Toronto’s waterfront concert stage is getting a new name — and a glow-up.
The lakeside venue known as Budweiser Stage has been renamed RBC Amphitheatre as part of a multi-year partnership with the Canadian bank, the entertainment company Live Nation Canada announced Tuesday morning.
As previously announced, the venue will also undergo a major renovation that will allow it to host shows year-round by 2030.
“The redevelopment of RBC Amphitheatre, formerly Budweiser Stage, strengthens Toronto’s position as a global entertainment hub and a must-play city for artists who are touring,” said Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation, at a press conference. “With these changes, RBC Amphitheatre will become a world-class venue with unmatched acoustics, fan-friendly design and elevated hospitality experiences.”
The renovation will see the venue expand its summer capacity. Currently, the amphitheatre can host 9,000 concertgoers within the theatre, with room for an additional 7,000 audience members on the surrounding lawns. The revitalization will also let the amphitheatre host winter concerts in an indoor setting, with a capacity of 9,000 people. When the venue reopens, it will be able to host more than 1.5 million fans annually, according to Live Nation.
The company said the amphitheatre will close in the fall of 2027 for renovations. It will reopen in two stages: first in the spring of 2029 as an outdoor venue, and then in the summer 2030 with year-round hosting capabilities.
Live Nation said it will soon announce a temporary venue that will host shows while the amphitheatre is closed.
The waterfront venue, at Ontario Place, opened to the public in 1995 as the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre. It replaced a smaller stage known as the Forum, which had existed on the site since 1971. Eight years ago, in 2017, Live Nation changed the venue’s name to Budweiser Stage after inking a deal with the American beer company.
Live Nation’s announcement on Tuesday comes as the company has aggressively grown its portfolio of venues in Toronto since the COVID-19 pandemic, in an effort to attract big-name music stars to the city.
Last year, the entertainment company unveiled Rogers Stadium, a 50,000-capacity, temporary venue on the former site of Downsview airport that is expected to host summer concerts through 2030. In 2021, the company partnered with Drake on the 2,500-seat concert venue History, located in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood.
