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.
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
