Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by EpicPonyTime

I'm sure they would ask, but the rumblings about potential owners suggest there are some DEEP pockets behind this, so maybe it wouldn't be as painful as it may be otherwise. A common rumour I always here is Bell might get involved in order to get Expos games on TSN a'la Rogers and Sportsnet.

This may be a flawed assumption but most people in Quebec expect that the Expos would be on RDS, and if that happens then the English broadcasts would be on TSN as they are the exact same company.

Sportsnet and TVA Sports share some things, but they're not even close to being joined at the hip like RDS-TSN are.

TVA Sports already shows Blue Jays games in French, though that doesn't mean they wouldn't make a play to get the Expos if they return to MLB.

[TheGreatestX]

Top 200 Arenas in the World by Concert Tickets Sold

30. Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
35. Bell Centre, Montreal
60. Rogers Arena, Vancouver
78. Rogers Place, Edmonton
86. FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton
89. Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
92. Centre Videotron, Quebec
107. Budweiser Gardens, London
128. Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg
132. Aboottsford Centre, Abbotsford
142. Place Bell, Laval
152. Sasktel Centre, Saskatoon
175. Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary

https://www.pollstar.com/Chart/2018/...Venues_702.pdf

[esquire]

^ Hamilton scored impressively high on that list. Is the Ottawa Civic Centre ever used as a major concert venue?

[kel]

Edmonton averaged just over 11000 tickets sold per concert according to these numbers. I went to 6 sold out concerts this year and one with 14000 so I’m guessing some concerts got under 4000 tickets sold.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Hamilton scored impressively high on that list. Is the Ottawa Civic Centre ever used as a major concert venue?

The Ottawa Civic Centre was our major concert venue for nearly 30 years until the Palladium (now CTC) opened in January 1996.

EDIT: Miss-read your question. Yes, it is still used as a concert venue at times. I wouldn't say it competes much with the CTC. Maybe half a dozen+ per year of "major" concerts. It also hosts comedy shows (Trevor Noah has two shows in one day this January, for example), washed up bands and artist (the guy from Supertramp seems to visit nearly every year).

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The Ottawa Civic Centre was our major concert venue for nearly 30 years until the Palladium (now CTC) opened in January 1996.

EDIT: Miss-read your question. Yes, it is still used as a concert venue at times. I wouldn't say it competes much with the CTC. Maybe half a dozen+ per year of "major" concerts. It also hosts comedy shows (Trevor Noah has two shows in one day this January, for example), washed up bands and artist (the guy from Supertramp seems to visit nearly every year).

The Civic Centre (now named The Arena at TD Place) has a capacity of about 10,000 for concerts, does it not?

[esquire]

^ Interesting. Given the hassles that everyone mentions with respect to getting out to the CTC, it seems as though the OCC could carve out a pretty good niche putting on concerts that don't need the CTC's size. There are probably a good number of acts that could get by with 10,000 or fewer seats. I just wasn't sure if the venue could still handle bigger shows.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Interesting. Given the hassles that everyone mentions with respect to getting out to the CTC, it seems as though the OCC could carve out a pretty good niche putting on concerts that don't need the CTC's size. There are probably a good number of acts that could get by with 10,000 or fewer seats. I just wasn't sure if the venue could still handle bigger shows.

With temporary seating (on the arena floor) capacity is 10,585. I just checked.

[esquire]

^ Considering the sheer convenience of the OCC, I'm surprised that OSEG doesn't go harder after the concerts going to CTC.

Speaking of, one of these days I really have to make it out to CTC while it's still around. Ottawa is the one Canadian NHL city where I've never been to a game as the hassle of getting to the barn just wasn't worth it, despite having been in town on game days. (I've been to 67s games before, though, those were a good time...)

[wave46]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Considering the sheer convenience of the OCC, I'm surprised that OSEG doesn't go harder after the concerts going to CTC.

Speaking of, one of these days I really have to make it out to CTC while it's still around. Ottawa is the one Canadian NHL city where I've never been to a game as the hassle of getting to the barn just wasn't worth it, despite having been in town on game days. (I've been to 67s games before, though, those were a good time...)

