Canada's Largest Stadium is CLOSING their Upper Bowl

Canada's Largest Stadium is CLOSING their Upper Bowl - Best Edmonton Mall

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8 ай бұрын

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In October of 2023, the Edmonton Elks announced that moving forward, the upper bowl of Commonwealth Stadium was going to be closed off to fans.
Tickets will no longer be sold for seats in the upper tier of the historic stadium, and that fans will no longer be able to sit in what some argue are the best seats in the house. This is the first time since it was built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games that fans will be prevented from accessing upper seats.
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Пікірлер: 58

@jamesodenbach6876 8 ай бұрын

I bet they'll cover the upper bowl seats with giant fabric covers with advertisements on them during games.

@stickynorth 8 ай бұрын

Despite it being a simple design, Commonwealth is still one of the best used venues in the nation. I just wish it would branch out and host more outdoor music festivals/concerts throughout the year, never mind soccer which again tried and failed in this city which is a shame since we know there is a market for it as a game overall... And yes with family who owned season tickets in the Upper East bowl for the Elks I also will miss these seat too... My other choice is the SE endzone seats that blend into the wall. They usually aren't too busy for all the fellow introverted Edmontonians out there...

@stephensmith1509 8 ай бұрын

IMO the best seats in Commonwealth are at the top of the lower bowl, where you're sheltered from the rain!

@ExitThrutheGiftShop 8 ай бұрын

BC Place has been doing this for the Lions games too in recent years. I remember when they would draw a great crowd but now it seems like attendance is low even with ticket offers and added entertainment. We went to a game earlier this year and thought the value was pretty good - kids tickets were only about $10. Nowadays the only thing that fills the stadium are the big concerts like U2 or Coldplay.

@my3dviews 18 күн бұрын

B.C. had a good crowd for the first game of the season this year.

@Chromedragon79 8 ай бұрын

It's because the CFL sucks at marketing the teams and players. My interest in CFL football is about the same as it was 20 years ago, but back then I knew the names of a bunch of players despite never watching games. Now I probably couldn't name a single player from the last decade.

@DeeE101 8 ай бұрын

It is sad that the upper bowl seats are closed, I enjoyed watching the game from these seats. Taking in a CFL game at Commonwealth Stadium is simply an experience. Unfortunately due to health issues, I have not been able to take in a game in person for several years, but I still watch almost all the games each weekend. I still have an Eskimo windbreaker jacket that has autographs from some of the more popular players from years ago. I remember when at one point in time, I think it was shortly after the Commonwealth Games, the discussion on covering the stadium with a retracting roof was mulled over. I think they decided that it was a too expensive of an undertaking. I took in an AC/DC concert there, that was pretty awesome.

@glennmorris6071 8 ай бұрын

What a joke of an organization. Ten years ago, the taxpayers of Edmonton paid over $4 MILLION in taxes to replace the seats in this building including the upper bowl. Plus everyone who has bought a ticket since 2012 has payed an extra 5% tax on their ticket to pay for these seats. Telling Edmontonian's that they are closing the upper bowl to provide a better experience is like me saying that my Stanley Cup wins plus Gretzky's total 4. It's correct, but not exactly honest. Between the performance on the field, the name change, the firing of hundreds of people during COVID, and the concussion issue, this team will fold in under 10 years.

@LowLightMike 8 ай бұрын

1:06 mark: I like the comparison of the two photos, showing the original 1978 stadium (bottom right photo) and then with the subsequent renovation with more seating (top left photo) presumably added for the 1983 Universiade.

@LakeNipissing 8 ай бұрын

There was a radio report a while back regarding the low attendance in recent years for the Ontario CFL teams, and lost revenue, and this was attributed to a change in demographics of the area. Basketball, soccer and cricket are where its at. Maybe there is a similar scenario in YEG ? Of course NHL remains very popular in the Ottawa / Montreal / Toronto triangle, but the prior three are building in popularity. There was even a period of time when some of the Buffalo Bills NFL games were being played in Toronto for a few years (around 2010), and this seemed to be very popular, with the CFL crying foul. I must admit I do not really follow the CFL, and the last I knew, Edmonton's team was the Eskimos. When I heard Edmonton Elk being mentioned, I thought it was a soccer team.

@PlasmaTwa2 8 ай бұрын

The Toronto NFL games were actually considered a failure. Prices were too high, so attendance was papered, and players hated it.

