History Ottawa (Live Nation venue) [47 Rideau St] | U/C

[DTcrawler]

Wow, was not expecting this to open under the "History" brand.

Game changer for sure, I'm beyond excited.

[OTSkyline]

Renders look good and having an entertainment venue taking up this important spot in the middle of the City will be great. Especially with restaurants, bars, transit all at its doorsteps.

And since it's in partnership with Live Nation, that gives me lots of hope and peace of mind that this will be done right and busy for the better part of the year.

[DTcrawler]

Seeing some people online who are concerned this venue will kill the Bronson Centre. I disagree - they're two completely different niches. The promoters who work with the Bronson Centre would have no shot at attracting the calibre of acts that Live Nation will bring in to History.

I recall someone said earlier in this thread that this venue is located well to attract nearby students. I think the only students who will be able to afford shows here are the rich Arab/Chinese international students who drive Lambos on campus. This will be a $20/drink type of spot.

[movebyleap]

Yet another blank wall on Rideau Street. This is the nail in Rideau's coffin.

Is there an uglier street anywhere in the world?

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by DTcrawler

Seeing some people online who are concerned this venue will kill the Bronson Centre. I disagree - they're two completely different niches. The promoters who work with the Bronson Centre would have no shot at attracting the calibre of acts that Live Nation will bring in to History.

I recall someone said earlier in this thread that this venue is located well to attract nearby students. I think the only students who will be able to afford shows here are the rich Arab/Chinese international students who drive Lambos on campus. This will be a $20/drink type of spot.

Yes different niches but there absolutely will be lots of students there. It's not the 1980s anymore lots of students have lots of money to spend on entertainment. Even the ones from Toronto who only drive Audi SUVs.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by DTcrawler

Seeing some people online who are concerned this venue will kill the Bronson Centre. I disagree - they're two completely different niches. The promoters who work with the Bronson Centre would have no shot at attracting the calibre of acts that Live Nation will bring in to History.

I recall someone said earlier in this thread that this venue is located well to attract nearby students. I think the only students who will be able to afford shows here are the rich Arab/Chinese international students who drive Lambos on campus. This will be a $20/drink type of spot.

Just glanced through Bronson Theatre and History events page, and even though I don't know any of those acts, "Thievery Corporation" is playing at BT just before History, so there is some overlap.

GA price is about the same - $70 give or take.

Funny enough, BT show is sold out, while Theatre is not. Probably because it's smaller I guess.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Just glanced through Bronson Theatre and History events page, and even though I don't know any of those acts, "Thievery Corporation" is playing at BT just before History, so there is some overlap.

GA price is about the same - $70 give or take.

Funny enough, BT show is sold out, while Theatre is not. Probably because it's smaller I guess.

Interesting. Another factor is there is a lot more to do in Toronto. This will be a totally different experience that will also attract people not even particularly interested in an act but just wanting a night out.

[rocketphish]

More coverage:

Live Nation to open a History nightclub in Ottawa's ByWard Market
The multimillion-dollar venture will bring a History club to Ottawa in partnership with Drake. Here’s what to expect.

Lynn Saxberg, Ottawa Citizen
Published Feb 19, 2025 • Last updated 16 hours ago • 3 minute read

The spacious new nightclub coming to the ByWard Market in 2026 will be called History, a sister venue to the concert hall of the same name in Toronto, Live Nation announced at a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday.

What’s more, Canadian rap superstar Drake, who’s a partner in the Toronto venue, has extended his investment to the Ottawa location, too, said Erik Hoffman, the Ottawa-born, Toronto-based president of Live Nation Canada.

The club not only fills a long-identified gap in the Ottawa music scene but also represents a personal milestone for Hoffman, who was one of the driving forces behind the old Capital Music Hall on Rideau Street in the early 2000s. That 1,000-capacity club was shuttered in 2006 to make way for highrise condos.

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/life/byward-market-nightclub-live-nation

Live Nation Canada brings ‘History Ottawa’ venue to former Chapters store on Rideau St.

Mia Jensen, OBJ
February 19, 2025

The new music and entertainment venue being constructed in the former Chapters location on Rideau Street officially has a name.

Live Nation Canada, which announced it would be leasing the space from the National Capital Commission last June, is expanding one of its established brands to the city with the creation of “History Ottawa.”

Live Nation announced at a press conference Wednesday that the 60,000-square-foot venue is already under construction and is set to open its doors in early 2026.

<more>

https://obj.ca/live-nation-canada-history-ottawa-venue-chapters-rideau/

Live Nation Canada brings History music venue to Ottawa
First expansion of the History brand is set to open in 2026

Bianca McKeown · CBC News
Posted: Feb 20, 2025 10:13 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Live Nation Canada aims to make history by expanding its Drake-owned music business to the capital.

In a Wednesday news conference, Live Nation Canada unveiled History Ottawa, a two-story live music venue that will occupy the former Chapters building on the corner of Rideau Street and George Street.

