Budweiser Stage
Budweiser Stage
3.8
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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3.8
475 reviews
Excellent
178
Very good
161
Average
60
Poor
35
Terrible
41
FortyForkFun
Oakville, Canada284 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
Fun evening with friends. Washrooms were cleaned and the line ups moved quite quickly. The venue is steps away from the CNE, so it’s easy to access through Go train Exhibition stop. They also gives you access to plenty of snacks options before the stadium. Remember that backpacks over 12 inches are not allowed inside the stadium.
Written August 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RIT17
Toronto, Canada158 contributions
Aug 2022
Actual Santana concert was great....excellent sound and lighting.
I have been to this venue many times and never found it as jam packed as it was for this concert. Show started a little after 7pm and by the time E,W & F ended at 8:30pm, there were still people arriving. It was as if the lawn was oversold, people were standing in all the concrete aisles.
The entrance and exiting process is very, very slow and completely disorganized.
The prices for food outside the actual amphitheater are very expensive and most do not accept cash, so be forewarned.
Unfortunately, we were n the lawn and found a large number of people had chairs, blocking the views of those of us sitting on the lawn. If Budweiser Stage (Live Nation) want to improve things then they need to designate certain areas for chairs so the rest of the lawn patrons don't have to deal with these people.
And of course, washrooms are limited - from the lawn you can spend the whole intermission searching and lining up for a washroom.
Hint - to enjoy the show, stay away from the lawn area,
I have been to this venue many times and never found it as jam packed as it was for this concert. Show started a little after 7pm and by the time E,W & F ended at 8:30pm, there were still people arriving. It was as if the lawn was oversold, people were standing in all the concrete aisles.
The entrance and exiting process is very, very slow and completely disorganized.
The prices for food outside the actual amphitheater are very expensive and most do not accept cash, so be forewarned.
Unfortunately, we were n the lawn and found a large number of people had chairs, blocking the views of those of us sitting on the lawn. If Budweiser Stage (Live Nation) want to improve things then they need to designate certain areas for chairs so the rest of the lawn patrons don't have to deal with these people.
And of course, washrooms are limited - from the lawn you can spend the whole intermission searching and lining up for a washroom.
Hint - to enjoy the show, stay away from the lawn area,
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
anmrjh
Ontario, Canada23 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
Hozier performed here, what an amazing and memorable show. I prefer seated concerts, but on the off chance, I booked floor seats in the pit for this particular performance. It has been over a decade since I have been to Budweiser, when I last went it was still the Molson Amphitheatre. Hozier, his band, and the opening act Madison Cunningham both have terrific vocals and are excellent live. His voice is everything you would expect and more. It was totally worth it to see him perform in person and in his prime. Fantastic evening!
Written September 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bryangy82
Regina, Canada81 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Our first visit to Budweiser stage was an amazing one thanks to Bush and special guests. This venue has an amazing atmosphere and the sound quality was really good! Beer was over priced as usual but if you like rock n roll I’d recommend this place for a great outdoor experience.
Written August 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John A
4 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
Really enjoyed the concert. LONG walk from where Uber dropped us to our seats. Absolute miracle that we found Uber driver after concert. Taxi drivers trying to charge triple the Uber fees. Would be nice if everyone wasnt filtered after concert like sheep into ONE walkway. And if the cab/ uber drop off was more organized and regulated. Also…..INSANE prices for food & drinks. But, it is a cool venue to see a band !
