The AC/DC concert that was set for Sept. 16 at Rogers Stadium has been cancelled after the venue sustained ‘severe damage’ in last week’s rainstorm, it announced on Wednesday evening. “The safety of fans, artists, crew and venue staff remains our highest priority. Every effort was made to find potential solutions for the show to move forward in Toronto, but unfortunately we were unable to find an alternative venue that could accommodate everyone,” Rogers Stadium said in a statement posted on social media. “Fans who purchased tickets through Ticketmaster will automatically receive a refund to their original method of payment; no action is required.” Those who bought resale tickets are being advised to contact their point-of-sale for refund information. Sections of venue need to be removed, rebuilt Live Nation, the primary operator of the stadium, announced the cancellation today. “Last Wednesday’s storm was an exceptionally severe and significant weather event, and in the days since, engineers have conducted a thorough assessment of the venue in coordination with the City of Toronto. That work has determined that sections of the venue impacted by the storm will need to be removed and rebuilt,” the statement read. “Rogers Stadium operates under extensive operational oversight and undergoes a rigorous safety inspection process. Engineers have worked with the City of Toronto from the beginning of the project and continue to do so as remediation work moves forward.” Given the damage to the stadium it is “not capable” of hosting fans for the upcoming concert, Live Nation said. “Cancelling a concert is never a decision we want to make, and we know how disappointing this will be for all of us who have been looking forward to seeing AC/DC close out our summer season. Safety has to come first,” Wayne Zronik, the company’s president of business operations, said. “Our teams have been working closely with the city and our partners to understand the storm damage and what needs to happen next. The right decision is to take the time to remove and rebuild the affected parts of the stadium to ensure it is ready to welcome fans next summer.” Zronik went on to say that their focus is on completing the work “carefully, safely and responsibly.” “We’ve had an incredible summer at Rogers Stadium, and while this isn’t how we wanted the season to end, safety for fans, artists and employees will always come before any individual event,” he said. ‘Extraordinary weather event’ Kevin Mahoney, Rogers Stadium’s on-site meteorologist, called last week’s storm an “extraordinary weather event.” “A suspected microburst in the area with extreme winds and heavy rainfall made it a 100-year storm for Toronto,” he wrote. “We continuously monitor the weather at Rogers Stadium to provide decision support around concert safety. It’s clear by the extreme intensity of the storm that this was exceptional for the region, and forensic meteorological analysis is ongoing.”
