A look back at the best celebrity parties from 50 years of TIFF
Featuring an Old Hollywood soirée, a robot dance-off and a star-studded conga line
The First Velvet Rope In 1984, Warren Beatty, the subject of a special tribute, showed up at the Copa Nightclub with his then-girlfriend, Diane Keaton. Until this point, TIFF parties had been ragtag affairs, but the fête at the legendary Yorkville spot drew 1,500 people, including Jack Nicholson and film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.
Related: Untold stories from the Toronto International Film Festival’s first 50 years
The Unofficial Clubhouse In the ’90s and early aughts, Bistro 990 was ground zero for post-screening hangs. It was a party every night—a one-stop shop for celebrities, studio heavies and hangers-on. Notable appearances include Jim Carrey, Jon Bon Jovi and Quentin Tarantino. In 1992, Robert Redford hosted a memorable do for A River Runs Through It.
Day Drinking George Christy, gossipist for the Hollywood Reporter, hosted luncheons on the first Saturday of the fest until 2013. Over cocktails and pot pie, he brought together Mulroneys, Westons and Hollywood types: Debbie Reynolds, Demi Moore, Ewan McGregor. In 1997, the event took place mere hours after Princess Diana’s funeral, because the show must go on.
Related: The biggest celebrities coming to Toronto for TIFF 2025
Holt’s Springs Eternal In 2002, Sophia Loren was the centrepiece of a soirée at the luxury department store. It drew the cream of Old Hollywood, marking fashion as a newly inextricable part of the fest. When Loren, in sparkling floor-length Armani, mounted the escalator, the crowd erupted in spontaneous applause.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith In 2007, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie held an impromptu bash on the rooftop of the Park Hyatt. It was a master class in celebrity physics: the it couple exerted a magnetic pull on other A-listers. Jolie gesticulated at Sean Penn, Penn talked to Javier Bardem, Bardem hung out with Gael García Bernal. But, mostly, all eyes remained on the illustrious twosome.
King’s Court After basking in the standing ovation at The King’s Speech premiere in 2010, future Oscar-winner Colin Firth got down to the business of royally celebrating his 50th birthday. At a bash at the Soho House (then just a pop-up in Chinatown), Firth blew out an inexplicable nine candles and made a dig at fellow Brit Hugh Grant: “I’m still younger than that old bugger.”
Comedic Gold Two words: conga line. In 2014, the after-party for St. Vincent drew Bill Murray, Tom Hardy and Naomi Watts. The gathering was hot from the start but ascended to another level when Kristen Wiig arrived. Highlights include a robot dance-off between Wiig and Melissa McCarthy and a dance train conducted by McCarthy and Murray.
Just Dance After screening A Star Is Born in 2018, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper led their entourages to the Masonic Temple. The party included a DJ set by Kardinal Offishall, a surprise performance by Dave Chappelle and more LA bigwigs (like mega-agents Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane) than you’d find in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
