Suspended Harmony
A recurring performance night run by Birdhaus and the Suspended Harmony Collective. Riggers, rope bottoms and musicians improvise together, and after the show the floor opens to local rope practitioners. The organizers say it runs every second month; 2026 shows were held in March, May and July.
Suspended Harmony is a performance series produced jointly by Birdhaus and the Suspended Harmony Collective. Each show pairs shibari performance with live music: a rotating cast of riggers, rope bottoms and musicians shares the stage, and the musicians improvise in response to the performers’ movements. Past evenings have featured electronic soundscapes, electric violin and cello, piano and looping artists, with some Juno-nominated musicians and international rope performers among the acts. Riggers, models and musicians can apply to perform through the series’ website.
The shows take place at Birdhaus on Queen Street West, which the organizers describe as an avant-garde event space co-founded by an aerialist and a shibari artist. According to its about page the series is bi-monthly, held on the last Sunday of every other month; the dates listed for 2026 were March 29, May 31 and July 26. Tickets are sold through Birdhaus’s event pages.
After the performances the space opens to Toronto’s shibari community, with music and drinks, and the audience is welcome to stay, so the night works both as a show and as a meeting point for local rope practitioners. For newcomers, the organizers introduce shibari as a Japanese art form with a long history in which a rope artist works with a model, often lifting them off the ground.