TTC, GO Transit offering free rides from new 50,000-capacity Toronto concert venue
Fans heading home from a concert at Toronto's newest concert venue this summer will be able to ride the TTC and GO Transit for free.
City and provincial officials made the announcement on Thursday during a media tour of Rogers Stadium, the largest purpose-built outdoor concert venue in Toronto.
With limited parking on the site, fans are urged to use public transit to get to Rogers Stadium, as it is about a 10-minute walk from Downsview Park TTC and GO Station.
Concertgoers can also get off at Sheppard West Station and Wilson Station as alternatives.
The temporary, open-air venue, which has a capacity to host 50,000 people, is located at the former Downsview airport. Rogers Stadium shouldn't be confused with Rogers Centre, which is located downtown.
Rogers Stadium
People stand on the stage at the brand new 50000 seat concert venue, Rogers Stadium, in Toronto, Thursday, June 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
(Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
It will open its doors for the first time on Sunday when K-pop group Stray Kids brings their Dominate World Tour to Toronto.
GO Transit says it will add three southbound Barrie Line trains from Downsview Park GO to Union Station on Sunday to help fans get home.
Meanwhile, the TTC says it will roll out extra subway trains based on crowd size.
Other music acts set to perform at Rogers Stadium include Oasis, Coldplay, Hozier and Blackpink.
During Thursday's announcement, Ontario Premier Doug Ford invited Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow on a date to one of the upcoming concerts, touting their 'phenomenal' working relationship.
'Come to Rogers Stadium and we're going to have a great time. And I'll be there with the mayor one of these concerts. You pick the concert, mayor, okay, and I'll take you along there,' Ford quipped.
The stadium is expected to operate in the summer months and will eventually be demolished as the area will be turned into a $30-billion mixed-use urban space over the next three decades.
With files from Phil Tsekouras
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
22 minutes ago
- CTV News
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra postpones Sunday concert due to smoke
Jazz Winnipeg has also been offering live performances throughout the summer and continuing into fall, outside in the Exchange District and inside the West End Cultural Centre, with public health guidelines in place. The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (WJO) postponed its Sunday concert because of health risks posed by smoke in the air. In a media release issued Sunday, the orchestra said the July 20 performance has been postponed. 'Due to the health risks of smoke, the concert on Sunday, July 20 has been postponed. More information will be available soon,' the release said. 'WJO woodwind specialist and composer Sean Irvine will present Kind Neighbours at a later date — please wait for further information,' it added. The concert, part of WJO's summer series, was scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday and was set to feature music by artists including Joni Mitchell, Lisa Hannigan and Adele, performed by vocalist Karly Epp.
CTV News
22 minutes ago
- CTV News
Ottawa Bluesfest wraps up with big crowds, big names and a milestone for one volunteer
After nearly two weeks of live music, scorching temperatures and some of the biggest names in entertainment, Ottawa Bluesfest is taking its final bow Sunday night and closing out with Canadian artist Kaytranada on the main stage. Before the final set begins, organizers are already calling this year a banner edition of the beloved summer festival thanks to massive crowds, big performances and a personal milestone for one longtime volunteer. 'We've avoided a lot of weather and we're very, very lucky,' said Mark Monahan, executive director of Ottawa Bluesfest. 'Amazing crowds, great performances and just a great final day to wrap it up.' For Glenna Gosewich, this year hits a little harder in the best way. It marked her 30th year volunteering with the festival. 'Some days, it feels like it's been 50 years. Some days it feels like five,' she said. 'I've been lucky to see the evolution of the festival, and I think about that a lot.' Bluesfest Volunteer Glenna Gosewich getting ready for the final night of Bluesfest on Sunday, July 20, 2025 (Katelyn Wilson/ CTV News) Gosewich now leads the team responsible for artist transportation, making sure performers get to and from the venue. 'Sting was a big one for me, being able to drive Sting on the way in from the airport,' she said. 'He was great and throughout the years, it's been people who have achieved a lot of success.' Despite soaring temperatures, so far more than 250,000 people have made their way through the gates. This year's nine-day lineup stretched from country to classic rock, with top acts like Lainey Wilson, Shania Twain, Green Day, Def Leppard and Sean Paul drawing tens of thousands each night. While the music draws the crowds, organizers say it's the people behind the scenes who make it all possible. 'The volunteers are the backbone of the organization,' said Monahan. 'There's over 2,000 volunteers but it's so many different people who have also been working here.' The impact also stretches beyond the stage, with an estimated $40 million dollars in economic spin-off. Downtown businesses also saw a boost. 'After 11:30, whenever the train came in, we would see the rush come in so we've been preparing for that every night,' said Kirsten Larkin, a hostess at Aulde Dubliner & Pour House. With Bluesfest wrapping up under hopefully clear skies, fans are already speculating about next year's lineup. Monahan isn't spilling any secrets yet but says roughly 70 per cent of Bluesfest performers are returning acts. As for Gosewich? 'I'm a classic rock person. If Mark brought in Springsteen, Don Henley, or Peter Gabriel… I'd be in heaven.'
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Putting the jazz in jazz festival: Genre's influence focus of Halifax music fest
Jazz festivals across North America regularly feature artists whose music falls outside the genre, but some musicians at this year's Halifax Jazz Festival are highlighting jazz's influence on the rest of pop music. Headliners for this year's festival stretch across various genres such as folk, rock and hip-hop. Jazz can be heard in each one of those styles of music, according to one musician who specializes in the genre. "Jazz inspires pop music and pop music inspires jazz," said Quebec jazz bassist Carl Mayotte, whose band the Carl Mayotte Quintet performed at the festival this year. Mayotte, who completed a master's degree in jazz performance at McGill University, hosted one of several "jazz labs" that are part of the festival's year-round educational programming. The labs offer the public an interactive look at how a musician works on their craft and produces music. Despite peaking in the 1920s, Mayotte said jazz has had a lasting effect on different types of music that have been popular throughout the decades since. Folk, prog-rock, R&B and hip-hop are just some examples of types of music that have borrowed elements of jazz, he said. "Rap is like the [child] of jazz," Mayotte said. 'Jazz is for everyone' The Halifax festival's mandate has always included an educational component, said one organizer. "We like to do a lot of our workshops prior to the concert so people can come and learn from the artists and then go see them perform later in the day," said Andrew Jackson, the festival's artistic director. "That's a really special way to just get more out of the music as well." Several jazz musicians are part of the festival every year but typically perform at venues away from the main stage on the Halifax waterfront. Jazz is not as represented as other genres, Jackson said, which is why it's important to have education be part of the annual event. "[Jazz] music is for everyone. And so being able to, like, unlock some of those mysteries is really important to us," he said. For Mayotte, an event that has the word jazz in its name should be promoting jazz music in some way. There are a lot of talented young jazz musicians in Canada who just want the opportunity to perform live and events like the Halifax festival should be making space for them alongside the larger mainstream acts, he said. Mayotte, who also teaches music in schools, said there will always be an interest in jazz because young people are naturally drawn to it. "Because there's this kind of child play in jazz and there's this kind of feeling to be free in it, like how this concept of liberty is really implied in jazz," he said.
