Toronto's Budweiser Stage to Become RBC Amphitheatre

Say hello to RBC Amphitheatre.

Today (Oct. 28), Live Nation Canada and RBC announced a multi-year partnership to expand the Toronto waterfront venue — starting with the replacement of its former name, Budweiser Stage, effective immediately.

RBC Amphitheatre is set to be transformed and expanded into a year-round venue by 2030.

The concert venue, on the site of the old Ontario Place Forum, opened in the mid-1990s under its initial name, Molson Amphitheatre, and was renamed Budweiser Stage in 2017. Its new name is a callback to its origins.

"It is a nod to the past, but it's also forward looking," says Wayne Zronik, president of business operations at Live Nation Canada, in an interview with Billboard Canada. "We’ve all been down there for shows. It's been around for 30 years, and it's one of the best in the world. It's so amazing and so to preserve that, yet to also have it be available in this very unique year-round configuration for generations to come is very exciting for us."

Embarking on renovations, the event space will expand its indoor and outdoor capabilities. By becoming a full-year venue, RBC Amphitheatre will include an expanded capacity in the summer and approximately 9,000 seats in the winter, featuring seated and an open-air lawn section from May to October.

Zronik says the winterization will include an "operable panel system" that will enclose the pavilion in a temperature-controlled environment starting in the fall months.

The event space is expected to close for renovations in fall 2027 and reopen in spring 2029, with full-year capabilities complete by summer 2030.

Inspired by fan feedback, the venue will feature a pedestrian bridge that improves access and eases crowd flow. Live Nation also promises upgraded amenities like expanded food and beverage options, hospitality areas and a new lookout deck with elevator access to the lawn. The city skyline views will remain central to the venue’s identity.

With the proposed changes and transformation, RBC Amphitheatre is set to significantly increase its show count, hosting over 1.5 million fans annually.

“The redevelopment of RBC Amphitheatre, formerly Budweiser Stage, strengthens Toronto’s position as a global entertainment hub and a must-play city for artists who are touring,” says Michael Rapino, CEO and president of Live Nation Entertainment. “With these changes, RBC Amphitheatre will become a world-class venue with unmatched acoustics, fan-friendly design and elevated hospitality experiences.”

Venue upgrades will include multiple tiers of VIP experiences (as is the current trend with venues), as well as infrastructure to support modernized concert production and backstage amenities for some of the biggest artists in the world. Toronto has become one of the biggest global touring markets, which has inspired Live Nation's expanded presence in venues, including the new Rogers Stadium that opened this summer.

"I think we have to continue to invest in cultural infrastructure so that we can accommodate these shows," says Zronik. "The Amphitheatre is 30 years old; by the time this is done, it would have been 35. You have to revitalize these things."

Though Ontario Premier Doug Ford has touted the former Budweiser Stage in his vision for a revitalized Ontario Place including a spa and waterpark, Zronik clarifies the funding is entirely private. The support of RBC will support the ambitious project.

"It truly feels like a homecoming for us," says Mary DePaoli, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at RBC. "We have been investing in music and in the creative economy for a number of years in Canada. $140 million has already been committed by RBC to arts and music organizations touching 50,000 creatives. We do a lot for fans of live music: ticket discounts, giveaways, RBC Emerging Artists and RBCxMusic, and all kinds of experiences. And so, it only felt right that we also looked at a venue that is beloved by music fans and that we can both nod to the past but also be part of its future."

RBC was the sponsor of Echo Beach, the outdoor venue attached to the amphitheatre that has since closed, so it is somewhat of a reunion.

"Live Nation has been designing new fan experiences, new features for the RBC Amphitheatre, and we've been giving some of our hopes and around what we could do to be fully integrated as a partner," DePaoli says.

Among them will be the chance to purchase concert tickets with the bank's Avion Rewards program.

Building signage of the previous venue name will remain visible as the space transforms in the months leading up to the 2026 season, when the RBC Amphitheatre name will replace it. The venue currently has four shows announced for next year’s lineup, including Canadian rapper bbno$, American musician MGK, country star Bailey Zimmerman and Australian boy band 5 Seconds of Summer.

Live music is a major sector of growth for the Canadian economy, generating almost $11 billion in GDP, according to the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA). While this number doesn’t come without its challenges — as many small venues and festivals face closures as they compete with bigger companies — the reimagined RBC Amphitheatre is purported to create hundreds of new jobs in the live entertainment space.

10/29/2025: This article has been updated with quotes from Wayne Zronik and Mary DePaoli.