TORONTO - Live Nation plans to build an open-air music venue with a capacity of 50,000 near Toronto's Downsview Park.
Erik Hoffman, an executive with Live Nation Canada, said Thursday that the new Rogers Stadium will sit on the lands of the former Downsview Airport and will host its first events as soon as June 2025.
"This was a natural response to an unprecedented level of stadium-level artists on the road today. We now have another home for them to perform," he said at the current Downsview Park venue.
He positioned the new venue as a major upgrade from the current stage at Downsview, which has a capacity of 40,000 but a less-than-sterling reputation for audience experience.
Hoffman said the new venue will feel like a premium music festival.
A spokesperson for Live Nation declined to share the expected cost of the project.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the stadium, which will operate seasonally, will be a huge boost to the province's arts, culture and tourism sectors.
He said it will draw visitors from around the world and create thousands of jobs.
The new stadium is part of a project to redevelop the 150-hectare former Downsview Airport lands. Northcrest Developments purchased the property and plans to turn it into a collection of neighbourhoods over the next 30 years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2024.