Written June 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Max I
2 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
used to be the nicest place in TO for a concert...until the US purchased it. now i dread going there and even debate passing on my favourite artists
1) there are now fewer and less diverse food trucks, all of which are more expensive
2) there is now less merch, all of which is more expensive
3) a sizeable area meant for those vendors, contests, games, events etc. has been relegated to porta poties
4) prices have bee nraised to 16.50 before tax for a single beer. for reference thats how much the lcbo charges for 6
5) the lawns are never maintained anymore. what was once nice grass is now consistently mud, dirt, woodchips
6) they no longer allow you to hang out, buy merch or food after the show and immeidately rush you out
7) bag policy has gotten much more strict. the max size limit is too small to even hold a towel, unless you purvhase one of their clear bags, which is likely to get you mugged after the show. alternatively if you do bring a bag, they force you to pay for lockers of which there arent that many of and there is only one line so you're waiting even longer
8) they do nothing to notify or accomodate people for the massive inconveneince that is actually getting to the venue due to the honda indies
worst of all (and i've seen this is a common complaint), their "customer service" is terrible and near non existent. went to complain the other night that they should have made a public annoucnement when a band went on early as we were stuck in line waiting for food/ drinks we had already paid for resulting in missing the first few songs. they basically said sorry not sorry since its the band who decides when to go on, not them. when i told them thats not an acceptable answer since even if the band decides, as they venue they are responsible and they have more than enough employees for one to go up to the mic and let people know...they then tried to gaslight me saying i should have known when buying the tickets that times are subject to change without notice and its my fault if i didnt read the TOC. i responded saying thats only true in the event of a delay...they left me on "seen", even after i tried to follow up giving them the benefit of the doubt in case they just forgot to respond. finally i said "so just to recap, first you refuse to accept any responsibility. then you fully blame the band and me as a customer...and now you're ghosting me for calling you out on it?"... of cource i was once again left on "seen"
1) there are now fewer and less diverse food trucks, all of which are more expensive
2) there is now less merch, all of which is more expensive
3) a sizeable area meant for those vendors, contests, games, events etc. has been relegated to porta poties
4) prices have bee nraised to 16.50 before tax for a single beer. for reference thats how much the lcbo charges for 6
5) the lawns are never maintained anymore. what was once nice grass is now consistently mud, dirt, woodchips
6) they no longer allow you to hang out, buy merch or food after the show and immeidately rush you out
7) bag policy has gotten much more strict. the max size limit is too small to even hold a towel, unless you purvhase one of their clear bags, which is likely to get you mugged after the show. alternatively if you do bring a bag, they force you to pay for lockers of which there arent that many of and there is only one line so you're waiting even longer
8) they do nothing to notify or accomodate people for the massive inconveneince that is actually getting to the venue due to the honda indies
worst of all (and i've seen this is a common complaint), their "customer service" is terrible and near non existent. went to complain the other night that they should have made a public annoucnement when a band went on early as we were stuck in line waiting for food/ drinks we had already paid for resulting in missing the first few songs. they basically said sorry not sorry since its the band who decides when to go on, not them. when i told them thats not an acceptable answer since even if the band decides, as they venue they are responsible and they have more than enough employees for one to go up to the mic and let people know...they then tried to gaslight me saying i should have known when buying the tickets that times are subject to change without notice and its my fault if i didnt read the TOC. i responded saying thats only true in the event of a delay...they left me on "seen", even after i tried to follow up giving them the benefit of the doubt in case they just forgot to respond. finally i said "so just to recap, first you refuse to accept any responsibility. then you fully blame the band and me as a customer...and now you're ghosting me for calling you out on it?"... of cource i was once again left on "seen"
Written July 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frank G
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
Avoid the Budweiser Stage venue. I have been to concerts at Rogers Centre, Scotia Place Arena, Massey Hall, and Roy Thomson Hall and they are excellent places to watch a concert. Five Stars for them.
The worst managed is the Budweiser Stage at Ontario Place. Live Nation runs the events. Though the acts are great, the management of Budweiser Stage fails miserably at running the place. Security lets people drink and smoke in their seats and took no action to implement the No Smoking By-Laws. Drunks roam freely from beer dispensaries staggering back to their seats.
The facility was not designed to hold large crowds of 10,000 or so. They cram customers tightly into the Budweiser Stage. You could be seated next to a drunk or a chain smoker. But have no options to correct the situation.
Security is very inconsistent. For example, at the July 8th Billy Talent Concert security let people stand in the passageways leading to the seats, the concessions, and the washrooms.
I stood for 90 minutes along with a large crowd for the Cancer Bats and Cypress Hill performances. I thought it was OK to stand there. Security let them stand there. People were doing it right from the start.
If it wasn't OK why didn't security enforce the rules from the start? When the security guards started to disperse the crowd just before the Billy Talent act, I objected and expressed my dissatisfaction with the way customers were treated.
What does he do? Instead of referring my complaint to his manager or customer service, he threw me out for trespassing....way to go Live Nation. Your treatment of customers and the unwelcoming nature of your operations is a guaranteed way of losing customers.
By the way, the bands were great, though I was tossed out before Billy Talent the feature took to the stage. My son tells me that History, venue owned by Drake in the Beaches is a great place to watch bands. He saw Protest the Hero there last week. There are no seats. People can stand. Security is subtle but effective.
The worst managed is the Budweiser Stage at Ontario Place. Live Nation runs the events. Though the acts are great, the management of Budweiser Stage fails miserably at running the place. Security lets people drink and smoke in their seats and took no action to implement the No Smoking By-Laws. Drunks roam freely from beer dispensaries staggering back to their seats.
The facility was not designed to hold large crowds of 10,000 or so. They cram customers tightly into the Budweiser Stage. You could be seated next to a drunk or a chain smoker. But have no options to correct the situation.
Security is very inconsistent. For example, at the July 8th Billy Talent Concert security let people stand in the passageways leading to the seats, the concessions, and the washrooms.
I stood for 90 minutes along with a large crowd for the Cancer Bats and Cypress Hill performances. I thought it was OK to stand there. Security let them stand there. People were doing it right from the start.
