BMO Field - Toronto FC
- Dave Cottenie
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
BMO Field
Exhibition Place
170 Princes’ Blvd.
Toronto, ON M6K 3C3
Year Opened: 2007
Capacity: 28,180
Preparing for the World Stage
In June of 2026, Toronto will be one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup. The smallest venue for the entire tournament is what is now known as BMO Field. Due to sponsorship restrictions it will be renamed Toronto Stadium for the tournament, but when it is home to the Toronto Football Club of Major League Soccer, it is BMO Field. At a paltry capacity of 28,180, BMO Field required a significant expansion for the big tournament; massive grandstands on each end of the pitch have been installed to bring the capacity up and over 45,000 and brings BMO Field to its fullest potential as the National Soccer Stadium. BMO Field opened in 2007 and has already undertaken a few significant renovations to increase capacity from its original seated capacity of over 21,000.
Toronto FC joined Major League Soccer in 2007 as an expansion team and was a bit of a trail blazing franchise. Pushing the limits of capacity while fielding a pretty horrible product on the field, TFC grew to where expansion of BMO Field became necessary. TFC fostered a relationship with supporter groups which is now standard in MLS and continued to grow. The signings of Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley signaled a new era which culminated in three MLS Cup appearances in four years and the Championship in 2017.
Food & Beverage 5
The food selection at BMO Field is top notch. The main concession stands are the Food Junction stands and serve all of the expected stadium items including hot dogs, popcorn, burgers, chicken tenders and nachos. There are a number of specialty locations that serve more unique items that are worth checking out. Panini serves porchetta, smoked meat, and turkey club sandwiches along with Braised Beef Grilled Cheese. Frites serves a variety of fires and poutine including Jerk Chicken Poutine and Steak & Ale Pie Chips. Pizza Pizza is the purveyor of slices at BMO as well. The King Club bar has a massive selection of alcoholic beverages including a number of craft beer selections. For those who like to plan their culinary journey, the BMO Field website has a decent rundown of the concession options.
Atmosphere 3
BMO Field has found itself in a number of different forms since originally being built in 2007. One of the early soccer specific stadiums in MLS, BMO Field’s design is a bit dated and more modern facilities have trended toward the fully enclosed “soccer arena” style.
BMO Field is located at Exhibition Place. The exterior is fairly non-descript with clearly separated grandstands on the east and west sides of the pitch with grey and silver accents to the simple structure. Around the outside of the stadium are a number of marble benches which smartly depict various highlights of the Ex. Fans will definitely want to head to the northeast corner of BMO Field before entering to check out the TFC Wall of Honour. A number of TFC accomplishments, both individual and team, are memorialized on the exterior wall in smart looking silver and grey badges on the red siding backdrop. The most recent update has been a badge signifying 400 TFC matches for Canadian National, Jonathan Osorio.
Inside BMO Field fans will be welcomed by the “TFC Legends” banners which can be found throughout the stadium. The new addition to the atmosphere shows portraits of such Toronto FC legends as Dwayne De Rosario, Danny Dichio and Michael Bradley, to name just a few. The pitch runs from north to south with the videoboard found on the north side. At the south end, no doubt blowing in the wind, are flags commemorating the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020 Voyageurs Cups as Canadian Champions, the 2017 Supporters’ Shield and 2017 MLS Cup. The seating area features two tiered seating decks on the east and west sides with some seating and standing room in the north and south ends. A field level general admission standing area is found in the north end and the supporters sections are found in the south. The grandstands are covered from the elements with large canopies, courtesy of one of the more recent renovations. The seats themselves are very simple, in most cases molded plastic buckets that do not move. Although they are physically not the greatest seats, there is enough legroom provided.
The most obvious changes for the 2026 season are the massive grandstands at the north and south ends in preparation for the World Cup. They were given a test run when TFC hosted Inter Miami CF and Lionel Messi in their final home match before the World Cup. Fans will also want to check out the Winterdome area on the second floor of the west grandstand. A social area complete with DJ, Christmas decor, photo ops and blowing snow. Considering the MLS calendar changing and winter soccer being more of a reality in Toronto, this may be a way of preparing the fans.
The gameday experience in Toronto is akin to most other MLS experiences. Soccer usually provides an experience that is not over-produced and generally more organic than other sports. Local youth groups hold banners on the pitch for the player entrances. The TFC anthem “The Legend TFC” is played with video before the kickoff. Toronto FC’s mascot, Bitchy, a live Harris Hawk originally employed by the team to keep seagulls away from BMO Field, proudly takes a perch on the pitch and is part of the opening festivities. A large metal hawk statue is found in the southeast corner in honour of the mascot. From that point, the supporters sections take over and provide the atmosphere by singing and chanting and waving flags throughout.
