Chaos at Rogers Stadium in Toronto has fans fuming after Coldplay shows: 'Nobody thought this through'
Billed as a game-changer for the city's entertainment scene, the massive venue has instead drawn criticism from concertgoers who say it was woefully unprepared to host events of its size. Which perhaps isn't altogether a surprise as it was built rather hastily, in an unheard-of nine-month span.
Complaints came to a head after consecutive shows by K-pop supergroup Stray Kids on June 29 and British stadium rockers Coldplay, in Toronto for four shows between July 8 and 12, both of which ended in logistical mayhem.
'I just don't think anyone thought this through,' said Shannon Spencer, a local resident who attended both concerts. 'It was clear to me after the Stray Kids show that transit capacity — stations, subway, GO Train — wasn't considered when planning and building this place.'
Spencer's concerns echo those of many attendees who documented their frustration online, sharing photos of crowd surges, shaky seats that many described as 'bleachers,' overwhelmed station platforms, limited signage and a shocking lack of access to basics like water and food. The result was not just inconvenience, but real safety concerns. Forget accessibility standards. Many said it took them at least two hours to exit the venue at Downsview Park.
Rogers stadium is by far the worst music venue ever constructed. DO NOT BUY TICKETS TO A CONCERT HERE EVER! Worst traffic I've ever seen. Just sat in traffic for 2 hours to go .5 miles, and missed all the opening acts and now might miss Coldplay.No signage just a nightmare
— Rick outkalt (@RickOutkalt) July 7, 2025
Still can't believe THIS is the Rogers Stadium. Walking to my seat was so damn scary and you could feel the structure swaying during the show 😬💀 pic.twitter.com/uSE1oi42D6
— Daphne 🐿️ • ILY reunion 🤟🐿️🤍🌠 (@ArthurNoIro) July 1, 2025
.@Rogers_Stadium this is not safe. Not enough security to check to checking tickets I guess. Major choke point pic.twitter.com/jTe6l05Jso
— Joey Doster (@joeydoster) July 7, 2025
'After the Stray Kids concert, the venue staff let us out in slow-moving groups to prevent station overcrowding, leading to some people missing the last GO Train and connections. Despite them using this strategy, there was still overcrowding,' Spencer said. 'The issue was compounded by the fact that there wasn't enough communication between staff and concert-goers, leaving a lot of confusion, pushing and irritability.'
The heat didn't help.
'There was a lack of water stations and food,' she added. 'So many people were fainting. We had to call for medical assistance multiple times.'
Live Nation Canada, which operates Rogers Stadium, said in a statement that it was 'making adjustments' ahead of Coldplay's four-night stint following Stray Kids. That included more signage, lighting, staff and water stations, but it seems the larger issues remained.
Even frontman Chris Martin took notice. At the band's first show on Monday, calling the venue a 'weird stadium in the middle of nowhere.' Later, at Tuesday's show, he addressed it again, telling the crowd, 'Thank you for being here, and especially thank you for travelling on the strange quest that you had to travel on to get to this very bizarre stadium, a million miles from Earth.'
Chris Martin greets Toronto on night 2 👋🏼#Coldplay #ColdplayToronto pic.twitter.com/8wJil4obxW
— MuchMusic (@Much) July 9, 2025
Leaders Bang Chan of Stray Kids and Chris Martin of Coldplay on the new Rogers Stadium in Toronto😭 pic.twitter.com/7OweS7WtU5
— MuchMusic (@Much) July 9, 2025
While attending the Coldplay show later in the week, knowing what she might face, Spencer said she initially considered leaving early but ultimately chose to stay for the full experience in hopes of getting her money's worth, opting to skip the convoluted transit system entirely.
'I took a Hopp ride-share home,' she shared. 'I am aware that not everyone has the privilege to do that, especially out-of-city folks. [Still,] more signs are needed at and around the venue, especially for drivers. My Hopp driver was totally confused. There was also a lot of traffic since most of the routes to the stadium were closed.'
She's not alone in wondering why Toronto's largest venue was greenlit without better infrastructure to support it.
'I wish there had been real coordination between the developers, the City, TTC, GO Transit during the planning and development stages of the stadium,' Spencer said.
The TTC has since said it will add more staff to its Downsview Park and Wilson stations and Metrolinx will 'closely monitor' GO train ridership levels on concert nights.
In a statement on Wednesday, Councillor James Pasternak said noise levels and neighbourhood disruptions in Downsview on concert nights are being taken 'very seriously,' and that all bylaws are being followed. In addition, he said, 'We continue to be concerned about the partial street closures, the noise levels, community safety and traffic management. If many of these issues are not resolved, we will bring them to City Council. … We understand the frustration.'
Still, no formal statement has been issued about what went wrong, or what major steps are being taken to fix the many structural and logistical issues plaguing the stadium. All of which also raises broader questions about whether Toronto's transit network is even capable of supporting mega-events like this without significant upgrades. (And free transit is certainly not enough to assuage the chaos.)