It will have a 2,000-person capacity and is being built in collaboration with Canadian rapper Drake and the National Capital Commission (NCC), which announced the building purchase in January 2024.

"Among other things, this is maybe the only opportunity in my life that I'll ever get to thank Drake and [NCC CEO] Tobi Nussbaum at the same time," joked Mayor Mark Sutcliffe during the news conference.

History Ottawa is Live Nation Canada's first expansion of the History brand, with History Toronto having opened back in 2021. History Ottawa is set to open in early 2026.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-live-nation-venue-1.7463263

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by movebyleap

Yet another blank wall on Rideau Street. This is the nail in Rideau's coffin.

Is there an uglier street anywhere in the world?

I'd prefer restoring the old brick face (if the brick is still under there) or replicate the Sussex/George corner, but it's not as bad as the back of Hudson's Bay or the many blank concrete/pre-cast walls of Ottawa. Still kind of looks like a 70s warehouse or suburban strip club.

I assume it will look similar to Toronto's:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_(venue)


https://www.musewiki.org/Toronto_History_%28venue%29

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Just glanced through Bronson Theatre and History events page, and even though I don't know any of those acts, "Thievery Corporation" is playing at BT just before History, so there is some overlap.

Talk is the only big act that played at Bronson as far as I know (last March or April, though I don't follow Bronson that much), but he's a local guy.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by movebyleap

Yet another blank wall on Rideau Street. This is the nail in Rideau's coffin.

Is there an uglier street anywhere in the world?

Would trade that for the entrance on George any day. Rideau is dead either way. The Market is what needs saving.

[zzptichka]

Who came up with that Toronto History location? Surrounded by stroads and townhouses, no after-party places close-by, zero hotels or restaurants. Ours gonna be so much better.

[qprcanada]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Who came up with that Toronto History location? Surrounded by stroads and townhouses, no after-party places close-by, zero hotels or restaurants. Ours gonna be so much better.

It was a former off track betting site.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_(venue)

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Who came up with that Toronto History location? Surrounded by stroads and townhouses, no after-party places close-by, zero hotels or restaurants. Ours gonna be so much better.

There's a bunch of restaurants nearby, but a bit of a lack of late places.

And yeah, that street frontage is severe, and could have animated that stretch of QSE better.

Sweet show space, though.

[HeIsTheOne1299]

I find this project to be rather bizarre. Not sure if it’s because they want to time the opening as part of some kind of marketing decision, but it’s like they haven’t done any work on this at all since the big announcement back in February

there is *some* scaffolding along the sidewalk on Sussex Drive, but it’s been there for over a month now and there hasn’t been any work done on the facade yet. At this rate I’m very doubtful that they’d actually open up in early 2026, seems like something that they would want to open and start concerts during the summer months

[Mikeed]

A big motivation for this project is the anti-trust attention on Live Nation. They have made promises to invest in live performance in order to get at least Canadian competition watchdogs / politicians off their backs. The Biden DOJ brought a anti-trust case against them in 2024. Considering whats happen in the US and Canada, I suspect this project will be slow walked and delayed. Economic headwinds, no one has money for entertainment and I believe this is really about keeping anti trust charges away saying look, we're investing in healthy entertainment landscape.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by Mikeed

A big motivation for this project is the anti-trust attention on Live Nation. They have made promises to invest in live performance in order to get at least Canadian competition watchdogs / politicians off their backs. The Biden DOJ brought a anti-trust case against them in 2024. Considering whats happen in the US and Canada, I suspect this project will be slow walked and delayed. Economic headwinds, no one has money for entertainment and I believe this is really about keeping anti trust charges away saying look, we're investing in healthy entertainment landscape.

I’m not up on the details of the Live Nation situation, but how on earth would opening a music venue protect them against anti-trust allegations? Particularly one in Canada, when anti-trust allegations are American? They already control promoting and ticketing, so if anything, controlling the venues just gives them more power.

[J.OT13]

I haven't really been paying attention, but I assume most of the work would be inside for now, with the exterior being left for the end.

Still believe this will be good for the market, but disappointed that, ironically, the venue called "History" won't leave any of the historic Rideau facade (assuming the old bricks are still under there).

[HeIsTheOne1299]

nearly a month later, there’s now a white tarp all over the front of the building. Progress!

[ponyboycurtis]

I can tell you that the second floor is being demolished right now. The actual floor itself is being opened up. Couldn't say if the entire second floor is going or just a portion of it. If I recall it was roughly half the floor plate of the ground level with the Rideau st side being fully open.

I'm hearing that Aug/Sept is the target date for final inspection. This would be in regards to electrical but I suppose by the time you get your final on electrical just about everything else would be done along with it.

[HeIsTheOne1299]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

I'm hearing that Aug/Sept is the target date for final inspection. This would be in regards to electrical but I suppose by the time you get your final on electrical just about everything else would be done along with it.

2026?

at this rate, what a buzzkill. at least it’ll be open in time for new UOttawa students to go and waste their money on, early on in the Fall 2026 semester