@my3dviews 18 күн бұрын

@@PlasmaTwa2 NFL tickets are expensive. Average is $151U.S. ($207 Canadian), with some teams being over $400U.S./game. Maybe Toronto's were that high. Try taking a family to a game at those prices.

@my3dviews 18 күн бұрын

I sat in the first row of the upper deck during the 2010 Grey Cup. That was an awesome viewpoint. I'm sure if they get the Grey Cup again, they will use the whole stadium, but for the regular season, they don't get enough fans. Probably a lot of work to clean up after each game, so they won't have to clean up the upper bowl.

@Armyvet902 5 күн бұрын

It’s easy to close off any section - big or small. Check out the massive tarps the oakland coliseum uses to cover the outfield seating

@nadinegriffin5252 8 ай бұрын

Had season seats one year for my family. Upper bowl, north west section. We loved our seats in the first few rows of the upper bowl. Yes ticket prices aren't bad, but combined with a drive in from outside the city and a meal, it becomes a pricey commodity for a family to enjoy. You didn't mention that upper bowl is a great place for outdoor concerts. 😎. (If it doesn't rain haha) Saw U2 from the upper bowl south east and it was a great experience.

@AdmiredDisorder 8 ай бұрын

mfw this is where I found out the news about the closing of the upper bowl... 😭😭😭 bro I haven't had monies for this for so long and covid didnt help either... wtf...

@tenaciousmatt 8 ай бұрын

Great video!

@MGregoir 8 ай бұрын

I foresee them tarping the corners so sections B to L and O to Y are the only sections open, you could probably move the knothole seats a section or two over as well. Less security, fewer vendors, less clean up, show better on TV. Might save the cost of the helicopter shots too. I don't think they'd rather sell corners than opening the middle five sections up top. The issue with that would be that TV picks up the east stand but the west stand is preferable in the shade. A part of me really wants them to do $20 general admission upper for Riders, Stamps and playoff games and make an effort to schedule those on Saturdays to draw a big crowd. The cost of the game itself is sunk, so if they sell $100,000 of GA tickets and $100,000 of beer they're laughing.

@charlesmd 8 ай бұрын

i think the elks are trying so very hard to get rid of fans, sure sit in the lower bowl, but cost more with a view not as good as the upper bowl, no thank you

@kdids 8 ай бұрын

I totally agree with upper deck views being better. I always prefer them for sight lines and think a steeper bowl (which is usually only upper decks in new arenas and stadiums these days) is always better than a shallow bowl that reaches farther away. I guess the Elks are doing what Oakland and Cleveland did and are saving money by not having to pay staff to work the upper decks or certain areas ? I wish the cfl in general used higher tv camera angles too. The low tv shot is not good. Is college always looks better and more “big time” and shows more of the field from higher up.

@andysorensen1737 8 ай бұрын

My wife adopted the Elks after this American couple watched a CFL game and to say it’s been rough sledding is more than fair. (In fairness, I got the RedBlacks out of the deal, and um, not much to write home about there either) As sad as it is to see this down/right sizing in CFL attendance between BC, Toronto and now Edmonton, it’s the right move. It costs money to keep unused seats open, and the successes in the first two cities have shown it can be successful.

@DopeNostalgia Ай бұрын

I think it means the Elks are not selling tickets.

@KarlieMildraed 8 ай бұрын

Picked the "Corona Station" for funs and laughs, huh? lolz

@MarkushaX 8 ай бұрын

It sand to see the city going down the drain.

@justinsmith7429 19 күн бұрын

Has nothing to do with that CFL is a dying sport

@KOZMOGRAFX 2 ай бұрын

I think they should try tarping off every seat that sits behind the goal lines so that you end up with something like Tim Horton's Field in Hamilton... pack everyone into the middle of the lower and upper sections. The BC Lions should do the same thing. But let's face it... it's sad to see CFL crowds dwindling (except for Winnipeg)... having HDTV access to so many more NFL games is likely the biggest problem, along with limiting the CFL to TSN only. :(

@jeremyjesson8383 8 ай бұрын

Look at how fast that train was going!!

