King West · Renamed to DPRTMNT in 2024
Toybox Toronto Is Now DPRTMNT
Same 473 Adelaide St W · INK Entertainment · complete renovation + rebrand in early 2024
- Status
- Renamed to DPRTMNT in 2024
- Current name
- DPRTMNT
- Address (unchanged)
- 473 Adelaide St W, M5V 1T1
- Area
- King West / Entertainment District
- Phone
- +1 416-603-9300
- Owner
- INK Entertainment (unchanged)
- Capacity
- 1,200 (unchanged)
- Square footage
- 14,000 sq ft (unchanged)
- Floors
- 2 (main dance floor + lower lounge)
- Toybox era
- 2019-2024
- DPRTMNT era
- 2024-present
- Music shift
- Top 40/EDM → House/EDM-focused
- Dress code (then & now)
- Fashionable attire / fashion-forward
- Age policy
- 19+ (unchanged)
- Entry
- Alleyway across from Vela on Portland St
What happened to Toybox Toronto
Toybox Toronto operated 2019-2024 as INK Entertainment's King West EDM-and-Top-40 nightclub. In early 2024, INK Entertainment renovated the venue and rebranded it as DPRTMNT. The address (473 Adelaide St W), capacity (1,200), square footage (14,000), and ownership (INK Entertainment) all carried through unchanged. What changed: the interior was renovated, the sound and lighting systems were upgraded, and the programming refocused around house music and big-name EDM DJs rather than the Toybox-era Top 40 crossover format.
The rebrand was positioned by INK as "not just a rebranding, but a complete transformation of the space." Now Toronto's venue listing was updated by February 2024, NowPlayingToronto's DPRTMNT (Formerly Toybox) coverage published April 2024, and the affiliate venue directories (Toronto Clubs, Top Toronto Clubs, etc.) had updated by mid-2024.
Some legacy Toybox listings still circulate: Toronto Clubs maintains both a Toybox page AND a DPRTMNT page (Toybox listing not retired), Yelp still indexes old Toybox reviews, ticketing platforms like Bandsintown and Eventbrite occasionally show legacy Toybox concert schedules, and Google's local results can lag on rebrands like this. If you see a "Toybox Toronto" event in 2024 or later, verify the venue name on the official ticket page — almost certainly it's now DPRTMNT.
The short version: the King West venue at 473 Adelaide St W is still operating, still INK Entertainment, still a major Toronto nightclub. The Toybox name was retired in early 2024. If you want to go there now, look up DPRTMNT.
Where to go now
If you wanted the venue itself — same address, same ownership, current programming — head to DPRTMNT. The renovated room runs house DJs and big-name EDM artists Fridays and Saturdays, with the same 1,200 capacity, same INK Entertainment operating standards, same King West Entertainment District location.
If you wanted INK Entertainment's other clubs — Toybox was part of a portfolio that also includes:
- Cabana Pool Bar — Polson Pier lakefront day-club, summer-seasonal, INK's outdoor flagship
- Rebel — Polson Pier 2,500-cap big-room nightclub-meets-concert-venue, INK's largest property
- Ultra Supper Club — midtown supperclub format, reopened June 2025
- KŌST Toronto — 44th-floor Baja-California rooftop at Bisha Hotel
- Daphne Toronto — 67 Richmond St W modern American restaurant + lounge (INK + Dream Unlimited partnership)
If you wanted the Toybox-era format specifically — Top 40 / EDM crossover with King West club energy — the closest current matches:
- Mister Wolf — King West flagship, Top 40 + EDM crossover, similar audience tier
- Story — King West EDM-leaning
- Cassius — King West supperclub-into-DJ format, restaurant-led but late-night dance floor
- 44 Toronto — nearby upscale King West nightclub with bottle service and dress-code-enforced door
For broader King West nightclub coverage, our best King West clubs guide ranks the current cluster.
