Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

Molson Canadian Amphitheatre (commonly called (the) Molson Amphitheatre or simply the Amphitheatre) is a semi-enclosed outdoor concert venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its address is 909 Lake Shore Boulevard West, located on the grounds of Ontario Place. The venue hosts many diverse acts, including genres like rock, pop, and jazz.

The first musician to perform at this music venue was Bryan Adams on May 18, 1995.

History

Forum

Ontario Place opened in May 1971 with the original Forum as one of first attractions at the amusement park. The original structure consisted of a vinyl canopy, which was replaced by a copper canopy roof in 1978. Its unique configuration consisted of a round stage, which slowly rotated before the audience, which completely surrounded it. The venue had a capacity of approximately 16,000 seats, which included 7,000 seats on the lawn, 5,500 seats under a covered roof, and 3,500 seats that were uncovered.

Amphitheater

Over the winter of 1994–1995, came the controversial demolition of the popular Forum and the construction of a larger venue on the site.^[1] In May 1995, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre opened with two Bryan Adams concerts before sold-out audiences. Many critics lamented the passing of an established cultural landmark from Toronto. However, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre garnered positive reviews in 1995, winning RPM Magazine's "Best New Concert Venue" award.

As of 2004, 3 million patrons have visited the venue. The amphitheater has hosted Canadian rapper Drake's annual OVO Festival since 2010. The Festival has featured performances by Drake, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and A$AP Rocky among others.

Depeche Mode performed at the amphitheatre three times: the first one was on June 16, 2001 during their Exciter Tour. The second one was on July 24, 2009 during their Tour of the Universe, in front of a sold out crowd of 16,128 people. The third one was on September 1, 2013 during their Delta Machine Tour, in front of a sold out crowd of 16,110 people. The 2009 show was recorded for the group's live albums project Recording the Universe.

Specifications

The music venue is open yearly from May to September, due to its outdoor configuration. The amphitheatre has a capacity of approximately 16,000. There are 5,500 reserved seats under the 60-foot-high covered roof, 3,500 seats under the open sky, and 7,000 seats on the grass bowl. The floor area (100 level) has an unreserved capacity of 1,000. There are also Club and VIP seats for season ticket-holders. Two large video screens flank the stage, while two video cubes hang from the rear of the covered roof for those sitting on the lawns. The video support system gives everyone in the audience a closeup of the performers on stage.

TD Echo Beach

In 2012, a new concert venue named TD Echo Beach was opened just east of the amphitheatre. This general admission venue has a capacity of approximately 5,000, which includes raised VIP viewing platforms.

Ontario Place revitalization plans

In 2012 the park at Ontario place remained closed with the intention of revitalization. A committee headed by John Tory has recommended the return of the Ontario Place Forum as a centerpiece of the revitalization plans. The Amphitheatre's future, as a result, has been called into question.

See also

• Ontario Place Forum
• Exhibition Place
• List of contemporary amphitheatres

Other performing arts venues in the city include:

• Four Seasons Centre
• Massey Hall
• Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
• Roy Thomson Hall
• Toronto Centre for the Arts

References

External links

• Official site
• Molson Canadian Amphitheatre Seating Chart
• TD Echo Beach