Toronto outdoor venue to get futuristic update in Ontario Place rebuild

Ontario Place's iconic Budweiser Stage amphitheatre is getting a dramatic overhaul as part of the sweeping and controversial revitalization of the waterfront site, and here's what it will look like. 

On Tuesday, the Ford government unveiled the final designs for the new Ontario public space, including the redesigned venue, which will be able to host up to 20,000 guests in the summer and nearly 9,000 in the winter, transforming it into a year-round indoor-outdoor concert destination. 

A map of the future revitalized site shows a large section devoted to the Therma megaspa, the Live Nation music venue, the new Ontario Science Centre, and a massive publicly owned parking structure. The venue's renderings show its east side entrance as well as the east pavilion. 

"For the past 30 years, our amphitheatre has presented and hosted some of the biggest and best Canadian and international artists," said Wayne Zronik, President of Business Operations for Live Nation Canada. 

Photo: Live Nation. 

"The revitalization of our iconic amphitheatre into a modernized, year-round venue is an important step for Live Nation Canada — it gives us the opportunity to grow and improve our legacy so that we can entertain fans, support artists, create jobs and provide ancillary economic benefits for decades to come."

Along with the Live Nation venue and Therme Canada spa, the redesigned Ontario Place will include more than 50 acres of public trails, expanded green space, new beaches, playgrounds, and an updated marina.

Once complete,  the revamped music venue is expected to welcome up to one million visitors and support more than 900 jobs during events.