Severe storm devastates Rogers Stadium before AC/DC Toronto concert
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
A severe thunderstorm with damaging winds tore through downtown Toronto on 2 September, causing significant structural damage to Rogers Stadium and casting doubt over AC/DC's scheduled concert there on 16 September. Live Nation said it was assessing the damage and confirmed no one was injured, though the show was set to be the venue's final gig of the season, meaning any disruption would end the stadium's summer run on an uncertain note.
Footage showed large sections of the stadium's North seating area destroyed, with rows of seats twisted, flipped and torn from their fittings, fencing scattered and bleacher scaffolding fractured. The storm, described as a "100-year" event, dumped nearly five inches of rain in parts of the city, knocking out power to thousands of homes and blocking streets with downed trees. Rogers Stadium, a 50,000-capacity venue, had hosted acts including Luke Combs, Post Malone, Guns N' Roses and BTS over the summer; neither Live Nation Canada nor representatives for AC/DC had responded to requests for comment on the concert's status by press time.
- Storm damage at Toronto's Rogers Stadium threatens AC/DC's 16 September show
- "100-year" storm wrecked North seating section; no injuries reported
- Live Nation assessing damage; no comment yet from band or promoter
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Toronto's Rogers Stadium is a large open-air venue that opened in 2025 and has hosted major acts over the summer, including Luke Combs, Post Malone, Guns N' Roses and BTS, with a capacity of around 50,000 people. It was due to host Australian rock band AC/DC on 16 September, in what was set to be the venue's last show of the season. The concert is run by Live Nation, the promoter and venue operator.
On 2 September, a severe thunderstorm hit downtown Toronto, bringing damaging winds and close to five inches of rain in some areas. The storm caused widespread disruption across the city, including power cuts to thousands of homes and roads blocked by fallen trees, and has been described as a rare, once-in-a-century weather event.
The stadium itself sustained visible structural damage, particularly to its North seating section, raising questions over whether repairs can be completed in time for the AC/DC show. No injuries were reported. The situation matters both for ticket holders awaiting news on the concert's status and as an example of the wider disruption the storm caused across Toronto.
Full account
A severe thunderstorm that tore through Toronto has left Rogers Stadium badly damaged, throwing into doubt whether AC/DC can play what was due to be the venue's final concert of the season on 16 September. Live Nation, which operates the 50,000-capacity stadium, said it was still assessing the scale of the damage and would issue further updates once the full picture was clear, with the Australian rockers' Power Up tour date now hanging in the balance only weeks before fans were due to arrive.
Footage and accounts from the scene described extensive destruction concentrated in the stadium's north-end seating area, where large blocks of blue seating were reportedly ripped from their fixings, buckled and piled on top of one another. Perimeter fencing was said to have been flung about the site, sections of bleacher scaffolding bent or broken by the wind, and portable toilets destroyed, scattering plastic wreckage across the pitch and surrounding grounds. In its statement, Live Nation stressed that the safety of staff and contractors was its foremost concern and confirmed that, despite the extent of the damage, nobody had been hurt.
The stadium's misfortune reflected a wider bout of extreme weather that swept the city, reportedly one of the most intense storms to hit the area in a century, dumping close to five inches of rain in parts of Toronto within a short period. The downpour and accompanying winds knocked out power to large numbers of households, felled trees that blocked roads, and left basements flooded across the city. Residents described the weather turning within moments, from bright sunshine to an eerily still, blackened sky before rain began falling almost horizontally, while others recalled hailstones the size of golf balls and streets rapidly submerged.
The disruption comes as AC/DC near the end of a tour leg that has already taken in dates across Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Mexico, with Toronto meant to cap the stadium's busy first season, which has also hosted acts including Luke Combs, Post Malone, Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses and BTS. The episode has reignited debate among some locals and fans about whether an open-air venue was the right choice for the site, with several suggesting the enclosed Rogers Centre would have withstood the storm better. Neither Live Nation Canada nor representatives for AC/DC had publicly commented on the specific implications for the September show as assessments continued, leaving both the band and organisers facing an anxious wait to see whether repairs can be completed in time.
Where outlets differ
One outlet frames the story primarily around AC/DC and includes local reaction, including social-media style complaints about the stadium's open-air design and an unrelated aside about a band member's earlier hospitalisation, which the other source does not mention.
The Billboard-sourced report gives more precise meteorological detail, citing a 'once-in-100-years' storm, nearly five inches of rainfall, and city-wide power outages and downed trees, attributed to CTV News, whereas the other account focuses more on eyewitness descriptions of the storm's sudden onset and hail.
Only the Billboard-style source specifies the storm occurred on Wednesday 3 September and lists the run of acts that played Rogers Stadium earlier in the season; the first source does not give a precise date or this concert history.
The two sources differ slightly on attribution of the damage details to the Toronto Star, with one embedding Star reporting throughout and the other citing both the Star and CTV News separately for different aspects of the story.
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