Triumphant comebacks from Canadian legends Céline Dion and Joni Mitchell. A beloved theatre survives a tense standoff with its landlords. “Dune” popcorn buckets and a Sad Oompa Loompa. These are the arts and culture moments that thrilled us in 2024.
24. Karan Aujla steals the show at the Junos
There were plenty of great moments at this year’s Juno Awards in Halifax: Nelly Furtado’s career-spanning performance, a moving all-star tribute to Gordon Lightfoot and Robbie Robertson, Maestro Fresh Wes becoming the first hip hop artist to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. But the night really belonged to Karan Aujla, a singer and rapper from British Columbia whose electrifying set was capped by the hit “Softly,” which he performed alongside Toronto-based superproducer Ikky. That night, Aujla took home the fan choice award, becoming the first Punjabi hip-hop artist to win that category. It was a win that felt like a long-overdue recognition of one of the diasporic Canadian artists who has helped shape the “Punjabi wave”: a burgeoning global genre of music that blends elements of global hip-hop, R&B and trap music. “If you’re dreaming, make sure you dream big,” Aujla told the audience. — Richie Assaly
Read more: Our top 5 moments from the 2024 Junos
23. Dune 2 popcorn bucket revitalizes the world of cinema collectibles
If we’re living through the return of the blockbuster post-Barbenheimer, then the Dune 2 popcorn bucket is a sign of the times. Released exclusively by the American theatre chain AMC, the bucket is modelled after the gaping orifice of the iconic sand-worm from Dune’s main planet, Arrakis. Plastic bristles line the mouth of the worm, forcing you to shove your hand directly into the gut of the faux-beast to eat your buttery treats. (Try explaining that to a cave man.) Like the Star Wars’ Jar Jar Binks lollypop that had you tonguing the goofy Gungan or the Little Mermaid Fish Nuggets for children to chomp on Ariel’s best friends, the Dune popcorn bucket is the return of over-indulgent, though enticingly collectible, blockbuster merch that helped boost the massive hits of the early aughts. — Andy Takagi
Read more: Our interview with Denis Villeneuve
22. ‘Longlegs’ sparks a million memes
It was always going to be an event: Nicolas Cage embodying a ‘90s-era serial killer with an esthetic inspired by T.Rex and a penchant for strip-mall cosmetic surgery. Cage’s portrayal of the titular Longlegs earned critical acclaim but found its purest appreciation among the very, very online. The memes, which proliferated across the internet, tapped into a burgeoning way to market movies: some of the best ones, like this personal favourite, were created by the studio itself. — Laura deCarufel
Read more: Our “Longlegs” review
21. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre enters a new era after months of strife
The world’s largest and longest-running queer theatre company is on the rise again. After months of internal strife, including the resignation of its entire board, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre appointed ted witzel as its new artistic director last year. His first full season kicked off this fall, beginning with witzel’s unforgettable production of “Roberto Zucco,” a neo-noir crime drama that topped my year-end list of best theatre and firmly established witzel as a name to watch. — Joshua Chong
Read more: Our “Roberto Zucco” review
20. ‘Shogun’ breathes new life into prestige television
Not only did “Shogun” — based on a 49-year-old novel, set in feudal Japan (but shot in Vancouver) with mostly Japanese dialogue spoken by Japanese actors — succeed as a beautifully written, shot and acted drama, it showed us that television can still thrill us. And it won 18 Emmy Awards doing so — including a well-deserved best actress achievement for Anna Sawai, whose proud, brave and tragic Lady Mariko was the heart of the series. — Debra Yeo
Read more: “Shogun” vs. “Game of Thrones”
19. The shoddy chaos of the ‘Willy Wonka experience’ lights up the internet
“A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men.” — Willy Wonka.
