AC/DC‘s sold-out concert at Rogers Stadium in Toronto on September 16 is uncertain after a storm brought down sections of the venue’s north stands and the city ordered the operator to make the site safe.
The show has not been cancelled or rescheduled.
The storm hit Toronto on Wednesday, September 2, dropping up to 110mm of rain in places. City Manager Paul Johnson said the volume would qualify as a hundred-year event. Highways flooded and damage was reported across the Greater Toronto Area.
At Rogers Stadium, the 50,000-capacity open-air venue on the former Downsview Airport lands in North York, entire sections of seating came down. Aerial footage showed collapsed grandstands, bleachers scattered across the site and damage to structures in the surrounding Fan Plaza.
The city said parts of the north side of the structure had collapsed, seats had been displaced, and parts of the venue were in a condition that may pose a risk to health or safety.
Live Nation Canada, which operates the stadium, said nobody was hurt.
“As a result of yesterday’s extreme weather, Rogers Stadium sustained significant damage. As always, the safety of our employees and on-site contractors is our top priority. Fortunately, no one was injured during the extreme weather event. We are currently assessing the extent of the damage and will provide further information as it becomes available,” a spokesperson said.
The company added on Friday: “Our teams are continuing to assess the extent of the damage. We will provide more information as it becomes available.”
City inspectors attended on Thursday and issued Live Nation Canada with an order to remedy an unsafe building. It sets out what has to happen and by when.
The operator must prevent access to all damaged and affected structures, retain a third-party structural engineer to assess the site, submit that engineer’s findings and a repair plan to the city by September 8, complete the recommended repairs by September 11, and obtain any building permits required for the reconstruction work.
That leaves five days between the repair deadline and the concert. Nobody is currently permitted on the property.
James Pasternak, the councillor for York Centre, has been the main public voice on the situation.
“The damage to the north stands is quite significant. They have collapsed. And it is a major operation to clear the rubble and restore it,” he told CTV News.
“They have to clear the damage and see what went wrong and report back by the 8th of September, and they haven’t got much time. And then at that point there’s recommendations for further actions,” he added.
He would not rule out the show going ahead, but said it was becoming less likely.
“They have to rebuild those northern stands based on the requirements of a third-party engineer to study safety strategies. That is not something you do on the back of a napkin,” he said.
Speaking to the CBC, he put it more bluntly: “This stadium collapsed in a major storm event, and the question is, can they reconstruct it and repair it so that it’s satisfactory, so that it’s safe.”
“They may not be able to get AC/DC in this year.”
Rogers Stadium opened last year and has drawn complaints since. It is not to be confused with the downtown Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays and formerly known as the SkyDome.
Built on a decommissioned airfield at Downsview Park, it is among the few venues of its size in North America not attached to a sports team, and audiences have found it difficult to reach. Chris Martin described it as a “weird stadium in the middle of nowhere” when Coldplay played there last year.
It was put up as a temporary structure with a five-year life, due for demolition around 2030 to clear the site for housing.
AC/DC’s remaining 2026 dates:
The Toronto show would be the band’s first appearance in the city since 2015.
- Sep 08 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, MO
- Sep 12 – Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, QC
- Sep 16 – Rogers Stadium, Toronto, ON
- Sep 20 – Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg, MB
- Sep 25 – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- Sep 29 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