The good news is that tickets are easy to get and pretty cheap, except when the Leafs and Habs are in town.

CTC is actually the arena I've been to most NHL games, just simply because the tickets are the most affordable for someone like me (read: frugal). I'm not paying top dollar to go to Montreal or Toronto when I can go to Ottawa for half the price.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Considering the sheer convenience of the OCC, I'm surprised that OSEG doesn't go harder after the concerts going to CTC.

Speaking of, one of these days I really have to make it out to CTC while it's still around. Ottawa is the one Canadian NHL city where I've never been to a game as the hassle of getting to the barn just wasn't worth it, despite having been in town on game days. (I've been to 67s games before, though, those were a good time...)

With LeBreton Flats on life support, CTC will probably be around for a while.

If you do attend a game, best way to get there is by bus (at least from my end of town in Orleans, if you park at the beginning of the route). It will cost you close to $8 round trip, but that's still cheaper than parking.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by wave46

The good news is that tickets are easy to get and pretty cheap, except when the Leafs and Habs are in town.

CTC is actually the arena I've been to most NHL games, just simply because the tickets are the most affordable for someone like me (read: frugal). I'm not paying top dollar to go to Montreal or Toronto when I can go to Ottawa for half the price.

Interestingly enough, in the Ottawa area, an NHL outing at CTC is not generally considered to be cheap and most people feel they are being gouged by the Sens. Perhaps not so much on tickets, but certainly on concessions and parking. (They've tried to address this a bit this season.)

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The Ottawa Civic Centre was our major concert venue for nearly 30 years until the Palladium (now CTC) opened in January 1996.

EDIT: Miss-read your question. Yes, it is still used as a concert venue at times. I wouldn't say it competes much with the CTC. Maybe half a dozen+ per year of "major" concerts. It also hosts comedy shows (Trevor Noah has two shows in one day this January, for example), washed up bands and artist (the guy from Supertramp seems to visit nearly every year).

I've seen a few big names announced at Landsdowne when I used to drive by on a daily basis, but I don't know if they were performing at TD Place or at the TD Place Arena (aka Civic Centre). I guess concerts at the former venue are not common (do they happen at all?). In any case, you are right that the artists performing there are more often than not not so famous, the type that performs at festivals in smaller cities, and/or pursuing a solo career after their former bands separated.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by le calmar

I've seen a few big names announced at Landsdowne when I used to drive by on a daily basis, but I don't know if they were performing at TD Place or at the TD Place Arena (aka Civic Centre). I guess concerts at the former venue are not common (do they happen at all?). In any case, you are right that the artists performing there are more often than not not so famous, the type that performs at festivals in smaller cities, and/or pursuing a solo career after their former bands separated.

The stadium does host concerts from time to time. Maybe one (or sometimes two) per summer?

[J.OT13]

Other than AC/DC playing at TD Place Stadium back in 2015, I honestly can't remember any other major concert at the stadium.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

I think BMO Field has only ever held one concert - back in it's first year of opening - Genesis of all groups.


Also, Trinity are counter suing Eugene Melnyk for $1billion

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...950666?cmp=rss

[esquire]

Is Skydome the only Canadian stadium that holds big concerts with some regularity? I was under the impression that BC Place and Olympic Stadium don't have all that many.

It's pretty sporadic at Investors Group Field... definitely more than at the old stadium and pretty busy with some big shows in the first couple years, but it has settled into a routine of roughly one major concert a year, and maybe a smaller second one.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

I believe there were 8 concerts at RC this year

2 x Ed Sheeran
2 x Taylor Swift
1x Zac Brown
1 x Luke Bryan
1 x Foo Fighters
1 x Journey / Def Leppard

[esquire]

^ That's a pretty good number considering that there aren't all that many stadium-sized concert tours going around. Impressive drawing power on the part of Sheeran and Swift to play two shows in there... I'm actually a bit surprised that Sheeran in particular can draw that many people.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

His current summer tour drew big all over