String Band. Young’s pioneering works span decades as an innovator in microtonality through her compositions, performances, sound installations and the unique musical instruments she designed and built. Young has also written extensively on these topics over the years.
More info on Gayle Young’s works can be found here: https://www.gayleyoungmusic.com/

Men in black! Toronto Music Experience board members Nicholas Jennings (left) and Klive Walker (right) welcomed David Jo...
03/21/2026

Men in black! Toronto Music Experience board members Nicholas Jennings (left) and Klive Walker (right) welcomed David Jones, music archivist at the University of Calgary, to the Shaking the Foundations exhibit yesterday.

Stella Panacci performed an intimate acoustic set inside Friar’s Music Museum as part of Shaking the Foundations: Women ...
03/17/2026

Stella Panacci performed an intimate acoustic set inside Friar’s Music Museum as part of Shaking the Foundations: Women Trailblazers in Toronto Music 🎶

Thank you to everyone who joined us as we continue to spotlight the women who shaped, and continue to shape, Toronto’s music scene.

Presented by Downtown Yonge BIA in partnership with Toronto Music Experience and Shoppers Drug Mart.

🎶 Live at Friar’s Music Museum: Stella Panacci 📅 Thursday, March 5 | 🕧 12:30PM - 1PM📍 2nd floor of Shoppers Drug Mart, 2...
02/19/2026

🎶 Live at Friar’s Music Museum: Stella Panacci

📅 Thursday, March 5 | 🕧 12:30PM - 1PM
📍 2nd floor of Shoppers Drug Mart, 283 Yonge St

Toronto singer-songwriter Stella Panacci brings her genre-blending voice and decades of creative energy to Shaking the Foundations: Women Trailblazers in Toronto Music Winter Concert. From fronting early indie-pop group Kat Rocket to her latest project, Animal Tonic, Stella’s sound is raw, fearless, and deeply honest, with roots in punk, alt-rock, and heartfelt storytelling.

This is an intimate, acoustic performance inside the museum. Free to attend, but spots are limited.

🎟️ Register via Eventbrite to reserve your seat → https://liveatfriars-stellapanacci.eventbrite.ca
🎧 Come early or stay after the show to explore the exhibit.

Presented by Downtown Yonge BIA in partnership with Toronto Music Experience and Shoppers Drug Mart.

On Thursday February 5, Lori Yates, joined by Derek Downham, performed an intimate acoustic set inside Friar’s Music Mus...
02/18/2026

On Thursday February 5, Lori Yates, joined by Derek Downham, performed an intimate acoustic set inside Friar’s Music Museum as part of Shaking the Foundations: Women Trailblazers in Toronto Music.

Together, the exhibit and live performances continue to spotlight the women who shaped, and continue to shape, Toronto’s music scene.

Stay tuned for highlights from the performance, and plan your visit to explore the exhibit in person.

Next up: Stella Panacci – March 5 at 12:30 PM

🎟️ Free admission | Limited capacity
📍 2nd floor of Shoppers Drug Mart, 283 Yonge St

Friar’s Music Museum is a Downtown Yonge BIA initiative, presented in partnership with Toronto Music Experience (TME), with the exhibit curated by Mary Dickie.

Learn more: https://downtownyonge.com/arts-culture/friars-music-museum/

That time in 1964 that Toronto’s Shirley Matthews, a Bell telephone operator by day and an r&b singer at the Bluenote by...
02/11/2026

That time in 1964 that Toronto’s Shirley Matthews, a Bell telephone operator by day and an r&b singer at the Bluenote by night, joined the Beatles in the Top 10.

Live at Friar’s Music Museum: Lori Yates📅 Thursday, February 5 | 🕧 12:30 PM📍 2nd floor of Shoppers Drug Mart, 283 Yonge ...
01/27/2026

Live at Friar’s Music Museum: Lori Yates

📅 Thursday, February 5 | 🕧 12:30 PM
📍 2nd floor of Shoppers Drug Mart, 283 Yonge St

A pioneer of Canada’s alt-country sound, Lori Yates brings her powerhouse voice and fearless songwriting to Shaking the Foundations: Women Trailblazers in Toronto Music Winter Concert. From Toronto’s punk roots to Nashville stages, JUNO nominations to Polaris recognition, Lori is a country-rock icon who continues to inspire.

This is an intimate, acoustic performance inside the museum, free to attend, but spots are limited.

🎟️ Register via Eventbrite to secure your seat: https://liveatfriars-loriyates.eventbrite.ca

🎧 Explore the exhibit before or after the show!

Presented by Downtown Yonge BIA in partnership with Toronto Music Experience and supported by Shoppers Drug Mart.

🎧 Part 2 is here! The second half of the Spotify Playlist has officially dropped, and it’s packed with even more iconi...
01/10/2026

🎧 Part 2 is here! The second half of the Spotify Playlist has officially dropped, and it’s packed with even more iconic tracks by women who’ve helped shape Toronto’s music scene. ⁠🔥⁠
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From fierce punk to soulful R&B and everything in between, this playlist honours the bold voices featured in our Shaking the Foundations exhibit at Friar’s Music Museum.⁠
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This playlist is curated in partnership with Toronto Music Experience and compiled by exhibit curator Mary Dickie.⁠
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🎶 Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/49Xs9bgyDVKZvG5YADLbfJ
➡️ Learn more: https://downtownyonge.com/arts-culture/friars-music-museum/
📍 Explore the exhibit in person: 2nd floor of Shoppers Drug Mart, 283 Yonge St (beside Sankofa Square)⁠
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✨ Something exciting is coming soon to the museum! Follow us for updates and the official announcement!⁠
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Have you visited our exhibit Shaking the Foundations: Women Trailblazers in Toronto Music yet and posed for a photo with...
12/13/2025

Have you visited our exhibit Shaking the Foundations: Women Trailblazers in Toronto Music yet and posed for a photo with legend Jackie Shane?

Address

279 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5B1N8

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 12am
Tuesday 8am - 12am
Wednesday 8am - 12am
Thursday 8am - 12am
Friday 8am - 12am
Saturday 8am - 12am
Sunday 8am - 12am

Telephone

(416) 597-0255

Website

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