Electronic Music in Toronto

The electronic music scene in Toronto has been around since the early 90s.  Electronic music concerts (or raves) were held in abandoned warehouses.  Organizers would either pay the owner of the warehouse to rent the warehouse for the night or they would spend weeks watching one to see if was possible to hold an event without getting caught and shut down by the cops.  The rave scene flourished until 1999 where one partygoer overdosed on ecstasy.  Media attention of this death made it more difficult for promotion companies to find a venue to hold events.  The city of Toronto issued a ban on all raves in 2000.  A month later the iDance rally was held, supported by 20,000 people, against the rave ban. (Gobs, 2011)  This rally was successful and the city lifted the ban.  In 2001 the only place to hold events would be the clubs, which was more expensive than holding an event in a warehouse.

The scene died out for about 10 years and it has now exploded.  Events are now being held every weekend at clubs all around the GTA.  Toronto has two major two day summer festivals bringing over 50,000 people combined from all over the world.  Raves are being held in the Rogers Centre, the Direct  Energy Centre, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and even the old Ontario Place grounds.  Most of the warehouse, and forest raves are impossible to find.  Unless if you know the promoters throwing those parties you would not even know that they happen.  Most ravers now flock to the non top 40 clubs such as the Guvernment, the Hoxton, Coda, etc.

References:
Gobs (2011, February 23). The Rise and Fall of Toronto's Rave Scene.  Retrieved from http://deadkidsgetlively.com/2011/02/23/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-toronto-rave-scene/