Severe thunderstorms left a trail of damage across southern Ontario, including significant damage to Rogers Stadium, a 50,000-seat venue touted as “Canada’s newest landmark concert destination.”
Before legendary Australian rockers AC/DC could step onstage at the Toronto venue for their Sept. 16 show to close out the season, the venue was already “Thunderstruck.”
Rogers Stadium, just north of Toronto, sustained major damage to its outdoor seating after radar-estimated winds topping 80 mph blasted North York, where structural damage was reported.
According to Canada’s primary federal weather agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), severe thunderstorms tracked through southern Ontario on Sept. 2, producing straight-line winds, torrential rain and very large hail.
The sprawling, 50,000-capacity open-air venue is built around a large concert floor, and has hosted the likes of Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters and Post Malone, with stadium-like seating sections extending along its northern, eastern and western sides.
Several sections of the northern seating area sustained significant damage during the powerful storms, with images from the venue showing entire rows torn apart and seats collapsed.
“As always, the safety of our employees and onsite 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 for Live Nation Canada told FOX Weather.
With AC/DC set to light up the stage with an explosive “T.N.T.” performance, it remains unclear whether the damage to the northern seating area will be repaired in time for the legendary rockers to close out the concert season.