Whatever the case, the pressure is on; Coldplay is set to perform two more shows this week, on Friday and Saturday. If the stadium doesn't address the transit, accessibility and crowd-control concerns, it could lose public trust and putting concertgoers at real risk. Rogers Stadium is hosting two highly anticipated shows by band Oasis on August 24 and 25, the group's first tour in 16 years. K-pop group Blackpink and R&B singer Chris Brown also headline two shows each at the Rogers Stadium this summer.
As for Spencer, she's still hoping for better: 'I wish for more transparency and communication with the surrounding community. It seems [everyone] was excluded from consultation and planning processes.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Suited for Summer in Crisp Linen
'I always got inspired by those people who took pride in how they dress, how they look,' Brian Lehang, 36, said. He was talking specifically about the type of fashionable men known as dandies, and he certainly looked the part in his pale linen suit from the British brand Albert, chocolaty polo, striped scarf and woven hat. We were in Florence at the Pitti Uomo men's wear event in June, which he has been attending since 2016. There and elsewhere, dandies have seemingly been in short supply in recent years, he said. But 'for the Met Gala to use the theme dandy this year,' he added, 'it means this is not going anywhere.' A professional golf instructor who lives in Jordan, he said that the sport had furthered his passion for dressing smartly. 'If I go to work and I'm done, or it's my day off, I'll just make sure that I'm dressed up, look good, feel good and go about my day.' Tap to see more looks
Vogue
an hour ago
- Vogue
Boho Haircuts Are Trending for Summer
Cher, Brigitte Bardot, Diana Ross, Farrah Fawcett, and Jane Birkin: When it comes to the 1970s, these were the icons in bohemian and disco circles. It's a style (both beauty and fashion) that's still referenced today—just look at the recent Chloé runways if you need some proof. So, what really is a bohemian hairstyle—and how do you find the right style for you? Below, the experts break down five hugely popular current hairstyles that have their roots in '70s style. The Butterfly Haircut Farrah Fawcett, 1975. Walt Disney Television Photo Archives Sabrina Carpenter Taylor Hill Farrah Fawcett's layers are still going strong almost half a century on. According to celebrity hairstylist Guido Palau, the look is easy enough to achieve at home with the right technique. 'Take a hairdryer and run a round brush underneath, then part the bangs so you get that '70s look,' he says. Round-brush shy? A blow-dry brush may be your new best friend. Sabrina Carpenter's take on the look (called a butterfly cut) has a modern edge. For a look that's less voluminous and shaggy, leave the layering until a point just past your bangs, at about chin length. Super Long and Natural Cher in 1973. Getty Images Sacai, Spring-Summer 2025. Cher has had many hairstyles over the years, but her silky, super-straight '70s mane is a real favorite. There were echoes of her peace-and-love look on the runway at Sacai's spring/summer 2025 show. Face-framing Layers and Fringe Jane Birkin. Reporters Associes. Chloé Spring-Summer 2025. Jane Birkin (or, in an alternative universe, Dakota Johnson) is a forever muse for all fans of the boho aesthetic, so it's little wonder that the hallmarks of her beauty look were all over Chloé's spring/summer 2025 runway. Curls and Volume Diana Ross on the set of Mahogany. SilverNEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 05: Simone Ashley attends the Amazon MGM Studios' "Picture This" New York Screening at NeueHouse Madison Square on March 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by)To recreate these glamorous waves, scrunch up your natural curls with a styling cream and style into a side parting for even more volume. Braid-outs can add extra definition for afro-textured hair, or copy Diana Ross in Mahogany and opt for a bouncy blowout. The Wavy Bob Twiggy in 1974. Bettmann Christopher Esber Spring-Summer 2025 Justin Shin / Getty Images Her pixie cut helped to kickstart her career, but the bob that she wore in the '70s signaled a growing up for British supermodel Twiggy. Her chin-length haircut was styled with pronounced waves that appeared to inspire the beauty look on Christopher Esber's spring/summer 2025 runway. Have a beauty or wellness trend you're curious about? We want to know! Send Vogue's senior beauty & wellness editor an email at beauty@
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Booker Prize Nominees Include Novels by Kiran Desai, Katie Kitamura and Susan Choi
In 2006, Kiran Desai shot to fame when she won the Booker Prize with 'The Inheritance of Loss,' a novel about a teenage romance in India and illegal migration in Manhattan. But she struggled to write a follow-up. Now, almost two decades later, Desai has been nominated for the Booker again — for 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny,' the novel that she was grappling with during that time. On Tuesday, the Booker Prize judges announced the 13 novels nominated for this year's edition of the prestigious British literary award, with Desai's novel arguably the highest profile. Other nominees include Katie Kitamura's 'Audition,' about an actress who becomes embroiled with a man who claims to be her son; Susan Choi's 'Flashlight,' a Korean American family saga; and David Szalay's 'Flesh,' which tells the tale of a man who inveigles his way to a life of privilege. In Desai's novel, which is scheduled for a Sept. 23 release, two immigrants to the United States return to their native India and meet on an overnight train. The 667-page book has yet to receive any major reviews, but the Booker Prize's judges — who this year include Roddy Doyle and Sarah Jessica Parker — described it in a news release as a 'vast and immersive' work that 'enfolds a magical realist fable within a social novel within a love story.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
