Drake gives Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena a name change, announces break

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Ahead of Drake’s two sold-out shows in Toronto, MLSE is giving Scotiabank Arena a new moniker this weekend.

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The home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, who the rapper represents as its global ambassador, will become the October’s Very Own Arena on Oct. 6 and 7 as it celebrates Drake’s It’s All A Blur tour dates at the venue.

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“Drake and October’s Very Own have played a pivotal role in the success of the Toronto Raptors over the past ten years and this precedent-setting relationship has captured the attention of fans locally, across Canada and around the world,” said Shannon Hosford, Chief Marketing Officer at MLSE.

“We are thrilled to work with Scotiabank as they share their naming rights to help celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Raptors’ partnership with Drake and OVO. We knew there was no better way to say ‘Happy Anniversary’ to the team’s Global Ambassador than with a never-seen-before transformation of Scotiabank Arena that embodies the creativity of our partnership and truly makes the venue ‘Drake’s House’ for the next two nights. We look forward to many more years of representing the passion and pride of the Raptors and the City of Toronto together.”

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In addition to the rebrand, a 501 Queen Eastbound TTC bus emblazoned with It’s All A Blur art will be parked out front of the arena for fans to see and photograph. Areas around the complex will also feature exclusive artwork, “so fans are immersed in the new look and feel of October’s Very Own Arena.”

At Dundas Square, outside the Toronto Eaton Centre, billboards heralded the name change, while the CN Tower announced it will be lit up in gold to mark the concerts.

GO Transit also announced a collab with the music superstar, outfitting its trains in his trademark black and gold colours. But the partnership didn’t go over so well following a recent service outage.

“You have the money for this but not for providing riders a reliable service? Embarrassing,” one critic swiped, with another adding, “Whoever thought this was a good idea deserves to lose their job.”

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But for the many fans hoping to see Drake in his hometown, the activations might be the only way they’ll get to enjoy some of the hype around this weekend’s concerts. A seat for one of his shows will cost you an upwards of $1,000 with the cheapest resale ticket currently sitting at $595.

After his tour wraps, Drizzy, 36, is planning to take a break.

“I probably won’t make music for a little bit. I’m gonna be honest,” he said while speaking on his show Table For One on SiriusXM’s Sound 42. “ I got some other things I need to do for some other people that I made promises to, but I probably won’t make music for a little bit. I’m gonna be real with you. I need to focus on my health first and foremost and I’ll talk about that soon enough.”

Revealing that he’s been having the “craziest problems” with his stomach, the musician said he’s going to be stepping away from the stage.

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“Nothing crazy but just I want people to be healthy in life and I’ve been having the craziest problems for years with my stomach,” he continued. “So I need to focus on my health and get right, and I’m going to do that … So I’m gonna lock the door in the studio for a little bit. I don’t even know what a little bit is. Maybe, maybe a year or something, or maybe a little longer.”

The Grammy winner’s update came on the same day he dropped his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Scotiabank Arena will lift the lid on a $350 million renovation to the property next week, including updates to its concourses, suites, premium clubs, retail spaces, food and beverage offerings and more.

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X: @markhdaniell

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