BMO Field, Toronto — Stadium Almanac

📋 QUICK FACTS

FULL NAME

BMO Field

NICKNAME

The Cathedral of Canadian Soccer (The Cathedral of Canadian Soccer)

OPENED

28 April 2007 (opening match: Toronto FC 0-1 Kansas City Wizards (Eddie Johnson))

CAPACITY NOW

45,736 (World Cup configuration with temporary seating)

2026 PEAK

45,736 (expanded from roughly 28,000 by adding about 17,750 temporary seats for the tournament)

ALTITUDE

76 m / 249 ft above sea level

PITCH

105 m × 68 m · hybrid grass (natural grass for 2026)

ROOF

Open bowl; a canopy shades most permanent seats, pitch open to the sky

ARCHITECT

Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects (original); Gensler (2026 expansion)

OWNER

City of Toronto (operated by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment)

TENANTS

Toronto FC · Toronto Argonauts · Canada national team

📊 THE NUMBERS

CAPACITY (2026)45,736 (FROM ~28,000)

ROOFOPEN BOWL · CANOPY OVER SEATS

2026 MATCHES HOSTED6 MATCHES · 5 GROUP + R32

OPENED2007 · WORLD CUP NEWCOMER

The little stadium that grew: opened in 2007 at about 28,000 seats and expanded with temporary stands to 45,736 for its first World Cup, on natural grass beside Lake Ontario.

VISITOR SNAPSHOT · TORONTO

THE SIGHTS

CN Tower
Exhibition Place & the historic Princes' Gates
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
St. Lawrence Market
Toronto Islands & the harbourfront
Royal Ontario Museum

THE TABLE

Peameal bacon sandwich
Poutine
Butter tarts
Toronto-style Jamaican patties
Maple-everything (syrup, candy, doughnuts)

GOOD TO KNOW

Language: English (French is Canada's other official language)
Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD)
Time zone: Eastern Time (UTC-4 in June, with daylight saving)
Elevation: About 76 m (249 ft) above sea level, on the Lake Ontario shore at Exhibition Place.
Population: Roughly 2.9 million in the city proper and over 6.7 million across the Greater Toronto Area - Canada's largest city.

GETTING AROUND

An extensive TTC network of subway, streetcar and bus lines; the 509/511 streetcars and GO Transit's Exhibition station drop you right at the ground, a short walk along the lakeshore.

Traveller's tip: Exhibition Place sits beside the lake, so a breeze off Lake Ontario can take the edge off a warm afternoon - bring a layer for evening kick-offs.

WEATHER BRIEF · JUNE BY THE LAKE

HISTORICAL CLIMATE, NOT A FORECAST. Typical June conditions from the climate record - never a matchday prediction.

TYPICAL JUNE HIGH 24°C 75°F

TYPICAL JUNE LOW 14°C 57°F

Toronto has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), moderated by Lake Ontario. June is warm and pleasant, with long daylight, the occasional humid spell and scattered thunderstorms rather than a true rainy season.

WHAT TO PACK

🧥 A light layer - lake breezes cool the evenings
☔ A compact umbrella - the odd June thunderstorm
🕶 Sunglasses & sunscreen - long, bright summer days

📜 FILE TIMELINE

2007

Opened on 28 April at Exhibition Place; Toronto FC fall 0-1 to the Kansas City Wizards in the first match.

2010

The original artificial turf is ripped out and replaced with natural grass; the ground hosts the MLS Cup final.

2016

A major expansion adds a roof canopy over the stands and welcomes the Toronto Argonauts as Canadian-football tenants.

2017

Toronto FC lift the MLS Cup at home before a then-record football crowd; the NHL's Centennial Classic outdoor game drew 40,148 on New Year's Day.

2019

The pitch is upgraded to a hybrid grass surface, natural turf reinforced with synthetic fibres.

2026

Temporary stands lift capacity to 45,736; the little stadium that grew stages six World Cup matches - five group-stage games plus a Round of 32 tie - including Canada's opener.