Zolita Initiates Toronto Into Her Cult
Toronto, Ontario - September 30, 2026
Coming off of her third studio album Hell’s Belles, released August 28th 2026, indie pop artist Zolita is bringing the Hell’s Belles Tour across North America, and Toronto was the latest city to be initiated into her lesbian cult. This past Wednesday, Toronto filled the Great Hall for Zolita’s spellbinding, theatrical live show.
Opening the night was Brooklyn-based sapphic rock band Pig Milk. The four-piece band (Jill Pesce, Lexie Viklund, Mic Zammuto, Allegra Driscoll) raised the energy of the room right from the very beginning with tracks from their latest EP Choke It Down and covers of “Baby One More Time” by Brittany Spears, adding a grungier edge to the song, and “Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways, where drummer Lexie swapped out and took the lead vocals. Pig Milk is confident, fiery, grungy, and glam; they are definitely a group to keep your eye on.
Awaiting Zolita’s set, fans inched closer and closer to the stage. They eagerly and excitedly snapped photos of the setlist on stage in anticipation for what was to come, all while being sound tracked by queer pop hits. Before the light dimmed, AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” blasted throughout the venue, starting the journey to the universe of Hell’s Belles. The genre blending concept album has rock and country influences while still maintaining a pop undercurrent and explores the duality between Belles and Hell which is also ever present throughout the live show.
As the lights went out, the voice of a news reporter filled the room, setting the scene for the audience, discussing the “ladies reform camp turned lesbian cult,” and the group known as Hell’s Belles. The venue was transformed into the Belladonna Ranch straight out of the music video for the album’s title track. Zolita’s stage was adorned with candelabras, hay bales, and complete with curtains and a windowsill in the centre of the stage which was opened by her two dancers to reveal Zolita in a shimmering yellow two-piece outfit, arriving at the ranch and setting down her suitcase. Fittingly, “Hell’s Belles” was performed first, followed by “Miss Misunderstood” and “I Fucking Love You.”
After a couple of songs, she threw on a yellow cowgirl hat and had the crowd line dancing and singing along to “Cowgirl Casanova” and “Small Town Scandal,” making the show feel like a big party before slowing things down for a song with a bittersweet cover of Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel.”
Mid-way through the show, a gothic looking throne was brought to center stage while “Belle’s HELL (Interlude)” played and a voiceover from Zolita played explaining the two sides of Belle and Hell. Belle, or Zoe, is “soft, sunny, and romantic”, while Hell, or Zolita, is “shameless, chaotic, and has sharper edges”. She thought she had to choose between them but has realized she doesn’t have to choose, proclaiming: “I am Belle, and now, I am Hell.” Zolita stepped back on stage after the set change, having traded her sparkly yellow outfit for a black and silver two-piece.
The latter half of the set featured tracks including “HARDCORE,” “VOODOO DOLL,” and “DOPPELBANGER,” along with an initiation of audience members into the Hell’s Belles cult. The show ended on a high note with a play on “Around the World (La La La La La)” by A Touch Of Class, which Zolita added her own spin on and turned it into “(Hot Girls) Around The World,” before closing with “All Girls Go To Heaven.”
This show demonstrated Zolita’s storytelling not only through her album concept, but also in her the ability to translate that into a captivating live show. The duality between Belle and Hell is weaved seamlessly into her performance and the show itself is filled with high energy pop tracks that make it an absolute blast to be a part of and dance the night away.
Zolita continues on her North American tour this fall until October 14 – get tickets here!