Toybox Toronto's five-year run (2019-2024)
Toybox opened in early 2019 as INK Entertainment's King West Entertainment District venue, positioned alongside the group's existing properties (Rebel at Polson Pier, Cabana Pool Bar at Polson Pier, the Niagara Falls Dragonfly venue, and the now-closed Cube Nightclub on Queen Street West). The format was a two-room, two-sound nightclub with Friday and Saturday as the headline party nights, plus rotating mid-week live-music programming.
The Toybox programming model. Fridays ran what the venue described as "the city's biggest dance night" — EDM-led with a four-on-the-floor house influence. Saturdays ran a Top 40 open-format crossover (DJs spinning Top 40, hip hop, and rap alongside the dance music). Mid-week occasional events brought live performances. The crowd skewed 21+ young professionals, with the venue tier appealing to King West club-crawlers, celebrities visiting Toronto, and the bottle-service-and-table audience.
The Toybox door. Dress code was "fashionable attire" — one of the stricter doors in Toronto, with no hats, no satchels, no man bags, no fanny packs, no athletic wear (jerseys, shorts, track pants), no baggy clothing, no gang colours or apparel. Bag policy capped at 6″ × 8″ for purses and clutches; backpacks and larger bags were refused. 19+ enforced with no exceptions. Cover charge typically $20 ($15 for guys with guestlist, free for ladies before 11:30pm). Coat check on-site for $4. The door tier matched the broader King West velvet-rope tier of the era.
The renovation timeline. The rebrand was first surfaced in early 2024, with affiliate venue directories updating coverage February-April 2024. NowPlayingToronto's piece — titled "DPRTMNT (Formerly Toybox)" — published April 30, 2024, and used INK's positioning language: "14,000-square-foot spectacle reshapes Toronto's nocturnal landscape... Premium nightlife and modern entertainment, accompanied by groundbreaking lighting production and hair-raising sound." The renovation appears to have been serious enough that the new venue identity (DPRTMNT) was warranted — not just a name change on the door, but a meaningful upgrade to the room, the production, and the programming category.
Toybox's five-year run (2019-2024) was the King West nightclub era when the broader cluster was at peak density — Mister Wolf, Story, Escobar, Cassius, Silent H, 44 Toronto, Pizza Wine Disco (since closed), Soluna, Paris Texas, and several others all operated within walking distance. The closure of the Toybox brand identity in favour of the DPRTMNT identity was part of INK Entertainment's broader portfolio refresh during 2023-2025, which also saw the reopening of Ultra Supper Club (June 2025) and the continued operation of Cabana, Rebel, KŌST, and the Daphne partnership with Dream Unlimited.
Toybox Toronto FAQs
Is Toybox Toronto still open?
Toybox Toronto closed under that name in early 2024 and reopened as DPRTMNT (a complete rename + renovation by INK Entertainment) at the same 473 Adelaide Street West address. The physical venue is still operating — just under a different name and brand identity. If you're looking for the King West venue that used to be Toybox, you want DPRTMNT now.
When did Toybox become DPRTMNT?
Early 2024. The rebrand and renovation announcement from INK Entertainment circulated in February-April 2024 — Now Toronto's venue listing was updated by February 2024, NowPlayingToronto's DPRTMNT (Formerly Toybox) coverage published April 2024, and Toronto Clubs / Top Toronto Clubs venue directories were updated around the same window. Toybox originally opened in early 2019, so the venue operated under the Toybox name for about five years before the rebrand.
Why did Toybox change to DPRTMNT?
INK Entertainment positioned the change as "not just a rebranding, but a complete transformation of the space." The renovation included new interior design, upgraded sound system, upgraded lighting production, and a refined programming focus. Toybox originally programmed two-room two-sound format with Friday EDM nights + Saturday Top 40/hip hop crossover. DPRTMNT refocused on house music and big-name EDM DJs as the primary programming category — a 'full-fledged performance and event venue' format rather than the more Top-40-leaning Toybox identity.
Where is DPRTMNT (the venue formerly known as Toybox)?
