Despite how things look now, Live Nation says Toronto’s new Rogers Stadium will open on schedule later this month

Toronto has had a summer concert problem for decades. With the Blue Jays occupying the Rogers Centre for weeks at a time and Budweiser Stage capped at around 18,000 people, it’s not easy to stage a mega-gig during the summer months.

But an issue is at hand. Rogers Stadium, the 50,000-capacity outdoor venue, is set to open this month in YZD (ne Downsview Park) with building continuing on the site of the decommissioned Downsview Airport. Live Nation says it’s set to open on schedule June 29. The first gig will be by Stray Kids, a K-pop boy band. They will be followed by four Coldplay gigs in July, two nights by Blackpink, and the two-night Oasis appearance in August.

However, the temporary structures–it’s initial operation run is projected at five years–are still under construction. Worrisome? Apparently not. But there are other concerns.

As you can see, there’s no stage yet (it’s supposed to go where the big white structures are at the top of the photo. And is it odd that the stands aren’t angled toward it? Then again, if they’re going to use the place for sporting events, it wouldn’t make sense to do that. But that is an old runway running through the centre of the stadium. Won’t that make it awfully hot for summer gigs? I keep thinking about Woodstock 99 which was an at old Air Force base with hectares and hectares of bare concrete. And we all know how that turned out, right?

Let’s not jump to conclusions. Again, this is designed as a temporary proof-of-concept structure. Live Nation will certainly make modifications going forward. After all, they have to make a decision on whether Rogers Stadium will be a permanent thing.