Rain forces Bruno Mars to postpone stadium opener in Toronto
TORONTO — The brand-new Rogers Stadium got a brutal christening Saturday. Not with music. With rain that simply wouldn’t stop. Bruno Mars was supposed to open a five-night residency at the Downsview Park venue, the first major event there. Hours before the gates were to swing open, organizers pulled the plug. Heavy downpours, lightning, and a parking lot that was turning into a bog left them no choice. The show is now set for May 31, but the whole mess left a sour taste for a venue already under fire from neighbours and now humbled by the weather.
Rain breaks record, swamps venue
Environment Canada confirmed the storm shattered a daily rainfall record for May 23 that had stood since 1849. The gauge at Pearson airport filled up fast, and in Downsview, water ponded on Allen Road and the 401. The stadium’s drainage couldn’t cope. Unpaved parking areas—and there are many—became deep muck. With lightning strikes still in the forecast, Live Nation said the risk to fans and crew was too high. They promised ticket-holders their seats for the rescheduled date, but that’s hardly consolation when you’re standing in a subway station getting turned around because the venue is underwater and GO trains aren’t even running.
Transit shutdown added to delays
That was the other disaster. Metrolinx had already shut down the Barrie line for the entire weekend, the exact route that would have ferried thousands directly to Downsview Park station. No trains. So fans piled onto the TTC’s Line 1 or tried to drive, and the storm turned the limited parking into a nightmare. Extra buses on the 84 and 101 routes got stuck in the same traffic that was snarling the DVP and 401. City officials had pleaded with people to take transit, but with the GO spine missing and the rain pounding, the whole plan collapsed. The rescheduled show on May 31 might be better, since Metrolinx says the track work should be done before month’s end, but no formal announcement yet.
What happens next
Mars posted a video from his hotel, the grey sky behind him, promising “the biggest party Toronto has ever seen” on the 31st. All other shows (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) will proceed if the weather cooperates, and Sunday’s forecast looks clear and mild. Refunds are available at the point of purchase for anyone who can’t make the new date. The city’s licensing division says it’s working with the promoter to ensure the rescheduled show has updated drainage and emergency access plans. Whether that includes paving the parking lots is anybody’s guess. After a record-breaking deluge that turned a concert into a mess of mud and traffic, the biggest lingering question isn’t about the setlist. It’s whether anyone will get their shoes clean by next weekend.