Departure arrived last week for its inaugural edition since rebranding from Canadian Music Week. After settling its legal dispute with former owner Neill Dixon shortly before the week began, the conference set up shop in its new home at Toronto's Hotel X from May 6-9, 2025.
Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group (one of Departure's new owners, alongside Loft Entertainment), flew in for a special panel on live entertainment on Thursday, May 8. He joined Tom Pistore, president of Oak View Group's Canada operation; Keith Pelley, president and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE); and Wayne Zronick, president of business operations at Live Nation Canada. The discussion was sponsored by Scotiabank Arena and Coca-Cola Coliseum and hosted by Live Nation's Joey Scolari.
Together, the men on this panel represent the companies behind the biggest sports and music events across Toronto and much of Canada. The live industry is made up of many promoters and venues, including independent promoters and operators who often struggle to compete, but the market share of the three companies represented on stage — who have sometimes worked in partnership — was undeniable.
Much of the focus was on the growing demand for arena and stadium concerts, which is a growing market within Canada and Toronto especially, despite rising ticket prices that make them inaccessible to some fans. That market is dominated by Live Nation, which is building a whole new temporary venue called Rogers Stadium to meet the number of mega-tours coming through town.
"The show count is double vs. 2019," said Zronik. "There are more Budweiser Stage and Scotiabank Arena shows than ever before. That's due to genre expansion plus economy and where people want to put their money."
From left: Joey Scolari, Tom Pistore, Keith Pelley, Wayne Zronik and Tim Leiweke speaking on State of the Industry panel at Departure at Toronto's Hotel X on May 8, 2025.Mike Highfield
Especially after COVID, the execs agreed, young people are looking to spend their money on experiences rather than saving for a house (though, given real estate prices, that may be less a choice than a necessity).
If people are choosing between experiences vs. other essentials, then they expect a better level of experience, Zronik argued. "Seven different levels," he said, "from the best seat in the house to the GA pit." The food, too has to level up. "No longer just cold hot dogs and warm beer."
For its splashy renovation of the Hamilton Arena formerly known as Copps Coliseum, Oak View Group is partnering with celebrity chef Matty Matheson to open full-service Iron Cow Public House plus other food concepts throughout the building. There's a strong focus on tiered VIP experiences there, with music now the top priority.
"Before it was all about hockey, and music was an afterthought," said Lieweke, who came from sports and has previously held top spots at AEG and MLSE.
Hamilton is a cheaper market than Toronto, and it can act as a "relief valve" for Scotiabank Arena and other major shows that come through Toronto. Instead of competing with the bigger city's live entertainment market, he sees it as an extension. "If there's a market you're going to bet on, it's going to be Toronto," he declared.
Building venues mean the big tours have somewhere to go. And that's more than just big reunion tours like Oasis and top stadium bets like Coldplay. With global acts becoming bigger draws all over the world, K-pop groups like Stray Kids (the first concert opening Rogers Stadium this summer) and BLACKPINK, Latin stars like Bad Bunny and rising Punjabi acts like AP Dhillon, Karan Aujla and Diljit Dosanjh are filling bigger venues. (Asked about the popularity of K-pop, Zronik made a pointed quip that he was just the guy to talk about it.)
Smaller markets like Kelowna and Sudbury need venues too, said Pistore, and OVG is working with government to make sure they're served.
Emerging acts are ascending faster, he said, using Noah Kahan as an example. The singer-songwriter went from History to Budweiser Stage to Scotiabank Arena in the span of under two years.
Festivals and smaller venues and working artists may be calling for support, but according to the executives behind it, the big-ticket concert market is booming.
