As Toronto continues to position itself as a major destination for live music, concertgoers say the quality of a venue can influence whether they attend a show at all.
Joshua Hosein has attended over 10 shows at RBC Amphitheatre, formerly Budweiser Stage. From Jon Pardi to Thomas Rhett, Hosein knows the ins and outs of the former Ontario Place venue, and says the quality of the venue plays a role in his decision.
“A strong venue can enhance the performance of an artist, while a more poorly designed venue can negatively affect the entire night.”
Hosein also talked about how the atmosphere is very important in keeping the show memorable.
“Meeting people that are there, seeing the same artist and enjoying the same music as you … there’s a connection there, and I feel that’s a big part for me.”
He also said he believes that the investments into Toronto’s live music scene are super important, and it plays into the city’s culture and creative identity.
RBC Amphitheatre isn’t the only venue that has undergone major renovations recently. In 2018, Massey Hall underwent a $184M renovation funded by all three levels of government, as well as corporate and private donors, to modernize — yet honour — its history and reputation as an intimate atmosphere.
Rebecca Tandon is a Toronto-based content creator, who works in the music business and attends shows in venues across Toronto. She says her favourite venue is Massey Hall because of its history, but RBC Amphitheatre holds a special place in her heart because the “vibe is amazing”, mentioning the scenic backdrop from the lawn, and the city in the distance in front of the amphitheatre.
With the renovations, RBC Amphitheatre will turn into a year-round venue, with winter season seating for 9,000 fans. This will give artists the opportunity to include a tour stop at a premier venue in Toronto during the winter.
“Music is a big thing for our city, anytime there’s a show, I love the energy from Toronto … even the energy after the show at Bud [the venue’s former nickname],” Tandon says about the change to a year-round venue, “I’m excited for more people to get involved.”
She believes the new renovations will attract even more tourists, because of the new design and the prospect of having better acoustics, aswell as a better layout where concertgoers can relax before showtime.
“Toronto is a big hub for people to travel in for shows. People DM me saying they’re coming from the States and say like ‘I’ve never been to Bud, what’s the vibe’… now with the new renovations … I can see this venue being like for the people outside of Ontario saying ‘what’s this venue? This is sick.’”
Evan Spizzirri, a merchandise worker at RBC Amphitheatre, Scotiabank Arena, Rogers Centre, and Rogers Stadium, says the renovations at the lakeshore venue will be an improvement from the former open air Budweiser stage. “People who didn’t like it with the open venue, will definitely give it a chance with the enclosed venue.”
When it comes to fan experience, Spizzirri does his best to try and make each person’s experience memorable. Spizzirri knows how to highlight the new additions to the venue while still focusing on doing his job to the best of his abilities.
“It’s just providing the best customer support that I can … working merchandise, we get the opportunity to speak to a lot of people … we can learn the new changes and try our best to answer any questions … because people have places they want to go to.”