Thousands of fans flocked to Rogers Stadium on June 29 for the highly-anticipated Stray Kids concert — a night that drew both excitement and frustration.
While some attendees praised the performance and venue organization, others described the experience as chaotic and poorly planned, sparking online backlash and raising questions about the stadium’s preparedness for large-scale events.
Sunday’s Stray Kids concert marked the debut show at the temporary outdoor venue at the former Downsview Airport lands, where an estimated 50,000 people attended.
One Reddit user cited issues ranging from limited access to water and shade to overwhelming crowd congestion and inadequate accommodations for disabled guests.
Rogers Stadium (Awful Experience)
byu/kameueda intoronto
The post describes a night that some say felt like “a recipe for disaster.” Users also echoed safety concerns around the venue’s bleacher seats.
“The venue is literally just bleachers. They shook the entire concert, and there’s no walls or solid floors on the stairs. So, if you drop something while going up the stairs it is now underneath the venue forever. It feels so unstable and scary to be on and there are NO lights on the stairs, so everyone had to use their flashlights at night,” one Reddit user said.
Some also raised concerns about the venue’s distance from the subway station. As there’s no parking at the venue, the stadium encourages concert-goers to take transit or get a ride there. For those taking transit, the walk to and from the venue to Downsview Park Station is 20-25 minutes. Although TTC and GO transit rides are free for concert-goers heading home, the congestion became an accessibility issue for those who needed accommodations. Those waiting in wheelchairs didn’t have the right amenities to support them, according to one user.
“Anyone I saw with mobility issues had the worst time of their life,” the original post said.
@nowtoronto Heading to a show at Rogers Stadium this summer? Now Toronto will show you how to get there taking the TTC. #RogersStadium #TTC #Straykids #Coldplay #BLACKPINK #ChrisBrown ♬ original sound – Now Toronto
Read More
Inside the stadium, lines for water, merchandise, and washrooms were long, and some attendees also reported incidents of fainting and panic attacks due to overcrowding and unstable seating.
“People were packed like sardines while trying to leave,” the user noted. “Way too many people fainted, and EMS didn’t show up until 15 minutes later. If the crowd was rowdier, I swear event security could have gotten trampled.”
A staff member of the venue commented on the thread, saying, “I worked at the venue and it was just as unorganized for staff as it was for patrons. Absolute nightmare day for everyone.”
A common point of frustration was the post-concert exit; the chaos forced some fans to miss their last GO Train.
Still, not all fans left with a negative impression. Some attendees described the experience as generally smooth, and praised the performance.
“I was there, and on the flip side the vibes were immaculate. The transition from sun to sunset to night was beautiful. I took the TTC and it was smooth, no complaints in or out via Downsview. With the City offering free fares for the “return” trip, they’re probably hoping concert goers use public transit instead of rideshare,” a user said.
“I’ve attended concerts at the Budweiser Stage, Scotiabank Arena (formerly ACC), and Rogers Arena, but this was by far the best experience I’ve had. The lines moved quickly, and there was plenty of space to walk around and wait comfortably before heading to our seats. A large, clearly displayed map helped us navigate the area easily. Even when we left just before the concert ended—alongside roughly 1,000 other people—we had no trouble finding and boarding the TTC,” another user commented.
Others took to Reddit to clarify details overlooked by critics.
“Just a note for others attending future events — there are more water refill stations beside the side entrances for the bleacher seats. They had no lineups because they had no signage,” one user wrote. “Overall, my kids and I had a positive experience last night.”
“We were there last night as well. The show was amazing but the venue was not amazing for people with disabilities,” another user added.
Meanwhile, many users were concerned about what the logistical problems would mean for the rest of the summer and the upcoming shows at Rogers Stadium.
Read More
“Please send this information to the venue and to your councillor. It was night one last night, they need to sort some of this for the rest of the season,” another user suggested.
“I’m hoping some of this is sorted out over the next two months of concerts – the first one is always going to be messy,” another user commented.
Now Toronto reached out to Live Nation for a comment and is waiting for a response.
