Rogers Stadium to ‘redefine’ Canada’s stadium market

Toronto’s new Rogers Stadium has unveiled its inaugural season of live music, including concerts by Coldplay, Oasis and BLACKPINK.

Live Nation Canada will launch the open-air, seasonal stadium on the former Downsview Airport this summer, as announced last September.

At 50,000-capacity, it will be the biggest purpose-built concert venue in the country and one of the biggest in the world.

South Korean boy band Stray Kids will inaugurate the venue on 29 June, before Coldplay’s five-night stand in early July on their Music of the Spheres World Tour.

The opening season will also include concerts by BLACKPINK (22–23 July), Oasis (24–25 August), System of a Down (3 and 5 September) and Hozier (10 September).

Live Nation says the new development will build on the demand for stadium-level tours in Toronto, which is Canada’s most populous city and one of the biggest concert markets for major touring acts in North America.

“Rogers Stadium will solidify the market’s status as a premier global music destination”

“Construction is progressing on schedule, and we look forward to kicking off our inaugural season with Stray Kids on June 29,” Live Nation Canada’s president of music, Erik Hoffman, told IQ.

“This new, temporary stadium will redefine Canada’s stadium market – not only meeting the growing demand for stadium-level concerts in Toronto but also attracting the world’s biggest artists, solidifying the market’s status as a premier global music destination.”

Rogers Stadium will host 12 to 15 events annually for the next five years, after which Northcrest Developments will transform the 44-acre lot of industrial land into new residential neighbourhoods. The venue will not be home to a sports team, nor will it be open during the winter.

The temporary stadium will boast 30,000 seats and a removable stage, allowing big-name artists to bring in their own customised stages.

The Downsview site has a long history of hosting live music events, including the 2003 benefit concert Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto concert (aka SARSstock) which featured Rolling Stones, Rush and AC/DC. It has also been home to festivals such as Veld and Riot Fest.

Live Nation will continue to host summer concerts at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, which is also named after Canadian media giant Rogers Communications.

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