@jasonsperling5834 8 ай бұрын

Bc Lions have a similar stadium size and they had attendance problems. They’ve curtained up the upper level and open sections when the crowd gets bigger. This creates bigger demand. Now you can get a $5 ticket to an elks game or even get in free with all the open space so it causes less interest and scarcity. The new elks president used to be the lions president so he’s doing the same thing. He helped create a demand in bc and this will do the same here. The whl oil kings currently do this on rogers place.

@SecretIdentityStudio 8 ай бұрын

Hopefully, though reducing the ticket prices to $9 a game (in 90s prices) failed to help the Las Vegas Posse. In fairness, they had a laundry list of other problems compared to the modern Elks.

@creeguyvernon 5 ай бұрын

Found an old Eskimos hat at a thrift store for 3.99 picked it up right away, can't tell which era its from, looks like mid 00s

@dustinboyce25 2 ай бұрын

This seems like an effort to drive folks into the higher priced seats. I mean it must suck to go sit in the upper bowl when it is practically empty, I remember being at games in seats in high 60s or more where the place was packed and absolutely rocking in my youth

@kj6446 Ай бұрын

For years I had season tickets in the upper bowl, surrounded by the same people....we even had unique chants and cheers. Now that experience is lost. Plus whats the plan...take people who had centre cents in the upper bowl and either force them to pay triple for a similar location in the lower bowl or force them to move off to the side? Nice way to reward your loyal fans.

@kj6446 Ай бұрын

Maybe this would be a good decision if they adjusted prices....but no, want a season ticket...you now have to pay the traditionally more expensive lower bowl prices.

@MultiCappie 12 күн бұрын

I'm with you in preference, but I stopped watching football in the early 90's when I started learning about the inevitability of concussions in the sport. No CFL or NFL (or boxing etc). I'll go see Metallica or Beyonce or Garth Brooks, or maybe even a soccer game though.

@zemnous2847 13 күн бұрын

Still think the cfl needs to get into the nfl and become one league

@bjdon99 15 күн бұрын

This is really a sign that, even in the healthy CFL cities, the sport is really on a downward trend. They can't seem to land that 10th team somewhere in Canada. Attendance in most of the cities has been trending down since 2000, especially in Toronto, where Canada's biggest city largely ignores the sport and they often can't even sell out the small soccer stadium they play in. I think the rise of the NFL's popularity in Canada is killing the local version of the sport.

@khunopie9159 8 ай бұрын

Math is a YUGE sportsball fan!

@Sports_fan_idk 19 күн бұрын

The CFL is only popular in smaller market cities like: Winnipeg, Regina, that’s it. It’s a dying league, needs more teams.

@dougwalker9286 8 ай бұрын

Playoffs? Not for a few years for this team.

@loganholmberg2295 8 ай бұрын

I think Edmonton fans are too spoiled about having a team finishing second or third in the west for so many years and now are being whiny fans cause they've had a couple bad seasons. Try living in Saskatchewan where we are lucky to win the grey cup once a decade or so. Maybe Edsmonton fans should appreciate their team and go to games more often. Dear god your season tickets are cheap enough. Our season tickets are like double or triple that at the riders new stadium.

@kellyp136 8 ай бұрын

Edmonton fans can be some of the most fickle fans I've ever seen. Hockey and football.

@Stefan9644 8 ай бұрын

They are heavily overpriced but oilers tickets can definitely be had for less than 100 bucks.

@mpaulm 3 ай бұрын

When I was going to games twenty years ago it was so full every game. I once went to a regular season game there that had over 60,000 fans. However, the team went woke and is paying for it since at least 2018.

@HamzaThatOneGuy 8 ай бұрын

He should change his name on KZbin he doesn't just talk about West Edmonton Mall

@KimJohnstonRadioPersonality 7 ай бұрын

When a team loses their identity, they also lose their fans.

@pjimmbojimmbo1990 Ай бұрын

The City is probably getting rid of it, so they can replace it with the only Effin thing they do these days, a God Damn Effin Bike Lane

@boostedswinger 8 ай бұрын

It's a terrible team, and a boring league. That's just my opinion, I know there are others that would disagree. I feel the real reason they're doing this is to make the complex look sold out on camera. I've been in the nosebleeds back when you could buy tickets from Safeway for like $10, maybe you still can, I dunno. But the view from up there was pretty spectacular.

@mk-jm5tv 8 ай бұрын

the team shouldn't exist anymore and the stadium should be GIVEN away to an nfl team. imagine how awesome Edmonton and that area would be if an nfl team was given that stadium.