Last spring, a series of hilariously grim images began emerging from an “immersive experience” inspired by “Wonka,” the film starring Timothée Chalamet as a young chocolate entrepreneur. Held in Glasgow, the event had promised “giant mushrooms, candy canes and chocolate fountains, along with special audio and visual effects, all narrated by dancing Oompa-Loompas.”
Unfortunately, the promotional materials bore little resemblance to the actual event. Instead, attendees described the event as “a sparsely decorated warehouse with a scattering of plastic props, a small bouncy castle and some backdrops pinned against the walls.” And yet, rather than dunk on the organizers, internet users around the world basked in the banal absurdity of the Wonka experience and the charm of its now-famous roster of characters, including the beloved Sad Oompa Loompa and a shadowy villain dubbed The Unknown. Attendees of the Wonka experience were ripped off, and there were reports of crying children. But the event also sparked a flurry of memes and creative fan art, bringing joy to millions around the globe. — Richie Assaly
Read more: Best fan art from the Wonka experience
18. Pamela Anderson’s late career glow-up
The Pamelaissance really began in earnest in 2023 with Pamela Anderson’s memoir and documentary about her life. Having been derided for years as a mere sex symbol — a Playboy model, “Baywatch” star, subject of that notorious sex tape with then husband Tommy Lee — B.C. native Anderson has been reclaiming her career, leading to her first Golden Globe nomination for her acclaimed turn in Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl.” In an interview with the Star this fall, Anderson said she felt that the script had been written for her: “Every time I read it, the words and everything, I was just like, this is something really important for me to do, and I was so blessed to be able to get the chance to do it.” — Debra Yeo
Read more: Our interview with Pamela Anderson
17. Look-alike contest pandemonium
What started as a fun idea for Timothée Chalamet fans looking to celebrate the “Dune” actor’s style erupted into an internet sensation after the 28-year-old showed up to his own October look-alike event at New York’s Washington Square Park. Since then, a growing number of passionate doppelgangers have jumped on the craze of celebrity look-alike contests, including Jeremy Allen White, Dev Patel and Zayn Malik . In December, Toronto got a taste of the trend when flocks of lively Drake enthusiasts showed up to a crammed Queen Street West bar where a look-alike contest was held for the “6 God” himself. — Asma Sahebzada
Read more: Drake’s Toronto lookalike contest
16. Charli xcx and Lorde bury the hatchet
Amid the turmoil of 2024, there at least one heartwarming story of concord. “‘Cause people say we’re alike / They say we’ve got the same hair,” Charli xcx sings on “Girl, So Confusing,” a “Brat” standout that fans were quick to determine was about the English singer’s tense relationship/rivalry with her fellow pop star Lorde. Two weeks later, Charli and Lorde unexpectedly linked up for a remixed version of the track, in which Lorde delivers a remarkably earnest verse that grapples with the complexities of female friendship, and lays bare her struggles with body image and disordered eating. The remix — which racked up close to 100 million streams on Spotify — quickly became an emblem of conflict resolution, while doubling as an indictment of a music industry that needlessly pits successful women against each other. “It’s you and me on the coin / The industry loves to spend,” Charli and Lorde sing on the song’s final chorus. “And when we put this to bed / The internet will go crazy.” — Richie Assaly
Read more: Our review of “brat”
15. Glen Powell lives up to his “next Tom Cruise” billing
If Glen Powell didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him: a next-gen, big-tent, rizz-laden bona fide movie star poised to lead Hollywood back to profitability. Powell’s credits date back to 2003 — when he played “Long-Fingered Boy” in a “Spy Kids” sequel — but he really hit the cultural radar in 2018, with his memorable turn in “Set It Up” (his delivery of the line, “You know that pickle? That aforementioned pickle?” sealed his future A-list status). In 2022, Powell starred alongside childhood hero Tom Cruise in the billion-dollar “Top Gun: Maverick”; the following year, “Anyone But You” sparked a thousand “Is the rom-com back?” stories. But 2024 was the year that Powell levelled up: “Hit Man” was Netflix’s most-watched movie for weeks, while “Twisters” stormed the global box office to the tune of $370 million. Powell, 36, currently has five films in production. If you haven’t been charmed yet, you will be. — Laura deCarufel