If it wasn't OK why didn't security enforce the rules from the start? When the security guards started to disperse the crowd just before the Billy Talent act, I objected and expressed my dissatisfaction with the way customers were treated.
What does he do? Instead of referring my complaint to his manager or customer service, he threw me out for trespassing....way to go Live Nation. Your treatment of customers and the unwelcoming nature of your operations is a guaranteed way of losing customers.
By the way, the bands were great, though I was tossed out before Billy Talent the feature took to the stage. My son tells me that History, venue owned by Drake in the Beaches is a great place to watch bands. He saw Protest the Hero there last week. There are no seats. People can stand. Security is subtle but effective.
Written November 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debbie J
Ottawa, Canada7 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
Went to see Sting in concert, first time at Budweiser stage. The venue is easy to get to via TTC, with a short walk to the entrance. This is a smaller venue, so there aren't the huge crowds entering or exiting. There is stadium type seating, some of which is partly covered by a roof (the sides are partially open too), although standard width the seats have a generous amount of room in front, so people could easily get by, without you needing to stand up. There's a grassed area at the back of the venue, where you can bring your lawn chairs, although furthest distance from stage. There are lots of alcohol vendors and a few food places, they stop serving drinks at 10pm, although some of the food places were open at the end of the concert. The view of the stage was awesome in the 200 section, sound system was great. There was some on site parking, not sure of the cost, but it seemed to be chaotic on the way out, you exit onto Lake Shore, so it is very busy. There were a few taxi's and rickshaws waiting directly at the entrance, but if you order a taxi, they are supposed to pick you up on Lakeshore. Make sure you confirm with the taxi company/uber exactly where they are going to pick you up, it took 10 minutes to find mine. I much preferred this venue to any other I have attended, just because it was a smaller crowd and had a great view of the stage.
Written September 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cruiser11246311542
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
I do love this venue and it was a great show (NKOTB & Paula Abdul) however I bought a $62 tshirt and when I checked my account the next day I noticed I was actually charged $140 for it. Since then I have tried to speak with someone at Budweiser Stage but have yet to hear back. When discussing with friends I learned that this is pretty common practice there. As they are a no cash venue they often just pass the debit/cc machine with the tap portion and don’t show you the total so I strongly urge you to double check every transaction.
Written August 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa N
Ancaster, Canada43 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
I have been going to this venue for over 30 years and it use to be one of my all time favourite venues for live music but my recent visit was for Zac Brown Band and it was awful.
There is no organization upon arrival at this venue. They have you line up like cattle in non existent lines as you watch so many people bud into line in front of you. Everybody is just jammed together.
Upon entry there are line ups everywhere for food, merch and alcohol. If you just want to get inside the venue, good luck! You’re literally struggling thru all these lines and crowds.
But the absolute worst are the bathrooms!! Public health needs to do an audit of this place! Just disgusting! Porta potty after porta potty in summer heat! Hand washing area ran out of water and soap! Seriously! So unhygienic! There is another area for indoor washroom but line up was insane.
We had general admission tickets which I use to love sitting on the grass enjoying the concert but will never do again because of all the drunkards falling into us and ultimately pushing us out of our area.
We ended up leaving before the concert finished because we didn’t want to have to deal with anymore unorganized crowds at this place.
There is no organization upon arrival at this venue. They have you line up like cattle in non existent lines as you watch so many people bud into line in front of you. Everybody is just jammed together.
Upon entry there are line ups everywhere for food, merch and alcohol. If you just want to get inside the venue, good luck! You’re literally struggling thru all these lines and crowds.
But the absolute worst are the bathrooms!! Public health needs to do an audit of this place! Just disgusting! Porta potty after porta potty in summer heat! Hand washing area ran out of water and soap! Seriously! So unhygienic! There is another area for indoor washroom but line up was insane.
We had general admission tickets which I use to love sitting on the grass enjoying the concert but will never do again because of all the drunkards falling into us and ultimately pushing us out of our area.
We ended up leaving before the concert finished because we didn’t want to have to deal with anymore unorganized crowds at this place.
Written July 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How does the Pavilion work? is it only AMEX ticket holders have access?
Written August 17, 2023
Chalmers W
Hornell, New York
What kind of soft drinks or soda (pepsi, coke, sprite, ginger ale, etc.) could a designated driver purchase the concession stand?
Written July 4, 2023
You can purchase coke at the concession stand
Written August 8, 2024
Do the gates close after a certain time, if I am arriving late to the concert?
Written July 29, 2022
Hello,
What is the best drop off and pick up spot for Budweiser stage?I will be bringing teens to a concert in the near future.
Thank you.
Written May 27, 2022
Can 15 and 16 year olds attend a concert on their own without adult supervision or does someone over 19 have to go with them?
Written June 1, 2021
Best nearby hotel as far as transportation to/from concert at Budweiser stage?
Written August 14, 2020
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