Following a couple years’ worth of, y’know, reasons, the Royal Ontario Museum has reinstated its monthly late-night ROM After Dark series, bringing together the hippest and hottest Torontonians for a dance party with an educational twist. Well, as educational as you make it: for one night each month, the ROM opens up its doors from 7:30pm to 11:30pm for full after-hours access, with guests invited to explore exhibits to their hearts’ content, chow down on ticketed food and beverage items, or simply hit the dance floor in the main atrium.
The first big After Dark kicked off in September, with a guest appearance from K-pop band P1Harmony, for a Korean-themed evening featuring animation, tea tastings, fashion, and of course music and dance. Guests looking for a more relaxed experience could sneak off from the main P1Harmony event to check out some Korean Contemporary Jazz or the more meditative performance organized by the Korean Traditional Music Association of Canada. Following too long without museums and without parties, the September 16th “RAD: K-Culture” event reminded us why the ROM remains an important part of Toronto’s cultural landscape.
Things really kicked into gear with the Halloween-themed “ROM After Dark: Fantastic World” on October 28th. In theory a promotional event for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ROM exhibit, in reality it was Toronto’s first big Halloween party in oh so very long. While the 11:30pm end time meant things wrapped up well before the witching hour, the ROM Halloween Party was surely the place to be to check out the coolest, weirdest, pop culturalliest costumes of the year. From zombie Homer and Marge, to an abundance of superheroes, to at least one leftover Squid Gamer, the ROM Halloween was further proof that Toronto knows how to have a good time and a spoooky time – especially amongst all those giant skeletons.
Next up on the After Dark schedule is November’s “Being Legendary” (Nov 25, 2022), followed by the ROM New Year’s Eve bash (Dec 31, 2022), and a collaboration with DesignTO (Jan 20, 2023). Whether you’re in it to check out giant sloths by moonlight, or sip cocktails while marvelling at Ancient Egyptian mummies, there’s something to see and do at every ROM After Dark.
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The full schedule and tickets for ROM After Dark are available here.