Read more: Why Glen Powell is having more than a moment
14. Press tours get more unhinged (and fun)
For years, Hollywood press tours were seen as mostly pointless marketing exercises — picture your favourite actor stiffly delivering excessive praise for their upcoming film. But something changed during the chaotic February press tour for “Madame Web,” a “schlockey,” “janky” superhero film that flopped at the box office. For weeks, the film’s star Dakota Johnson popped up in interviews, not to praise the movie, exactly, but to serve up refreshingly candid, often awkward takes on what it was like to shoot a film that she apparently had little interest in. “Madame Web” was a bellwether for what was to become a great year for unhinged, viral press tours, including the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” tour, which has seen Timothée Chalamet shooting the sh — on bro-y podcasts and flexing his dude bona fides at college football games. But nothing could match the wonky hype generated by the “Wicked” press tour, which quickly transformed into a highly meme-able glimpse into the beautifully bizarre friendship between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. — Richie Assaly
Read more: Our review of “Wicked”
13. Oasis announces reunion tour with stop in Toronto
Over the past decade, an Oasis reunion seemed like an impossible dream. The Britpop band, fronted by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, infamously split in 2009 following a backstage row, a culmination of years of acrimony and never-ending bickering. As recently as 2017, Liam publicly said he genuinely did not like his brother. But, alas, it seems things have changed. Earlier this year, the group announced they were reuniting and embarking on a tour, including with a stop in Toronto next year for two concerts. Let’s hope the Gallagher brothers’ bandaged relationship can stay intact until then. — Joshua Chong
Read more: Why the Oasis reunion matters
12. ‘The Substance’ goes full-throttle in its final act
There’s nothing subtle about “The Substance,” Coralie Fargeat’s instant body horror classic about aging, power and the male gaze, starring a fearless Demi Moore. Still, the last 30 minutes — in which the world is introduced to the inimitable Elisasue — manages to shock. Audiences screamed, laughed, threw up, walked out. All are reasonable reactions to the year’s most unforgettable screen sequence. — Laura deCarufel
Read more: Our interview with Demi Moore, Coralie Fargeat and Margaret Qualley
11. New Ho King gets an unexpected boost amid the Kendrick-Drake feud
Back in May, when it was still unclear who would emerge as the victor in the increasingly vicious rap beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, a beloved Chinese restaurant in Toronto was briefly thrown into the spotlight after it was name-dropped in the Kendrick song “Euphoria”: “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie,” the Los Angeles artist rapped in a verse delivered in a mock Toronto accent, replete with local slang. The hyperlocal reference, of course, was not exactly an endorsement of the restaurant but that didn’t stop hip hop fans from lining up to try the Chinatown institution. A few days later, New Ho King got an additional bump from Drake, who shot part of his “Family Matters” music video, his response to “Euphoria,” inside the restaurant. “We usually receive 20 to 30 orders of fried rice a day,” New Ho King owner Johnny Lu told the Star’s Karon Liu. “Today we made three times as much.” — Richie Assaly
Read more: 5 dishes to try at New Ho King
10. Lily Gladstone shines in historic awards season run
In January, Lily Gladstone spoke a few words in the Blackfeet language in her Golden Globes acceptance speech, after becoming the first Indigenous person to win the award for best actress for her role in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” “This is for every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream and is seeing themselves represented in our stories told by ourselves, in our own words, with tremendous allies and tremendous trust from within, from each other,” she said. A few weeks later, Gladstone was named best female actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. And though she didn’t win the Oscar in the end (that went to Emma Stone in what was widely perceived as an upset), her meteoric rise within the still-predominantly white Hollywood elite not only became the feel-good story of the season, but also represented the long overdue recognition of the contributions of Indigenous artists to the silver screen. — Richie Assaly
