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Underground speakeasy at .toronto
620 Spadina Ave

08/25/2026

We’re blessed to have the amazing Tara Moneka تارة مونيكا grace the stage this Thursday for our LAST SHOW OF THE SUMMER.

Catch an intimate live performance from Tara Moneka تارة مونيكا, whose music bridges Afro-Sufi, Arabic, and diasporic traditions through jazz, soul, maqam, and Afrobeat.

Come early for a village folk song and dance workshop led by resident artists Kryva Kosa Band and stay late for a vintage vinyl set of salsa, cumbia, Latin and global selections from Juana Go-gó 💃

August 27 @ 5PM — late.
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot.
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

08/24/2026

Today we are wishing a happy Ukrainian Independence Day to everyone in our community who has brought art, film, music, stories, and appreciation for Ukrainian culture to our space. 💙💛

And with that, we’re excited to share we’ll be back this September with another month of programming, bringing the spotlight back home for Ukrainian Heritage Month.

We’ve got more music, film, art and story, all Ukrainian for this special showcase month.

We’re also putting a focus on FOOD, which means extended access to our infamous kanapky plus one special immersive dinner night curated and hosted by our very own Mark Marczyk and nón omnís moriár (limited seating, so get on it FAST).

Oh, and UKRAINIAN HERITAGE DAY, the TORONTO UKRAINIAN FESTIVAL, the TORONTO UKRAINIAN FILM FESTIVAL… we’ve got you covered for all things Ukrainian this month.

You know the drill. Underground at 620 Spadina Ave — around the back, through the lot to the steel doors, down the stairs, past the mechanical room, through the swinging wood laminate door...

Register & RSVP so we know who to expect. We can’t wait to see you there.

08/23/2026

One night. Four unique experiences. INSTITUT 017 had a little bit of everything.

New Ukrainian theatre, banned cinema, Afro-hop, and vintage Ukrainian vinyl all in one Thursday night, with a room full of curious people.

We started with UA Theatre Salon: After the Front, directed by Mariya | Masha | Khomutova and created at Kyiv’s Theatre of Playwrights with frontline defenders. Three new monologues exploring life during and after war, brought to life through three powerful short plays.

Then came the final instalment of our Banned Ukrainian Cinema series: Legend of Princess Olha (Yuri Ilienko, 1983), curated by Пилип Іллєнко. A bold, surreal reimagining of the legendary ruler and a memorable close to a very special series.

Next up, 𝖉𝖔𝖘𝖍 𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 brought the heat with a live Afro-hop set, accompanied by documentary clips tracing the story behind his music. PLUS LeWolf dropped in for a surprise DJ set, keeping the room moving with Afro-house selections. 🔥

And finally, Johnny 🇺🇦 returned to bring the party home, spinning nostalgic vintage Ukrainian vinyl late into the night. 💿

Another Thursday, another unexpected combination.

And NEXT WEEK, we’re closing out the summer series with INSTITUT 018.

Resident artists Kryva Kosa Band are back with another dance workshop, Tara Moneka تارة مونيكا brings a set blending jazz, soul, maqam, and Afrobeat, and Juana Go-gó returns to the decks with Cumbia, salsa, and Latin selections on vinyl.

SEE YOU THERE.

August 27 @ 5PM — late
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

📸 Cassandra Popescu Photography

08/19/2026

‼️ JUST ANNOUNCED ‼️

LeWolf will be joining 𝖉𝖔𝖘𝖍 𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 tomorrow at INSTITUT 017 as a special guest DJ.

LEWOLF is a Congolese-Canadian producer and DJ whose work draws on Afro-house, Afrobeat, and dance music traditions from across the African diaspora. His sets move fluidly between contemporary club sounds and global grooves, guided by rhythm, texture, and movement.

This Thursday just got even better. 𝖉𝖔𝖘𝖍 𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 and LeWolf will be bringing the heat. Don’t miss it.

