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El Convento Rico, a longtime staple in Toronto's nightclub scene, has announced it is closing after 35 years at 750 College St., leaving the LGBTQ2S+ and Latin communities it served.
El Convento Rico, a longtime staple in Toronto's nightclub scene, has announced it will be closing its doors after 35 years in business. Tonight, we say goodbye to 750 College St., a place that became so much more than four walls, a spokesperson on behalf of El Convento Rico said in a statement online Thursday.
El Convento Rico's Little Italy Roots
It became a home, a stage, a refuge, a family, and a place where so many of us were able to laugh, dance, love, celebrate, and simply be ourselves. The club, which was known to serve members of the LGBTQ2S+ and Latin communities, first opened its doors in 1992 in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood, hosting drag show performances and platforming local DJs.
The venue was known to play energetic, eclectic tunes with Latin influences, along with mainstream club hits, before its sudden closure. The circumstances behind the closure are currently unclear. Officials on behalf of the nightclub did not respond to CTV News immediate request for comment. Thank you to our community.
You gave El Convento Rico its soul. For 35 years, you kept the music playing, the lights shining, and the memories alive, the post read. To every queen who stepped onto our stage, every artist who shared their talent, every staff member who gave their heart, and every person who ever walked through our doors, thank you.
A Toronto Nightlife Institution Closes
The announcement was made online Thursday, with the club confirming its farewell to the College Street address that had been its home since the early 1990s. El Convento Rico became a fixture in Little Italy, drawing crowds for its mix of drag performance and Latin-influenced dance music. It also provided a stage for local DJs and performers over the decades.
For many in the LGBTQ2S+ and Latin communities, the venue served as a gathering place that offered both celebration and belonging. Its closing marks the end of a 35-year run at the same location. The club did not publicly explain why it was shutting down. Attempts to reach officials for further comment were not immediately successful.
The farewell message emphasized gratitude to the people who made the club what it was, from performers and staff to every guest who walked through its doors. As news of the closure spread, the statement stood as a final tribute to a venue that had become intertwined with Toronto nightlife and the communities it welcomed. El Convento Rico leaves behind a legacy built on music, performance and a sense of family at 750 College St. after 35 years in business.
CTVToronto
CP24:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
El Convento Rico Toronto Nightclub Little Italy LGBTQ2S+ Nightlife Closure
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