Read more: Our interview with Lily Gladstone
9. Timothée Chalamet cements his spot as the next Leonardo DiCaprio
If Glen Powell has “the next Tom Cruise” on lock, Chalamet emerged this year as our next Leo: a critically acclaimed, frequently Oscar-nominated A-lister adored by blue-chip directors. At 28, he’s already worked with an impressive group, including Greta Gerwig (“Ladybird”), Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me By Your Name”) and Canadian auteur Denis Villeneuve, who directed him in both “Dune” films. Now there’s “A Complete Unknown,” the Bob Dylan biopic directed by James Mangold (“Walk the Line”) that’s sparking early Oscar buzz. Chalamet’s only miss this year was that incoherent, ubiquitous Bleu de Chanel commercial. Still, it was directed by Martin Scorsese. Even when the guy loses, he wins. — Laura deCarufel
Read more: Our review of “A Complete Unknown”
8. Joni Mitchell graces the Grammys stage
It seemed almost too good to be true. But there she was, regal, seated upon a thronelike chair, braids unfurling beneath her signature beret, holding a walking cane adorned with a wolf head. Astonishingly, this was the first time the legendary songwriter, pride of the Canadian prairies, who suffered a near-fatal aneurysm nearly a decade ago, had ever performed at the Grammys. But there was Joni Mitchell, now 80, flanked by a small army of devotees, among them Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell and Blake Mills — her voice finely aged into a rich alto, performing a stunning rendition of her 1967 classic “Both Sides Now.” It was an unforgettable moment, elevated by the genuine expressions of admiration upon the faces of stars in the audience, like Beyoncé and Meryl Streep, legends in their own right, bearing witness to greatness. — Richie Assaly
Read more: How seeing Joni Mitchell live changed me
7. Rise of the ‘pop girlies’
Yes, there was new music from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. But 2024 will be remembered as the year that marked a changing of the guard, with the meteoric rise of artists like Chappell Roan, Charli xcx and Sabrina Carpenter — and, to a lesser degree, artists like Clairo, Tyla and Canada’s own Tate McRae. These singers, dubbed “pop girlies” by fans, might not have the streaming numbers or marketing muscle of their billionaire counterparts, but in terms of pure cultural impact, their rise is unparalleled.
Taken together, these artists — and their fun, weird, inclusive, earnest, infectious approach to pop music — represent an exciting new frontier for a genre that feels like it’s been stuck in autopilot for far too long. — Richie Assaly
Read more: Which pop girlie are you?
6. Jeremy Dutcher becomes the first artist to win the Polaris Prize twice
Six years after winning the coveted $50,000 prize for his debut album, the Wolastoqiyik singer made history as the first two-time winner this September for “Motewolonuwok,” an urgent and overtly political album that moves seamlessly between lush neo-classical and rollicking art-rock; between Wolastoqey and English. Beating out contenders like Cindy Lee, BAMBII and The Beaches, Dutcher’s win felt unexpected, but well-deserved, especially in the wake of stunning performance at the Polaris Gala at Massey Hall. “This choir, these singers, this band, everyone who helped make this album, I love you. I didn’t think this would happen.” Dutcher said in his emotional acceptance speech. “To bring forward art and music in this land, in our languages, with our esthetics — all I have to say is we are shining for you, now go shine for other people.” — Richie Assaly
Read more: Our interview with Jeremy Dutcher
5. Céline Dion makes a magical comeback at Paris Olympics