August 20 @ 9 PM - late
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot.
🔗 You know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

08/18/2026

Johnny 🇺🇦 returns to INSTITUT this Thursday for a vintage Ukrainian vinyl party. 🪩

Expect Classic Ukrainian recordings, forgotten gems, and dance-floor favourites from across the decades.

COME PARTY

August 20 @ 11 PM - late (or come early for a full night of programming!)
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot.
🔗 You know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

08/16/2026

INSTITUT 016 took us from village folk to vocal loops, from Slavic soul to Ethio-jazz – no genre left behind.

We danced our way into the evening with Kryva Kosa Band, who led another workshop exploring village folk traditions from across the Balkans, Baltics, and Slavic regions.

Then, all eyes and ears were on Tamar Ilana, who brought Pablo Berger’s “Blancanieves” to life with a hypnotic live-looping vocal score.

Nastasia Y (Настя Єрофеєва) brought Slavic soul to the stage, blending sounds rooted in Toronto and Kyiv with heartfelt stories and powerful vocals.

And finally, Շանթ Ռաֆֆի kept the night moving with Armenian folk, desert blues, and Ethio-jazz on vintage vinyl.

We have TWO MORE Thursdays of programming left this summer (but don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere 😉).

Send off summer with us on August 20 + 27, with more incredible live music, one last chance to experience Ukrainian theatre and banned Ukrainian cinema, and plenty of vintage vinyl to keep you on your feet.

SEE YOU THERE

INSTITUT 017 & 018
August 20 & 27
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot
🔗 You know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

📸 Cassandra Popescu Photography

08/13/2026

𝖉𝖔𝖘𝖍 𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 is bringing the party to our underground speakeasy next Thursday August 20!

Expect Afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B, and soul. Adewolf brings his self-described Afrohop underground, blending Nigerian musical traditions with contemporary hip-hop and soul.

Trust us, you do not want to miss this one.

SEE YOU THERE

August 20 @ 9 PM - late
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot.
🔗 You know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

08/11/2026

Our live score summer series concludes this Thursday with a retelling of Snow White like you’ve never seen or heard before.

A silent Snow White, paired with a live voice. Tamar Ilana will perform an original live score with sephardic song, flamenco, Indigenous motifs, and vocal looping accompanying Pablo Berger’s dark Andalusian fairytale, “Blancanieves.”

Witness this visual masterpiece come to life with a fully improvised, original live score (AKA a once in a lifetime experience).

August 13 @ 7PM — late
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

08/10/2026

◼️BLACKOUT ANNIVERSARY PARTY is back◼️
▪️This Friday.
▪️August 14.
▪️Trinity Bellwoods - South end.
▪️6pm - picnic
▪️8pm- bike rave
▪️9pm - parade
▪️Bring supplies for the after-party.

With:
Lemon Bucket Orkestra
Little Rambunctious
Samba Elégua
Maracatu Mar Aberto
Rudy Ray Kwaku
Figuration
Just Prince
“ZAHRAVA” UKRAINIAN DRAMA THEATRE TORONTO
Serhii Titov ©
Tamar Ilana
Bike Rave
Michael Louis Johnson
And more…

Come on a magical journey and celebrate Toronto the GOOD ⭐️

Poster by Drom Artist Collective

08/09/2026

INSTITUT 015 was a night for curious minds moving between music production, composition, cinema, and history.

Down in our cozy underground speakeasy, we spent the night learning how music gets made, how films can get reimagined, and how art can open up conversations.

LeWolf kicked things off with Afro-Beat in Ableton, where he opened up his production process and broke down three tracks from his recent Los Angeles sessions.

Then, we witnessed Korean cinema + a 21-string guzheng. David Sait & David Story performed a live score to “A Day Off” (Lee Man-hee, 1968).

Finally, Brigadier ShazBad took us into “The Battle of Algiers” with an all-vinyl mix of roots, dub, ska, and global underground sounds.

A little cinema, a little music history, a lot of new things to discover.

See you next Thursday for more music, film, and new connections.

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate

📸 Taija Grey

Address

620 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON
M5S2H4

Opening Hours

5pm - 2am

Telephone

+16475265675

Website

facebook.com

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