scotiabank arena drake

Scotiabank Arena just suddenly changed its name but there's a catch

Scotiabank Arena is the latest brand to bow to Drake mania, as the venue announced on Friday that it has changed its name for a relatively pointless two-day span on October 6 and 7 to celebrate Drizzy's It's All A Blur tour dates in Toronto.

The temporary renaming of Scotiabank Arena to October's Very Own Arena will Drake-ify the venue for the two tour dates at the arena, while also coinciding with the ten-year anniversary of the partnership between Drake's co-owned lifestyle brand, October's Very Own (OVO), and the Toronto Raptors.

During the temporary Drakeover, new exterior signage adorns the arena exterior, while all of Scotiabank Arena's social channels have been rebranded for the two-day affair.

"Drake and October's Very Own have played a pivotal role in the success of the Toronto Raptors over the past ten years and this precedent-setting relationship has captured the attention of fans locally, across Canada and around the world," said Shannon Hosford, Chief Marketing Officer at MLSE.

"We are thrilled to work with Scotiabank as they share their naming rights to help celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Raptors' partnership with Drake and OVO."

"We knew there was no better way to say 'Happy Anniversary' to the team's Global Ambassador than with a never-seen-before transformation of Scotiabank Arena that embodies the creativity of our partnership and truly makes the venue 'Drake's House' for the next two nights," added Hosford.

News of the temporary rebrand comes just a day after a similar Drake takeover was announced for Bloor GO station, triggering angry responses from disgruntled members of the public questioning the transit agency's priorities in the wake of a major service outage.

In addition to the Scotiabank Arena and GO Transit takeovers, a TTC 501 Queen Eastbound bus decorated in custom "It's All A Blur" art will be parked outside of the arena on October 6 and 7 for fans to see and photograph — instead of, you know, moving TTC customers around the city.

Drake will be impossible to avoid this weekend, thanks to several billboards and signs revamped in temporary artwork designed to immerse both fans and people who don't give a rat's behind about the multiplatinum recording artist.

scotiabank arena drake

If that wasn't enough, the CN Tower will be lit in gold on October 6 and 7, adding another landmark to the long list of Drake-ified spots in the city this week.

Scotiabank Arena will revert to its branding once Drake's tour leaves town, and the venue is set to reveal a $350 million renovation project on October 10.

Photos by

MLSE/Tom Pandi


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