Wednesday, December 31st, 2025
8:00 PM - Brenda Earle Stokes
9:30 PM - Grooveyard
The Rex’s Annual New Year’s Eve Bash with Grooveyard
Wednesday, December 31st, 2025
Ring In 2026 in Style!
End the year on a high note at The Rex! Enjoy a lively evening of live funk, soul, and R&B, our full dinner menu, and a champagne toast at midnight.
This year’s returning headliners, Grooveyard, are guaranteed to keep you grooving all night — whether you’re dancing or relaxing with great food and company.
Live Music Schedule
8:00 PM — Brenda Earle Stokes
Start the evening with jazz vocals and piano from the acclaimed Brenda Earle Stokes, praised by Time Out New York as “a breezy delight.”
9:30 PM – After Midnight — Grooveyard
Toronto’s own funk & soul powerhouse returns! Expect dance-floor favorites, retro grooves, and good vibes all night.
The Band:
Lester McLean (Vocals/Sax) • Michael Occhipinti (Guitar) • Paul Neufeld (Keys) • Nikku Nayar (Bass) • Doan Pham (Drums)
Dinner, Drinks & Details
Doors & Dinner open: 7:30 PM (no entry before)
Full Menu Available: Order à la carte
Cash Bar: Open all evening
Champagne at Midnight: Included with your ticket
Tickets
$75 + Tax
Includes all performances & midnight champagne.
Available online or at the door (if not sold out).
Seating Info
Seats assigned by purchase date (earlier = closer to the stage)
Want to sit with friends? Contact us if you bought tickets separately
Parties >6 may be split across nearby tables
Singles may be seated with other patrons
No physical tickets — your name is on the guest list (bring photo ID)
Important Notes
$10 cancellation fee until Dec 23rd; no refunds after Dec 23rd
No coat check or storage — please limit valuables
Dancing is encouraged, but you can celebrate however you like!
About the Artists
Grooveyard
Toronto’s ultimate party band! Blending funk, soul, R&B, reggae, and disco, Grooveyard features Juno Award–winning musicians and frontman Lester McLean, whose charisma and energy make every show a blast.
Brenda Earle Stokes
A talented vocalist-pianist known for her smooth jazz phrasing and global influences — the perfect way to start your evening.
Brenda Earle Stokes is a rare jazz artist with a true command of both the voice and the piano. Hailed as “a breezy delight” by Time Out New York, Brenda’s music is rooted in the jazz tradition with influences ranging from Brazilian music to rock radio. As a bandleader she has toured clubs and festivals across the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and has released 6 albums own her own label. As a follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2014 studio album Right. About Now, Stokes sought to challenge herself to dig deep and share the full scope of her talents in the most intimate setting possible.
Brenda Earle Stokes has performed as a side person with John Riley, Dick Oatts, Joel Frahm, Roxy Coss, Wycliffe Gordon, Maurice Hines and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra. She has held residences at the Kennedy Center and Banff Center for Fine Arts, was a finalist of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition and was a winner of the IAJE Sister’s in Jazz competition, identifying her as one of the top emerging jazz artists of her generation.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at The Rex — great music, great food, great vibes, and the best crowd in town!