Toronto

We catch up with Hobart’s Heart Beach at Canadian Music Week in Toronto

While out in the decidedly colder climates of Toronto recently, we managed to link up with Tasmanian group, Heart Beach. One of the local Aussie highlights of this year’s Canadian Music Week, the band filled us in on their time in the city and what their plans are for moving the band forward in 2017. Welcome to…

Read More

Alice Ivy, Julia Jacklin and more among Australian artists announced for Canadian Music Week 2017 in Toronto

We’re a little over a month away from one of the year’s biggest music festivals and conferences, Canadian Music Week, which will be taking over the city of Toronto in Canada for six days of live music, comedy, panels and more. A slew of artists have been announced in recent weeks, and among those revealed…

Read More

Australian distributor Sharmill Films acquires Lady Macbeth in Toronto

Australian distributor Sharmill Films have acquired standout Toronto Film Festival offering Lady Macbeth.  The film is a Gothic tale of a young woman trapped in a marriage of convenience in 19th century England. Much like the original Lady Macbeth, her actions leave in their wake a maelstrom of murder, mayhem and mystery on a country estate….

Read More

Illumination’s new animated film Sing celebrates its premiere in Toronto

Sing, the latest film from Illumination Studios (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets) had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, ahead of its Boxing Day release. The animated film sees Buster, a koala, holding a singing competition in his home town in order to save his theatre. Sing stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese…

Read More

Travel Diary: We explore Toronto with Melbourne artist Woodes

This year’s Canadian Music Week gave Melbourne artist Woodes (aka Elle Graham) the opportunity to not only introduce herself to some newcomers to her music, but to also embark on her first ever run of shows overseas. A talented songwriter and producer, Woodes’ time in Toronto brought her a solid response, not to mention the benefits of being…

Read More

Travel Diary: Sydney duo Betty & Oswald’s adventures in Toronto, Canada

In the past, we’ve described Sydney’s Betty & Oswald as “having their own brand of music– a swirling blend of jazz, cabaret, folk and something a little more slippery.” Now, they bring their international adventures home with them in the form of one awesome and insightful travel diary for AU Abroad. Enjoy all the behind-the-scenes…

Read More

Travel Diary: Melbourne singer/songwriter HOWQUA takes us to Toronto

Melbourne singer/songwriter HOWQUA shares with us his journey through Canada for Canadian Music Week, his introduction to international touring and more. We tag along for his experiences in Canada, his visit to Movember headquarters in the Toronto, his last minute invitation to perform and his time spent with his friends.  Beanie face crosses the seas It…

Read More

Travel Diary: Melbourne rockers Kingswood take us to Ontario, Canada

When Kingswood returned from Canadian Music Week in Toronto, they shared with us their experiences on the road. From an intense game of oversized Jenga, giant pizza, and maple bacon donuts, to Niagara Falls and the upside down house, the band share their adventures and funny stories for us to enjoy.  If you have ever been to Bigsound in…

Read More

Travel Diary: Adelaide avant-pop band Ghyti take us on their Canadian adventures

Last year, Adelaide avant-pop band Ghyti took their particular brand of alternative rock to Toronto for the Canadian Music Week festival. They have written a detailed yet entirely unreliable account of the tour, and sent it to us with a selection of grainy smartphone photos. Behold! DAY 1 Flying. Lots of flying. Once upon a time,…

Read More

Travel Diary: New Zealand songstress Lisa Crawley takes us to Toronto, Canada

For songstress Lisa Crawley, Canadian Music Week represented a week full of music discovery and education (as it does for many delegates); as a performer, she was able to perform for some great crowds, learn from some brilliant industry minds and even come away from the experience with an Uber story like most of us…

Read More

Travel Diary: South Australian band Olivers Army take us to Toronto, Canada and around the USA

AU Abroad is taken to North America with South Australia’s olivers army from the time they played at Canadian Music Week. They share with us their experiences playing shows in Toronto and the USA, plus reflect on overeating Mexican delicacies and visiting the Smorgasburg Markets for some sausages courtesy of the great… well, actually we’ll let you find out for yourself….

Read More

We ride Toronto’s new Airport train: The Union Pearson Express (UP Express)

A little less than a year ago, to coincide with the Toronto Pan American Games, the Canadian city finally upgraded the public transport options between their major International Airport, Pearson, and the city’s primary train station in the centre of town, Union – introducing an express train service dubbed the UP (Union Pearson Express). Before, you had…

Read More

Travel Diary: Ash Grunwald surfs, rides and flies his way to Toronto (Canada) via Singapore, Tokyo and LA

Along his journey to Canadian Music Week in Toronto last year – which is just about to return for 2016 – Aussie musician Ash Grunwald encountered electric bicycles, cars, plenty of waves and the contrast of rural Nicaragua and the USA. He’s shared these and more stories with us from his time over the pond… Having a beer…

Read More

SXSW Music Interview: Matt & Kirty of Fast Romantics (Toronto) chat new music and new live shows!

