The parties
What, where, when and – most importantly – will Drake be there? Will you?
True North (255 Bremner Blvd.)
MLSE has dropped megabucks to create a temporary 3,000-person space at Roundhouse Park. Last night, the venue was the scene of a party featuring performances by Usher and Gwen Stefani. Tonight, the TNT TV network has rented out the space for a private party (special guests yet to be announced), and tomorrow Snoop Dog will appear as DJ Snoopadelic at the closing event.
Drake? Given Drizzy’s status as an official Raptors employee, it’s likely he’ll drop in to glad hand with the corporate brass.
You? ACC seasons ticket holders got an early crack at packages, starting at $1,000. If you know someone who fits that description, now’s the time to suck up.
Hyde Wildflower Lounge at Thompson Toronto (550 Wellington St. W)
The entire west-side hotel has been rented out by the NBA Players Association, meaning this will be ground zero for hoop stars foreign and domestic. Downstairs is the Hyde/Wildflower pop-up party, featuring performances by rapper 2 Chainz (tonight) and party girls Taz’s Angels (Sunday). The intimate space includes VIP booths going for well into the quadruple digits. It’s also one of a few venues to score a licence for a 4 a.m. last call, which means a potential A-list influx in the wee hours.
Drake? Prognosis positive, especially post-2 a.m.
You? The party is open to the public, but it’s a lot smaller than other all-star party hubs. If you’re hoping to get in, go early.
Daytime Ting at Fring’s (455 King St. W.)
The buzzy King West resto-club (that Drake co-owns along with chef Susur Lee and sons) is hosting an afternoon brunch party today (1 to 5 p.m.), as well as a whole bunch of private events.
Drake? At some point, almost certainly. He had dinner with Rihanna there just last week.
You? Brunch reservations are going fast, which is pretty much your only chance at Drizzy-approved dining this weekend.
Ciroc Night at Nest nightclub (423 College St.)
The booty-famous Amber Rose – Kanye West’s ex-girlfriend – is hosting at this mega-venue tonight. DJ Fabolous is spinning.
Drake? No, but you can probably dance to Hotline Bling.
You? Tickets are $60.
Sher Club at The Air Canada Centre (40 Bay St.)
Drake’s favourite spot for mid-game escapes hasn’t had any official events since the kick-off party on Thursday, but given the prime location and the fact almost every celebrity in town will be at the Saturday night skills competition or the marquee game on Sunday, it’s an automatic hot spot.
Drake? Duh. He owns the place.
You? It’s a private club, so unless you’ve got a $7,000 membership – and you’ve lucked into game tickets – probably not.
The numbers
Here’s what the cost of doing Drizz-ness might look like.The luxe life don’t come cheap.
$300: Special edition OVO Air Jordan sneakers, released at the Jordan pop up store in Toronto (Yonge Street, north of Dundas) today.
$4,000: A single personal security guard rental for four days.
$22,814: The most expensive all-star ticket for sale as of Friday.
$41,570: Minimum cost of a private jet from Toronto to the Grammys, on Monday night in Los Angeles.
$40,000: Minimum rental fee for Casa Loma, location of the weekend’s most exclusive bash, which was thrown by Drake and Michael Jordan last night.
$20,000: One-hour set by a celebrity DJ.
The social media stars
Follow some of these behind-the-scenes social-media stars for full all-star party access (from the comfort of your couch).
Kai and Levi Bent-Lee (@kaibentlee): The sons-of-Susur are Drake’s business partners who hang with him often when he’s home.
Mona Halem (@monaladyluck): The local event planner (and babe-wrangler) has much of the NBA on her contact list.
DJ Steph Floss (@djstephfloss): LeBron James’s personal spinmaster will have a front row seat to all of the weekend’s must-hits Norm Kelly (@norm): The city councillor is one of Drake’s most inexplicable Six bros.
Ryan Silverstein (@OVORyan): An OVO boy and also Drake’s first cousin, known in their crew as “the cute one.”
Director X (@idirectorX): He’s the fellow Toronto native behind the Hotline Bling video and has worked with everyone whose anyone in hip hop.
The celebs
Odds on who else might be in Toronto this weekend.
Rihanna, 2:7: She was in Toronto filming a video just last week. And she has a new album to promote. And she and Drake are totally, kind of, maybe a thing.
Kanye, 1:1: On one hand, Yeezy’s busy with fashion week, his new album and offending everyone on the planet. On the other, does this guy ever miss a chance to make something about him?
Bieber, 1:8: Wild, illegal monkeys couldn’t drag the Biebs away from this chance to party with the big boys.
Beyoncé, 11:3: Jay-Z’s agency reps all-star Kevin Durant, which would normally be a good sign. Still, she may skip it to avoid over-exposure after last weekend’s unstoppable Super Bowl performance. And also because one of our city councillors suggested that she might be investigated before entering the city.
Blake Shelton, 2:1: His girlfriend Gwen Stefani performed at last night’s MLSE party, and thus far these two have been big on travelling as a twosome.
Ben Affleck, 10:3: An odd rumour, but given that Batman v Superman premieres next month, it makes sense The Baffleck wants to bro out in front of potential ticket buyers.