AC/DC Toronto concert canceled after severe storm damage left Rogers Stadium unable to host the Sept. 16 show. Live Nation said the venue could not safely take the concert after a thorough review of the damage from last week’s storm.
Wayne Zronik on the cancellation
Wayne Zronik, president of business operations for Live Nation Canada, said the decision cuts against what the company wanted for the end of its summer run. "Cancelling a concert is never a decision we want to make, and we know how disappointing this will be for all of us who have been looking forward to seeing AC/DC close out our summer season," he said.
He added that Live Nation had worked with the City of Toronto and other partners to sort through the damage before deciding the venue could not host the show. "Safety has to come first. Our teams have been working closely with the City and our partners to understand the storm damage and what needs to happen next. The right decision is to take the time to remove and rebuild the affected parts of the stadium to ensure it is ready to welcome fans next summer," Zronik said.
City review at Rogers Stadium
The City of Toronto received an engineering report on the damage from last week’s massive rain and hail storm and said the report was under review on Wednesday. Inspectors had already ordered Live Nation to close the site, retain an engineer to inspect the venue and urgently work on repairs, and the company met the Sept. 8 deadline to share its findings and solutions with the city.
Storm damage at Rogers Stadium was not limited to surface cleanup. Bleachers were left strewn across the site, and the stadium also appeared to have partially collapsed grandstands after the storm. Live Nation said engineers determined that the affected sections will need to be removed and rebuilt, which is why the Sept. 16 concert could not go on as planned.
Sept. 11 and next summer
The City of Toronto said Live Nation must follow the engineer’s recommendations and update the city no later than Sept. 11 on what it has been able to do. Reconstruction work will require a building permit, adding another step before the venue can reopen for future events.
For fans, the practical next step is straightforward: the concert is off, and the stadium now moves from damage assessment to rebuilding. Zronik said safety for fans, artists and employees will always come before any individual event, and the current timeline points to next summer as the target for a repaired Rogers Stadium.
