history venue toronto

Huge lineups outside History mar opening night of Drake's new Toronto music venue

History, the brand new 2,500-seat concert venue in east Toronto by Live Nation and Drake, finally opened its doors last night to an ecstatic crowd of Bleachers fans, many of whom were content to wait in line for hours ahead of the establishment's inaugural show.

It was an exciting night for fans of live music, especially after the club's opening was delayed last month in light of public health restrictions.

With standing concerts once again okay in the eyes of Ontario's provincial government, little seemed able to stop music lovers from converging upon the site at at 1663 Queen St. E. for its formal November 7 launch.

Unfortunately, patrons were greeted with long waits to actually enter the venue, similar to what has been observed outside other large public facilities as everyone gets used to new proof-of-vaccination requirements that mandate showing both an official vaccine receipt and a form of ID at the door.

Some hardcore fans came prepared, arriving as early as 1 p.m. to ensure immediate access to the venue once doors opened at 7 p.m.

Others were worried upon arrival to see massive crowds waiting to get in, worrying that all of the extra security might cause them to miss parts of the concert.

Some even feared that the out of control lines (which reportedly wrapped around a full city block) could result in someone getting seriously hurt.

The sold out show was a hit, however, according to many in attendance.

And it wasn't just Jack Antonoff's stage presence that left fans smiling — many seemed impressed with the venue itself, praising the location, layout, acoustics and service.

Still, the process of getting into Drake's new venue in The Beaches left a sour taste in the mouths of some attendees, who criticized History for being unprepared to handle the opening night rush.

History is also taking some heat today merely for its links to Drake and Live Nation amid the ongoing Astroworld Festival controversy, despite the fact that Drizzy himself was not in attendance.

Drake did perform as a surprise guest on Friday at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival in Houston, where at least eight people were killed in a crowd surge and hundreds more were injured.

Both artists and Live Nation are now reportedly facing lawsuits as a result of the chaotic tragedy.

Lead photo by

Dana Rose


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Music

The history of 'The Forum' one of Toronto's greatest outdoor concert venues

Jonas Brothers announce surprise show and pop-up in Toronto

Future of Toronto's historic El Mocambo threatened by legal battle

Rockstar Jack White takes surprise shopping trip to Toronto store

Kendrick Lamar joked about Drake lawsuit at Super Bowl halftime show

The Weeknd's boycott of Grammys ends in surprise performance

The Weeknd bringing new tour to Toronto this summer

VELD just released its full 2025 lineup and it includes a number of hometown heroes