The 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was an undeniable spectacle for the senses. Designed to celebrate France’s culture and history, the twelve-act program took place at landmarks across Paris, and featured several unforgettable images: athletes parading by boat down the Seine; a beheaded Marie Antoinette singing the opening notes of “Ah! Ça ira” before being joined by the French death metal band Gojira; appearances by Aya Nakamura and Lady Gaga. But all the might of the French empire paled in comparison to stirring majesty of Céline Marie Claudette Dion, who closed the ceremony with a breathtaking rendition of Édith Piaf’s “Hymne A L’Amour” (“Hymn to love”), which she belted to a rain-soaked crowd from a perch atop a sparkling Eiffel Tower. The surprise appearance marked Dion’s first performance since she was diagnosed in 2022 with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare incurable neurological disorder that forced to cancel her tours and recede from the spotlight. For fans watching around the world, the moment was about more than the music or the Olympic pageantry, but a shining testament of the icon’s unwavering resilience. — Richie Assaly
Read more: A totally controversial ranking of Céline Dion’s best songs
4. ‘Come From Away’ reopens in Toronto and it’s better than ever
Canada’s most successful homegrown musical is back where it belongs. After a protracted closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “Come From Away” triumphantly reopened in September at Mirvish’s Royal Alexandra Theatre, where it continues to run. Much of the cast was returning to the production and their experience shows: this remount felt more joyous and uplifting than ever, with the actors each finding astonishing new layers to their performances. — Joshua Chong
Read more: Our review of “Come From Away”
3. Taylor Swift transforms Toronto into a glittery fan wonderland
It may very well be remembered as the week the world came to town. Australians, Germans, Americans. Nova Scotians, Albertans, Quebecers. In November, 15 months in the making and with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, Taylor Swift brought her Eras Tour to Toronto for six bedazzled performances.
On stage with Gracie Abrams as her opener, Swift performed a three-and-a-half-hour marathon each night for audiences of nearly 49,000. She sang, danced, strummed and played her way through the biggest hits of her career. For some in the audience, it was a life milestone. “Little girls wore red lipstick for the first time,” Star contributor Aisling Murphy wrote in her concert review. “Grown women wore red lipstick for the thousandth time.”
But the true sensation unfolded outside the Rogers Centre. Virtually every billboard downtown proclaimed Swift’s arrival. Restaurants blasted her music on the sidewalks. Lines to get into the first concert wrapped around an entire city block. Pop-ups and special menus and custom street signs popped up all over Toronto. Fans flooded bars and craft stores and tattoo shops, turning a normally slow November into something unprecedented. And for Toronto, that’s exactly what the Eras Tour was. — Mark Colley
Read more: Taylor Swift in Toronto
2. Revue Cinema survives tense standoff with landlord
Since the pandemic, Torontonians have grown wearily accustomed to the shuttering of beloved arts and cultural spaces. But when news broke of a serious conflict between the Revue Cinema’s board of directors and the building’s landlord, movie lovers across the city — including Oscar-winning director and honorary resident Guillermo del Toro — immediately mobilized to save Toronto’s oldest operating independent cinema. The months-long standoff, which reached its climax with a dramatic interim court injunction preventing the landlords from closing the cinema, was resolved in September, when the Revue Film Society announced that it had reached a new five-year lease agreement with the building owners. As film critic Will Sloan told the Star, the news felt “like a rare case of the good guys winning.” — Richie Assaly
Read more: Guillermo del Toro on the Revue
1. Mustafa’s hard-won homecoming
Since he was a boy, Toronto’s Mustafa Ahmed has been lifted up as a sort of poet-prodigy, a feel-good success story who rose from within the marginalized communities of Regent Park to make a splash on the global stage. But in recent years, Mustafa has made a concerted effort to distance himself from Toronto — much of his remarkable debut LP, “Dunya,” is a lament for a city marked by violence and tragedy; a city that the 28-year-old says failed him in his darkest hour. But Mustafa’s tumultuous journey made his sold-out concert at Roy Thomson Hall — his first hometown show in three years — feel even move special. Surrounded by an enraptured audience, including friends and family from Regent Park, the evening felt more like a communion than a concert. — Richie Assaly
Read more: Our interview with Mustafa