DPRTMNT is at 473 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1T1 — the same address Toybox occupied. The venue sits in the King West / Entertainment District / Fashion District cluster. Access is via the alleyway across the street from Vela on Portland Street (the door isn't on Adelaide directly). Phone +1 416-603-9300. The neighbourhood is densely packed with other King West clubs (Cassius, Silent H, Sunrise Forgives, Mister Wolf within walking distance). For the full venue guide, see our DPRTMNT page.
What was Toybox like before the rebrand?
Toybox operated 2019-2024 as INK Entertainment's King West EDM and Top 40 nightclub. Format: two-room, two-sound. Friday was the city's "biggest dance night" per the venue's marketing, Saturday ran a Top 40 open-format crossover, live music performances rotated through other nights. Capacity was 1,200 (still the same at DPRTMNT). Crowd skewed 21+, young professionals, celebrities, and the King West club-crawl audience. Dress code was "fashionable attire" — no hats, no athletic wear, no baggy clothing, no bags over 6×8 inches, no track pants, no jerseys. Cover charge typically $20 ($15 with guestlist before midnight). Coat check $4. The Toybox programming was historically less house-music-driven than DPRTMNT became.
Should I look up Toybox or DPRTMNT?
DPRTMNT, for anything current. The Toybox name still appears in old Google listings, outdated affiliate sites (including TorontoClubs.com's Toybox page which co-exists with their DPRTMNT page), Yelp legacy entries, and ticket-sales platforms that haven't fully cycled the rebrand. If you see a current Toybox event listing, verify the venue name — most legitimate current events at 473 Adelaide St W will be branded DPRTMNT now. For up-to-date programming, dress code, guestlist, and bottle service info, our DPRTMNT venue guide is the current source.
Is DPRTMNT the same as Toybox or really different?
Same building, same capacity (1,200), same ownership (INK Entertainment), same general King West nightclub format and audience tier — but with several real differences:
- The interior was renovated, so the physical room looks different
- The sound and lighting systems were upgraded
- The programming refocused on house DJs and big-name EDM artists rather than the Toybox-era Top 40 crossover
- The brand identity (name, logo, marketing aesthetic) is entirely new
Functionally, Toronto club-goers experience DPRTMNT as a separate venue in spirit even though it's the same physical address. The dress code, age policy, cover-and-guestlist structure, and INK Entertainment group operating standards carried through unchanged.
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How we verify this page
The Toybox → DPRTMNT rebrand is reported across multiple Toronto venue directories and music-industry sites. For this page:
- Rebrand confirmation: NowPlayingToronto's DPRTMNT (Formerly Toybox) coverage (published April 30, 2024); Now Toronto venue directory listing for Toybox showing rebrand context; Toronto Clubs' DPRTMNT page explicitly stating "formerly known as Toybox Toronto."
- Address (473 Adelaide St W, M5V 1T1): Confirmed across Toybox legacy ticket listings (Ticket Gateway, Bandsintown), Yelp Dance Clubs near Toybox results, and INK Entertainment's own venue records. Phone (416) 603-9300 confirmed via concert listing sites.
- Capacity (1,200): Toronto Clubs DPRTMNT page citing "1,200 guest capacity"; consistent across pre-rebrand Toybox listings.
- Square footage (14,000): Toronto Clubs DPRTMNT page; NowPlayingToronto piece citing "14,000-square-foot spectacle."
- Toybox original opening date (early 2019): INK Entertainment's original Toybox launch announcement (preserved across multiple affiliate venue directories): "Toybox will open early 2019 in Toronto's King West neighbourhood."
- Toybox-era programming (Friday EDM + Saturday Top 40/hip hop): Original INK Entertainment positioning materials replicated across Toronto Clubs, Top Toronto Clubs, ClubBookers, and Ticket Gateway venue pages.
- Dress code & door policy (fashionable attire, 19+, $20 cover, $4 coat check): Toronto Clubs venue detail page (still active despite the rebrand).
- DPRTMNT current programming (house DJs, EDM): Top Toronto Clubs DPRTMNT page; NowPlayingToronto piece.