Canada’s Most Entertaining Cities

From Leisure to Sports, a Nationwide Study!

Looking for a good time, eh? Canada's got a city that might just be calling your name, and there's no shortage of fun-filled activities. Whether it's cheering on the Vancouver Canucks or Toronto Maple Leafs at iconic sports arenas like the Bell Centre, embracing the concert-goer spirit at venues like Scotiabank Arena, or hitting the casinos for some laid-back fun—there's something for everyone.

This begs the question: which city in Canada has the most things to do? To answer this, we conducted a nationwide study to find the city with the best entertainment score, and the results might just be a shocker!

The City-by-City Breakdown

While there's no shortage of the cities you can explore, our research solely focused on the top cities by population. After all, it stands to reason that the larger the population, the more likely you'll have more entertainment options. So, who are our top contenders?

Vancouver: Packed with Entertainment Value

In a most unexpected twist, Vancouver ranked #1, emerging as the unrivalled contender for Canadian city entertainment with a sweeping score of 91 out of 100.

So, how did it surpass the likes of Toronto and Montreal? Here's the eye-opener: While the two truly maintain a decent average across the board, the large population plays to their detriment, as the per capita (or, in this case, the entertainment options per 100,000 people) is rather low given the residents it services.

Vancouver's modest 675,218 population, against its bustling choices of entertainment options, means there's more to go around for everyone in the “fun” department.

Ottawa: The Nation's Capital is a Strong Contender

Despite its population of just under a million, the capital of Canada, Ottawa, comes in as the surprising #2 with a score of 41. As shown above, this is thanks to the metrics that play to its advantage.

Sports fans will likely “attune” to the Canadian Tire Centre, home to the Ottawa Senators. The Rideau Carleton is the only casino in the city, and it offers all sorts of amazing games, including a racetrack. Lastly, history buffs will like the monuments and museums, and the picturesque locations should capture all that comes here.

Edmonton: A Taste of the Contemporary Delights of the North

Rounding up the top three of the most entertaining Canadian cities is Edmonton. The city's population is just under a million, yet it ties with Toronto as the city with the most casinos, with eight different venues where people can enjoy a night out.

Good food and drink at reasonable prices and the best hospitality are among the things that make a night out in Edmonton memorable. Theatre performances, museums, and an observatory all offer something exciting to do aside from the exuberant nightclubs. With an entertainment score of 36, the city is always abuzz.

Best Canadian City for Casino Enthusiasts

The data shows that entertainment in Canada isn't confined to the largest cities—after all, Edmonton's sheer number of casinos makes it the leading city here, tying in with Toronto. However, we extended our research to include a ranking of the top cities for casinos per 100,000 residents. Here are honourable mentions of Canadian city entertainment at its best:

• Toronto: While Toronto ties with Edmonton for the highest number of casinos overall, its huge population takes away this advantage if we're looking at the per capita metric.
• Calgary: The bustling Alberta cosmopolitan comes in at a close second for the number of casinos but ranks #4 overall, stifled by its bulging population of over 1.3m.
• Montreal: The "European West" should not be overlooked. While the overall ranking places it at the bottom of the barrel, just above Calgary, the choice of casinos is just as ample.
• Quebec: Lastly, Quebec City (despite its smaller size) has a surprisingly high concentration of casinos per resident, placing it third in that specific category.

Methodology

Our quest to find the most entertaining cities in Canada started in August 2024, focusing on each location's range of sports stadia, cinemas, casinos, concert venues and shopping malls. To keep the comparison fair despite the city's varying sizes, we analyzed our statistics per 100,000 residents. These statistics were used to develop a ranking system with overall scores, where the highest possible score was 100.