New 'temporary' stadium-sized concert venue coming to Toronto

A new, temporary, stadium-sized seasonal concert venue is coming to Toronto’s north end, with the capacity to host 50,000 people at one time.

Rogers Stadium will open in June 2025 at the site of the former Downsview Airport Lands, Live Nation announced Thursday. However, the venue will only be in place temporarily and will eventually be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development coming to the grounds.

It’s not clear how long the stadium will be operational, however officials say that it will be “multiple years.”

Nearby Downsview Park has hosted many landmark concert events over the years, including SARSStock in 2003.

The open-air facility, which will be the largest purpose-built outdoor concert venue in Toronto, will be housed on the 44 acres at the north end of the former air space previously used by Bombardier.

Live Nation said the stadium will operate in the summer months and its primary use will be as a live music venue, with a focus on large international acts or diversified genres.

“Toronto has long been a cultural melting pot, and this venue will celebrate that spirit uniting people from all walks of life through the world of live,” Erik Hoffman, president of music, Canada, at Live Nation, said at the Thursday news conference that was also attended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

The project is expected to create thousands of jobs and inject $80 to 100 million dollars into the local economy by way of tourism and support for local businesses, officials estimated.

Whether or not tax dollars will be used for construction remains to be seen.

“We have been working really collaboratively with the city and the province. They really are supportive of this project and we will continue to have those conversations in the years to come," Derek Goring, CEO of Northcrest Developments, which is developing the land that housed the former airport, told CP24 after the announcement.

In 2018, Bombardier sold the Downsview Airport Lands, which will be turned into a $30-billion mixed-used urban space over the next three decades.

The 370-acre space, dubbed YZD after the former airport's call sign, is expected to house seven neighbourhoods and 55,000 people upon completion.

“Because the project is going to take 30 years to build we are looking to bring unique experiences to the lands in the meantime that transforms before development is going to happen,” Goring said when asked about how long the stadium will be in operation.

“The details of that are still undetermined. But we are looking forward to it being here for a number of years.”

Unlike the city’s other large music venues, most of which are in the downtown core, officials said the location of Rogers Stadium was chosen due to its proximity to major transportation and transit connections, making it easily accessible for music fans across the Greater Toronto Area.