Once a year, Toronto dials its international status to overdrive in the name of film and the big business that surrounds it.
For some, TIFF conjures up idyllic images of darkened theaters screening rare gems that often elude the modern multiplex. For others, the movies don’t really matter. As Toronto transforms into TIFF Town, many revelers are ready to party. We’re not here to judge. After all, the festival really is our official end of summer blowout. The city even bestows a bounty of 4 a.m. extended licenses to fuel it.
For a serious summer send off, let us introduce you to Nikki Beach Toronto. It meets all the requisite “Big Night Out” criteria.
Exclusive: Check
Top DJs: Check
Outdoors: You bet
Guy-to-girl ratio: Stacked heavily in your favour
Credentials
This is a beach bar with notoriety. Outposts in 10 different sun worshiping cities: St. Barth’s, Miami, Cabo San Lucas, Mallorca and St. Tropez (where it all started) to name a few. The club has been hailed as the Sexiest Place on Earth by the London Observer and earned the coveted top spot on the Travel Channel’s World’s Sexiest Beach Bars.
What to Expect
White — and lots of it. Furnishings have been shipped from around the world to capture the club’s signature style. Nikki Beach will temporarily take over the rooftop patio of The Spoke Club, the members-only speakeasy housed at the corner of King St. W. and Portland — placing it at the epicenter of this year’s festival.
Also expect a rigorous and possibly exasperating entrance experience (don’t say we didn’t warn you). Unless you’re on “the list” or traveling with a pack of supermodels, getting in will not be easy for most guys. Your best bet is reserving a table here for the club’s champagne-swilling Sunday brunch this weekend. Sunny skies are forecast, so as the bubbly (and your cash) evaporates, you’ll have fond memories to look back on all winter.
Who to Expect
Film festival types. Stars. And the beautiful women who surround them.
Adrian Grenier, Bono, Clive Owen, George Clooney, Gerard Butler, Harvey Weinstein, Juliette Binoche, Kim Cattrall, Marion Cotillard, Mena Suvari, Rachelle Lefevre, Sarah Silverman, Seth Rogan, Will.I.Am and Woody Harrelson have all been spotted at Nikki Beach Toronto since its inception at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009.
The only thing missing is the beach.
Nikki Beach Toronto is open September 6 to 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. Located at the Rooftop of The Spoke Club, 600 King St. W.
