"Can Easily Sell Out Two Nights at Scotiabank": Vybz Kartel Set for Historic Toronto Takeover

With massive demand surrounding his stop, Canada’s Caribbean diaspora is eagerly anticipating Vybz Kartel’s two-night showcase at Drake’s birthday celebration, set to take place at Scotiabank Arena. “Fans flew from Toronto to Jamaica just to see him on Freedom Street,” sources said

Canada is ready for Vybz Kartel’s concert (Photo: Wireless/ IG)

Canada’s dancehall fraternity is blowing up following the announcement that Drake’s OVO will feature dancehall kingpin Vybz Kartel headlining the 6ix God’s two-night birthday celebration on October 26–27.

Scotiabank Arena, Toronto’s 20,000-seat flagship venue, is expected to host the shows, as the venue itself confirmed on its official social media accounts. The arena operates mostly under Live Nation, which has managed Kartel’s arena dates in the U.K..

With the official confirmation of the venue now revealed, sources suggest ticket sales are set to begin on September 30. “The demand for Kartel in Canada is enormous,” one source in the local music scene shared. “He could easily sell out two nights at Scotiabank. Rogers Centre, which can hold up to 50,000, doesn’t even seem far-fetched. Fans flew from Toronto to Jamaica just to see him on Freedom Street, so it’s going to happen.”

The Canadian stops follow Kartel’s second European tour of the year, during which he sold out shows at London’s O2 Arena, becoming the first dancehall artist to achieve this milestone with two back-to-back nights at the iconic venue, with additional sold out shows at the U.K.’s largest indoor venue, Co-op Live in Manchester, and BP Pulse LIVE in Birmingham, all run by Live Nation UK, cementing a historic run on the global stage.

Even though Toronto might be located outside the traditional hardcore dancehall and hip-hop hubs of the U.S., the city is home to a massive Caribbean diaspora community. That foundation has fueled a consistently high demand to see Jamaican artists.

Vybz Kartel wearing a custom green NOCTA T-shirt designed under Drake’s OVO brand during his Wireless set

Scotiabank Arena hosted Buju Banton’s Overcomer Tour last October, while most recently, Popcaan appeared as a special guest at Davido’s sold-out concert at the venue, and Masicka was brought out by Usher during his Toronto tour stop.

This year, fellow dancehall legend Bounty Killer made his Canadian return after 20 years, and now it feels like the perfect moment for Vybz Kartel to cap off his extraordinary Worl’ Boss tour run with a historic Toronto takeover.