The Hoxton had its soft opening on August 6th, and since has already become one of the hot new go-tos for anyone from hipsters to ginos to young professionals to…well…whomever’s looking for one of Toronto’s hottest tickets. The space is a blank canvas, as co-owner Richard Lambert points out, and will remain such so that The Hoxton can cement itself as one of the best event venues in the city.
The 8,000 sq. ft. space can hold up to 650 gyrating and imbibing bodies, and is perfect for corporate and private events – which can be booked Sundays through Thursdays. The Hoxton is the latest venture by business partners Jesse Girard and Richard Lambert – the guys behind Parts & Labour and The Social – and comedian Kenny Hotz. The Hoxton is open to the public Fridays and Saturdays when some of the hottest DJs on the circuit will spin – we use the term lightly as most DJs have gone digital – and noteworthy bands will take the stage for small-scale concerts – the acoustics in the Hoxton are phenomenal, by the way.
Alright, you may be asking yourself why Toronto needs another club or live music venue or entertainment space, etc. And you’d be justified in asking, especially considering that many of the spots on our scene seem to be replications and evolutions from the previous landmarks. But what The Hoxton brings to the table is the “clean slate.” Six projectors can transform the walls into any sort of branding or imagery or digital art wanted, the open space without obstruction – save for the mid-room beams – means almost any setup can be accommodated, and the center-back stage is high enough to provide a perfect view from almost anywhere in the expanse, but is completely void of individual character meaning whatever goes up there takes full focus. Simply put, The Hoxton is an event planner’s dream, a DJ’s fantasy, and a band’s intimate playground – and there are two bars (one running two-thirds the length of the east wall, and the other sidled up near the VIP/bottle service area) so it’s pretty much any party-goer’s mecca, too.
The design – by Toronto firm Castor Design – is minimal, of course, and industrial chic. There’s little to draw your attention, save for some coloured boites behind the main bar, the electroluminescent wire chandelier at the entrance, and the bottle service area curtains and snake-like lights above the secondary bar. But it all works to provide a space that’s entirely customizable and truly a canvas that on weekends is painted with bumping bods and during the week will be designed by whatever event or party books the space first. (Entertainment bookings are currently handled through Embrace, corporate events through the Hoxton’s team.)
There are still some finishing touches to come. As Richard points out the scissor-lift that will double as the DJ booth isn’t in yet, and some softening touches to the VIP area still need to be implemented. But otherwise, expect The Hoxton to be a crowd and corporate pleaser. Make it a stop on the weekend, and a thought for your company’s next event. The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street, Toronto.