Live Nation Canada says it will be adding more signage, lighting, staff and water stations to improve the fan experience.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Rogers Stadium is set to welcome tens of thousands of Coldplay fans tonight for the first of four shows by the British rock band, as organizers say they are “making adjustments” to improve crowd control at Toronto’s newest outdoor music venue.
After the venue’s inaugural concert last Sunday, some attendees said it took up to two hours to exit the stadium as the site and transit services seemed ill-equipped to handle the large crowds.
Concertgoers also complained about limited access to water at the stadium, with some describing hour-long lineups at bottle filling stations that dispensed warm water in some cases.
Live Nation ‘making adjustments’ at Toronto’s Rogers Stadium after fan complaints
Live Nation Canada, which operates the stadium near Downsview Park, says it will be adding more signage, lighting, staff and water stations to improve the fan experience.
It also says the stadium’s exit routes will be reconfigured to disperse crowds to all three nearby subway stations in order to mitigate crowding at the Downsview Park station, which also serves GO train passengers.
The Toronto Transit Commission has said it will be adding more staff to its Downsview Park and Wilson stations on concert nights, while Metrolinx only said it would “closely monitor” GO train ridership levels for events at the stadium.
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Meanwhile, Ticketmaster has sent an email to Coldplay ticket holders advising them that cellular reception at Rogers Stadium gates “will be limited as this is a large-capacity venue.”
James Pasternak, a city councillor whose ward includes the Downsview Park area, said “respectful but blunt” conversations about what needs to be improved at Rogers Stadium took place on Wednesday during a meeting with Live Nation and Northcrest Developments, which owns the property.
“With concerts scheduled all summer and shortcomings apparent from the first performance, we put pressure on all responsible parties to sort out concerns,” Pasternak said in a social media post.
