Part of Wilson Avenue to be closed for upcoming Coldplay concerts at new Rogers Stadium: Live Nation Canada

3 days ago

Fans who attended the inaugural concert at Toronto's new Rogers Stadium on Sunday night are calling for better crowd control after some say it took up to two hours to exit the venue. (CP24 Chopper)
The owner and operator of Toronto's new Rogers Stadium at Downsview Park has confirmed that a portion of Wilson Avenue will be closed as part of its plan to better manage crowds coming and going from the site during this week's Coldplay concerts.
The British rock band is set to perform at the 50,000-seat open-air facility on July 7, 8, 11, and 12.
Last Sunday, Live Nation Canada hosted its inaugural concert at Rogers Stadium, featuring K-pop group Stray Kids.
However, there were some significant crowd management issues at that show, with some attendees reporting that it took them up to two hours to exit the park, as both the venue and transit services seemed to be unable to deal with the massive number of people.
Overcrowding Rogers Stadium
In the days following the opening show, the mega-concert promoter said it is 'making adjustments' and 'working closely' with City of Toronto officials, transit operators, and emergency services to address those issues. Live Nation Canada, as well as the landowner Northcrest Developments, met with the City of Toronto and the TTC last week to discuss solutions.
In a statement provided to CTV News Toronto on Sunday evening, Live Nation Canada said that it has made 'key adjustments based on fan and community feedback, including updated traffic plans with road closures, more traffic personnel on-site, and enhanced signage and communication to help improve the experience for fans and the community.'
Wayne Zronik, the company's president of business operations, previously told The Canadian Press that those changes would also include lighting, staff, and water stations, noting that the venue's exit routes are being reconfigured to 'create smoother flow' and better disperse the crowd to all three nearby subway stations.
'It's really taking all of our key findings from the first night and getting better,' he said last week.
On Sunday, the company said the closure of Wilson would run from Murray Road to Dufferin Street but assured that the area would not be closed to local traffic, adding that 'residents should have no issues reaching their homes.'
'We continue to encourage everyone heading to Rogers Stadium to take public transit. To help reduce traffic in the area, we're urging fans to take advantage of free and expanded TTC and GO Transit service for their ride home.'
The TTC previously told The Canadian Press that it would add more staff to its Downsview and Wilson stations ahead of upcoming concerts.
CTV News Toronto has also contacted the City of Toronto for comment but has not heard back.
With files from The Canadian Press

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Stampede concertgoers raise safety concerns after rapper draws huge crowd

CBC

2 hours ago

Stampede concertgoers raise safety concerns after rapper draws huge crowd

Social Sharing A Calgary Stampede concert headlined by hip-hop superstar Don Toliver has raised safety concerns among attendees, with some wondering whether the artist — who currently has over 35 million monthly listeners on streaming platform Spotify — was too popular for a free show in a relatively small venue. The Houston rapper took the stage Tuesday night at the Calgary Stampede's Coca-Cola Stage, which offers complimentary outdoor concerts included in Stampede admission. Serena Freitas said she needed help from security to get out of the crowd for her own safety after the rapper's first few songs. "It was just too crowded and way too pushy.… I stopped being able to breathe pretty quickly," she told CBC News. Freitas said she had spent 11 hours in front of the Coca-Cola Stage waiting for Toliver's performance before he came on at 9:30 p.m. 'A recipe for disaster,' says concertgoer As an avid fan of the rapper, she knew the concert would be "really crowded," but that the situation quickly got out of control when he took the stage. "I've never had to be pulled out of a concert in my life," said Freitas, who shared footage of her experience on TikTok. Known for his energetic music, Toliver has released multiple RIAA-certified platinum songs including hit records After Party and No Idea. After headlining arenas around the world on his 2024-2025 North America and Europe tour, the announcement of Toliver's free performance in Calgary came as a surprise to fans. "To have a pretty big artist, in a free show, in a smaller venue is kind of a recipe for disaster," concertgoer Elise Pigeon told CBC News. Fan says she was 'being crushed' by crowd Pigeon was one of the many people who attended the concert, which also featured performances from R&B singers Tinashe and Charlotte Day Wilson. Further back in the crowd, Ereyka Alfarero said the experience was a "nightmare" for her. "Literally, I was being crushed," she said. "I'm 5'2.… I'm just there trying to survive." Alfarero said she had already seen Toliver perform three times, so she quickly decided to leave shortly after the rapper took the stage — though leaving proved difficult for her. "I was dragged into the front by people pushing and pulling, and there was no way out," said Alfarero. No word on injuries Social media footage appears to show some concertgoers struggling to move or leave during the performance, while other videos feature people enjoying themselves, singing along and dancing. No information on any injuries is currently available from officials. Aaron Paramedical provides standby medical services at the Calgary Stampede. According to company president Scott Wardley, there were eight to 10 staff assigned solely to the Coca-Cola Stage. Representatives of Toliver could not be reached for comment ahead of publication. Stampede says concert 'was a great success' Kerrie Blizard, the Calgary Stampede's director of public safety, said during a media availability on Wednesday that the concert "was a great success." "The concert had great attendance last night and it's not any levels of attendance that we didn't anticipate," she said. To handle the anticipated crowd size, an alternate viewing location for the concert was set up at another site, with a livestream of the concert offering a "laidback atmosphere" compared to the Coca-Cola Stage's mosh pits. Blizard said footage of the crowd shows that "there was ample room for people to dance and move about," and that "when we heard the remarks from the fans leaving at the end of the night, the majority of what we heard was very positive." She said Stampede Park as a whole has "no assigned capacity" for the number of visitors it welcomes. According to the Calgary Stampede, 193,033 people were at the park on Tuesday. Police 'aware of concerns' before show Five hours before Toliver was scheduled to take the stage, police addressed concerns around the event in a social media post on Tuesday afternoon. "We are aware of concerns circulating on social media regarding the size of the crowd expected for tonight's Coke Stage performance at the Calgary Stampede," read the statement, which also outlined steps for staying safe. Police officers joined Calgary Stampede security personnel to help manage the crowd. He noted officers responded to medical incidents during the show and "arrested and ejected" a person for "climbing on a structure during the concert." Campbell added there is "no indication" a stabbing Tuesday night, which left three people seriously injured, "has anything to do with the concert."