Improved Crowd Control at Rogers Stadium During Coldplay Concert
Coldplay fans experienced a more efficient exit from Toronto’s Rogers Stadium on Monday night, marking an improvement over the previous week’s inaugural show. However, some concertgoers still found themselves waiting for extended periods before they could leave the venue.
Leigh Marshall and Adam Archdekin described feeling “herded like cattle” as they were held inside the stadium for 40 minutes after the concert ended. They noted that staff used red lights to signal people to stop and wait, while green lights indicated it was safe to proceed. This method, referred to by Live Nation Canada as “pulsing,” was also used during the first show. The company promised to adjust exit routes to distribute crowds more evenly across multiple nearby subway stations.
Despite the temporary delays, the crowd control strategy appeared to prevent overcrowding at Downsview Park, the closest subway and GO train station. Only a limited number of people moved through the area at any given time, which helped manage the flow of attendees.
By 12:30 a.m., transit staff announced that the last GO Train had departed, and signs directing fans to the station were taken down as the crowd thinned out. This marked a significant improvement from the previous week’s event, where some fans reported taking up to two hours to exit the 50,000-person capacity stadium.
Still, Marshall and Archdekin expressed concerns about future concerts, noting that with only two exits, the venue could become a potential disaster if not properly managed.
Live Nation Canada acknowledged the complaints about the site and transit services being unprepared for large crowds. The operator stated it was making adjustments ahead of Coldplay’s four shows this week. These changes include reconfiguring exit routes, adding more signage, lighting, staff, and water stations.
The Toronto Transit Commission plans to increase staff at Downsview Park and Wilson stations on concert nights, while Metrolinx said it would “closely monitor” GO train ridership levels for events at the stadium.
Some fans opted to leave early to avoid potential congestion. Laurie Gatto and Jody McComb said they left partway through the final song, managing to exit in just 10 minutes. They cited concerns about the venue’s reputation and decided to leave before the end.
Gatto and McComb noted that there were enough bathrooms and clear signage throughout the venue. Inside, additional water stations had been set up as promised.
During the show, Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin thanked the crowd for enduring “the traffic and the travel and the trains and the waiting” to attend the event at what he called “this weird stadium in the middle of nowhere.”
Earlier in the evening, thousands of fans arrived early, only to be directed by staff from the subway to long lines for entry. Barb Lucas, who came from Oshawa, Ont., admitted she was “terrified” after hearing about the challenges at the previous concert, including long lines for bathrooms, limited water, and swaying grandstands.
Lucas also mentioned that the venue’s name was confusing. She thought the concert was at the Rogers Centre, the downtown stadium, and said she would have changed her plans if she had known the location was different.
Brian Ellis, who drove four hours from Detroit, booked accommodations near the Rogers Centre, expecting the concert to be at the downtown venue. Instead, he had to drive 25 kilometres to the Sheppard West transit station parking lot and then walk half an hour to reach the gates.
Pedicab drivers transported fans who preferred not to walk the long distance. One driver offered rides for $20 per person from a parking lot less than a kilometre away.
Emilio DeAngelis, who traveled from Quebec City, embraced the experience, saying, “It’s Coldplay. It’s normal that there’s a lot of people.”
