[2] The hall closed in July 2018 for a two-year-long renovation including a new seven-storey addition and two smaller concert rooms.

[4] The building was designed with a neoclassical facade and features Moorish arches that span the width of the interior hall.

[14] In 1994, to commemorate the hall's 100th anniversary, the basement was completely refurbished to include Centuries, a fully stocked bar.

[15] In 2013, Massey Hall began a long-awaited major renovation, which included the demolition of the Albert Building and preparing the rear space for construction activities.

In July 2018, Massey Hall announced phase two of the renovation, entitled "Massey Hall Forever," [16] which included extensive exterior and interior renovations, expanded stage, a new seven-story addition, two new smaller concert rooms and a new retractable seating system.

In 1901, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and his wife Queen Mary) visited with Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier.

[8] Many prominent choirs, comedians, musicians, musical groups, singers and speakers have appeared on the stage of Massey Hall.

Operatic singers have included Montserrat Caballe, Maria Callas, Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti and Vladimir Rosing.

Classical musicians have included George Gershwin, Glenn Gould, Vladimir Horowitz, Oscar Peterson and Arturo Toscanini.

Popular musicians and singers have included Joni Mitchell,[20] Tears for Fears, Justin Bieber,[21] Cream, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, the Kinks, Rush, Kraftwerk, Lenny Kravitz, Gordon Lightfoot,[22] Yngwie Malmsteen, Golden Earring, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Nightwish,[23] Joe Satriani, Seventeen, Ravi Shankar, Harry Styles,[24] and Kiss.

[22] Speakers at the hall have included William Booth, Winston Churchill, Helen Keller, Thomas Mann and the Dalai Lama.

[25] In May 1953, Massey Hall was the location of a notable jazz concert put on by five of the genre's most prominent artists of the era: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach.

[4] The concert featured performances by Hawkins, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Band and Larry Gowan.

[30] Toronto-born comedian, Russell Peters' April 2016 appearances at Massey Hall, were recorded for his Netflix stand-up special Almost Famous.

[31] On February 29, 2024, singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith staged a retrospective concert at the hall to mark his sixtieth birthday.

This 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m2)[33] project consisted of the deconstruction of the adjacent Albert Building to prepare for the foundation of the new tower that was planned to be constructed in Phase Two.

[35] The main aspects of the second phase included a full restoration of the interior and exterior elements and the construction of the new addition.

[36] The renovation of the interior of Massey Hall incorporated upgrading the technology by implementing mechanized removable seating to provide space for a standing general-admission area during performances[36] and enhancing the audio and lighting systems.

The audio enhancements included diminishing the echo effect of sound that occurs during performances by introducing sound-absorbing plaster into the space.

[41] The renovation moreover, focused on re-establishing the 100 original stained-glass windows that had been concealed with plywood since the 1950s due to sound disturbances.

These updates included a Passerelle to connect the old Massey Hall to the addition and an elevator allowing individuals easy access to the upper levels.

[37] The construction of the new southern seven-story glass addition, named the Allied Music Centre,[38] was designed to accommodate more support spaces for the hall.

[36] The new modern glass passerelles leading to the tower hangs off the side of Massey Hall and contrasts with the original brick structure creating a connection between the new and the old.