After shutting its doors a few weeks ago after 35 years, El Convento Rico announced it is making a comeback. The club first opened its doors in 1992 in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood. It was best known as a space for the LGBTQ2S+ and Latin communities, and regularly hosted drag show performances and local DJs. On Oct. 1, the club put out a now-deleted statement on their social media, announcing it was saying goodbye to its location, at 750 College St. “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. However, on Friday, the club’s manager Francesco Giglio confirmed to CTV News Toronto in an email that it would reopen at a new location, a few doors down. “Our focus remains on preserving the spirit, culture, entertainment, and inclusivity that have made El Convento Rico such an important part of Toronto’s queer nightlife,” the email read. “Although we are saying goodbye to a location filled with decades of memories, the heart and soul of El Convento Rico remain unchanged.” The club’s grand opening at its new space will take place on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026.
