26th September 2024: Toronto is set to welcome a new outdoor concert venue, Rogers Stadium, which will be located at the former Downsview Airport. Live Nation Canada announced that the venue is scheduled to open in June 2025. The announcement was made in the presence of Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford.
Rogers Stadium will be Toronto’s largest outdoor concert space, accommodating up to 50,000 people across approximately 44 acres at the northern end of the runway. Designed as an open-air facility, it aims to host live music events during the summer and attract international acts from various music genres.
The location was chosen for its easy access to major transportation and transit routes in the northern part of Toronto, making it convenient for visitors from surrounding cities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
In related news, Northcrest Developments acquired the Downsview site in May and announced a major redevelopment plan worth $30 billion. This project will transform the area into “YZD,” featuring seven neighborhoods and 24,000 new homes over the coming decades. Live Nation staff believe that Rogers Stadium fits well with the vision for YZD as a hub for housing, work, culture, and entertainment, shifting the focus of Toronto’s activities northward.
Downsview Airport, which opened in 1929, was originally used as a Royal Canadian Air Force base during World War II. The site was sold by Bombardier in 2018 to a Canadian pension manager, leading to the creation of Northcrest to manage its redevelopment. Currently, the only significant outdoor concert venue in Toronto is Budweiser Stage, previously known as Molson Amphitheatre.