For Toronto based band Fast Romantics, 2016 is set to be a year of introductions.  We met up with songwriters Matthew Angus and Kirty at SXSW, where the excitement surrounding their forthcoming new album has followed them from Toronto and New York (where a lot of the material was worked on), to Austin. Following their own creative direction even more than…

Read More

The View From Up Top: Spending a Day in Toronto, Canada

This May, we’ll be heading over to the annual music festival and conference Canadian Music Week, held in the fine city of Toronto. Last week, we let you in on the best ways to get to Toronto from Australia, and now today we’re taking you through a day in the fine city. What to do, where to…

Read More

The best ways to get to Toronto, Canada from Australia (and a few travellers tips for your arrival)

This May, the annual music festival and conference Canadian Music Week will be opening its doors to the world, shining a spotlight on Australia and New Zealand, bringing with it dozens of bands and delegates from our countries up to the great city of Toronto. Why not come and join us? Over the next two…

Read More

Flight Review: Porter Airlines – Toronto City Airport to Newark, New Jersey / New York (PD147)

Getting in and out of Toronto’s Pearson International Airport can be a bit of a pain. Though a new express train service installed for the Pan Am Games in June has made the process of getting in and out a slightly less tiresome affair, it remains an expensive one. Luckily, for some routes, another airport lays…

Read More

Flight Review: Air Canada – Toronto to Los Angeles (AC795)

On AU Abroad, we bring you a birds eye view of the world of travel. In this article series, we let you in on the best airlines to fly with. We continue things in North America with Air Canada’s direct route from Toronto to Los Angeles, which we took as part of our long journey home…

Read More

Stumbled Upon #103 – Fresh Snow (Toronto, Canada)

  In our 103rd instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet Toronto’s Fresh Snow, chat about happy accidents, Aussie band love, getting back into the swing of things and get a sneak peak at their latest release, “Don’t Fuck A Gift Horse In The Mouth (with Damian Abraham)”. Name: Fresh Snow Website / Social Media: freshsnowmusic.com…

Read More

What Air Canada serve their Business Class passengers from Toronto to Edmonton

On a recent flight from Toronto to Edmonton with Air Canada, which is a 4 hour and 20 minute flight, I enjoyed an upgrade at the gate to Business Class. And I certainly made the most of the experience. On the way to the airport in Toronto, I took the UP Express for the first…

Read More

Flight Review: Porter Airlines – Toronto City Airport to Newark, New Jersey / New York (PD147)

Getting in and out of Toronto’s Pearson International Airport can be a bit of a pain. Though a new express train service installed for the Pan Am Games in June has made the process of getting in and out a slightly less tiresome affair, it remains an expensive one. Luckily, for some routes, another airport…

Read More

Flight Review: Air Canada – Los Angeles to Toronto (AC786)

We continue our Flight Review series, this time flying from Los Angeles to Toronto via Air Canada. Click through to check out Editor Larry Heath’s service review, covering everything from in-flight entertainment and meals to comfort and hot tips for traveling… Airline: Air Canada Route: Los Angeles to Toronto (Pearson International) Seat: 26D (Aisle in…

Read More

Travel News: The long awaited Union Pearson Express arrives at Toronto International Airport

Much like Melbourne, for a city with one of the best public transport systems in the world, the airport seems to have been neglected over the years in Toronto, Canada. In the past, to get downtown from the airport it took a bus, a couple of trains and roughly over an hour to get to…

Read More

the AU interview at SXSW: Maya Postepski (Toronto) talks Princess Century and Austra

the AU review recently sat down with remix artist, Maya Postepski of electro-group, Austra at SXSW. The Canadian artist talked to us about her project as solo moniker, Princess Century, “It’s all the stuff I’m not allowed to do with Austra and I do in my bedroom secretly” and, addressing what this means for the…

Read More

The best ways to get to Toronto, Canada from Australia (and a few travellers tips for your arrival)

This May, the annual music festival and conference Canadian Music Week will be opening its doors to the world, shining a spotlight on Australia and New Zealand, bringing with it dozens of bands and delegates from our countries up to the great city of Toronto. Why not come and join us? Over the next two…

Read More

the AU interview: Jaron Freeman-Fox (Toronto) talks his Australian tour with his band The Opposite of Everything

Tomorrow, Toronto artist Jaron Freeman-Fox will commence his debut Australian tour with his band The Opposite of Everything. We caught up with the man himself to talk about the tour, his band, his fiddle and his favourite music of 2014… plus much more! You’ve been to Australia before under a different guise… tell us about…

Read More

The Day Trip to Niagara Falls from Toronto, Canada (Part Two)

Destination: Niagara Falls, Ontario (Canada) Origin: Toronto, Ontario (Canada) Travel Time (Each Way): Two Hours In the first part of our special feature series on the Niagara Falls day trip in Canada, we literally took you inside the famous Horseshoe Falls and got a birds eye view of the natural wonder from our elevated room…

Read More

The Day Trip to Niagara Falls from Toronto, Canada (Part One)

Destination: Niagara Falls, Ontario (Canada) Origin: Toronto, Ontario (Canada) Travel Time (Each Way): Two Hours Niagara Falls. The name alone conjures up a sense of mystic beauty, let alone the magnificent splendour that awaits its onlookers. So when I was given the opportunity to spend a day at the iconic natural wonder, following a week…

Read More

Flight Review: Air Canada – Toronto to Los Angeles (AC795)

As part of our brand new section AU Abroad, we bring you a birds eye view of the world of travel. In this article series, we let you in on the best airlines to fly with. We kick things off in North America with Air Canada’s direct route from Toronto to Los Angeles, which we…

Read More