Free transit, fan-zone ferris wheel: Toronto's Rogers Stadium set to open
Live Nation Canada is offering a first look at a new open-air music venue set to host some of the world's biggest acts this summer.
A tour of the expansive 50,000-capacity Rogers Stadium at Downsview Park in North York showed blue plastic chairs lining the edge of the venue's bowl, and a stripped-down stage ready to be retrofitted to an artist's needs.
Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected for a string of 14 concerts running through September, starting Sunday with K-pop group Stray Kids.
A ferris wheel anchors the fan zone, where concertgoers can buy food and drinks from vendors, or visit two private eateries that require reservations in advance of a show. The fan zone will open a couple of hours before the start of a show to stagger the entry of attendees.
Live Nation President of Music Erik Hoffman says a stadium of this size is 'a need' for the city and will inject $100 million into the local economy this summer.
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Hoffman said the plan to build Rogers Stadium came about after British rock band Coldplay couldn't find a Toronto venue to put on a show in the timeline it needed.
'The idea was born around trying to facilitate them,' Hoffman said.
Hoffman said that Toronto is one of the top cities in North America for concerts, though acts looking to play larger venues would often face scheduling conflicts with sports teams.
'So we realized that we could wait around forever and see if somebody builds something bigger or we can build something for ourselves,' he said.
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Toronto's Rogers Stadium on track to open on time, says Live Nation
The other perks of a music-first venue, Hoffman said, include having built-in areas for pyrotechnics and fireworks and not having to work around sports equipment that comes with a stadium.
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Rogers Stadium is now the second-largest venue in the city behind the Rogers Centre, which has a capacity of around 55,000 and is home to the Toronto Blue Jays when not serving as a concert venue.
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Confusion surrounding Rogers Stadium's name because of its similarity to Rogers Centre followed its unveiling late last year, something Hoffman said Live Nation understands and is addressing.
'We put out a big campaign clarifying where you're going,' Hoffman said, adding that Live Nation is confident with the information it's putting out to reduce mix-ups.
Following each concert this summer, Metrolinx and TTC are offering free rides home from Downsview Station, which is about 10 minutes from the stadium. The TTC is also offering free rides from Sheppard West, Downsview Park and Wilson Stations.
Live Nation says it is covering the cost of the free trips and TTC and Metrolinx will provide additional service on concert nights to help manage crowds.
While the two August shows by Brit rockers Oasis are sold out, tickets to Coldplay's four nights in July are available through resale and vary in price from several hundred dollars to more than $1,500.
Hoffman said ticket prices are set by artists who charge 'what they have to' to put on a large-scale show.
'The scope of a lot of these productions are incredible,' Hoffman said. 'So there are a bunch of costs associated with that.'
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Although Thursday's tour was dampened by rain, Nathalie Burri, vice president of venues and operations at Live Nation, said events will proceed on rain or shine, just like any festival experience.
'Weather is a massive focus for us,' said Burri. 'The site is very large so there are places we can move people to if there is weather in certain pockets and immediately over us as well.'
Concerts will only be cancelled in the case of severe weather, said Burri, adding that a meteorologist is on-site to make that call. Nurses and doctors will also be available to provide care so as to not inundate hospitals.
Rogers Stadium will only operate in the summer months, which explains the site's weather-resistant, modular infrastructure, Burri said.
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Municipal Matters: AI and future of Rogers Stadium
There are a few white tent structures littered throughout the fan zone that provide areas of shade or protection from rain, along with flushable toiles and sensory, prayer and breast-feeding rooms.
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'We've built this so everything is super convenient for fans, staff and artists,' Burri said.
While fans are being encouraged to take public transportation, Burri said limited on-site parking exists for premium and accessibility ticket holders. There is also passenger drop off and ride-share area.
Behind the stage, an artist space of trailers connected with overhead string lights contain green rooms, a laundry facility, gym and recording studio.
Rogers announced earlier this week that it's bringing 5G technology to Rogers Stadium through a $5.2 million in-building network system investment to support all fans at the venue. There is also an on-site entrance exclusively reserved for Rogers customers.
The new stadium is fully funded by Live Nation, Burri said, and doesn't interfere with any plans to redevelop the 150-hectare former Downsview Airport lands over the next 30 years.
As a temporary venue, Hoffman said Live Nation is still working on what elements of the stadium will stick around for the fall and winter months and how long the stadium will live at Downsview Park.
'It won't be here forever, but it will be here for the next bunch of years for sure,' Hoffman said.
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