Neighbourhood 5
BMO Field is located on the grounds of Exhibition Place in the Niagara neighbourhood of Toronto. It is immediately south of Liberty Village, which is the closest neighbourhood for fans to get some pre- or post- game food. It is easily walkable. Some options in Liberty Village include Liberty Village Market & Cafe, Local Public Eatery, Brazen Head, Chiang Mai, NODO, and Fox And John’s.
BMO Field is shared with the Toronto Argonauts. Coca-Cola Coliseum is across the parking lot and is the home of the Toronto Sceptres, Toronto Marlies and the future home of the Toronto Tempo. A few minutes east, and fans could take in the Toronto Blue Jays, Maple Leafs or Raptors. Toronto Metropolitan University is northeast and fields Bold hockey and basketball teams in the former Maple Leaf Gardens. The University of Toronto also fields a full complement of Varsity Blues athletic teams, including football, basketball and hockey. There are also a ton of other tourist options in Toronto. Medieval Times and RBC Amphitheatre are close. However, sports fans should really try to take in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Fans wishing to stay near Exhibition Place can choose Hotel X, Radisson Blu, The Neptune or a host of other options nearby.
Fans 4
The fan support that Toronto FC has enjoyed over the years is pretty remarkable. The majority of Toronto FC’s existence has been marred with horrible squads on the pitch and very little in the way of winning. For a short period, this changed, culminating in the 2016, 2017 and 2019 MLS Cup appearances. A return to rebuilding has seen a bit of a dip in attendance, but the support over the years has been terrific. With a few years of substandard play on the pitch, attendance has fallen off a bit. As of this writing, Toronto FC are averaging over 17,300 fans per match for the 2026 season. This is also very early in the season and the warmer weather has not hit Toronto just yet. In the previous season, TFC averaged over 21,300 fans per match, ranking them 15th in MLS; pretty much average. The fanbase is very diverse as Toronto is a very International city and they are very passionate and knowledgeable about soccer. The Toronto FC Supporter Groups are among the best and most passionate in MLS and have pushed the team to have among the most consistent support in the league.
Access 4
BMO Field is located on the grounds of Exhibition Place. Getting to Exhibition Place can be a challenge, as anything in Toronto can be. The Ex is immediately south of the Gardiner Expressway. Although fans may think this is the quickest way to drive to the Ex, often a longer route on Lakeshore Blvd is the way to go, especially for those coming from the west.
There are a number of parking spots available for fans at Exhibition Place. It is important for fans to do some research before heading out to see the Reds. At times there are other events taking place at the Ex and parking is a real challenge. Even at the best of times, parking is not cheap and other options may be the best plan. This is exemplified by the temporary stands and construction zones in place to prepare for the World Cup, making parking options even more scarce.
For fans who prefer the public transit route, Exhibition Place has some decent public transit options. There is a Go Transit station right by the Ex and this is probably the easiest form of public transit. A walk north of the Ex will bring fans through Liberty Village and eventually to some TTC options. Check out the Go Transit and TTC websites for fares, maps and schedules.
The ticketing window is at gate 1, at the north end of BMO Field. Lineups are not usually an issue. Security is what you would expect now in this day and age of sports security, including walk through metal detectors. With security protocols and procedures in constant flux, Stadium Journey strongly suggests visiting the Toronto FC and BMO Field websites for the most up-to-date security information before heading to the stadium, including bag policy and prohibited items.
Getting around BMO Field is not too difficult and concourses are fairly spacious. Washroom facilities are also adequate for this venue.
Return on Investment 3
Tickets for Toronto FC seem to have become more affordable, with tickets starting around $30 and some resale seats available for less than that. Tickets can go above the $200 mark for the lower bowl. These prices have come back down a bit, but upper deck seats can still go for $100 and above. Parking can be pretty expensive at over $30 and fans must use the self-park “Green P” app to purchase parking. Concession prices are about what one would expect for a major league team. According to the 2022 Fan Cost Index, Toronto FC are the seventh most expensive experience, above league average. That being said, a Toronto FC match is a whole lot of fun and is one of the best experiences in MLS, but you will pay for it.
Extras 4
An extra mark for the Danny Dichio song. Every match at the 23:14 mark, the supporters belt out the Danny Dichio song, in honor of Toronto FC’s first ever goal scored by Danny Dichio.
An extra mark for the investments made by MLSE to field the best possible team in Toronto. A reward to the fans, who greatly suffered in the early years of TFC.
An extra mark for Exhibition Place and the former location of Exhibition Stadium, home of the Toronto Blue Jays. Base markers can be found in the parking lot south of BMO Field.
An extra mark for BMO Field as the home of some of the matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Final Thoughts
With the World Cup coming to Toronto in 2026, the expansion of BMO Field is a reality. How this affects Toronto FC in the latter part of the season as well as what the future holds for the stadium remains to be seen. That being said, a trip to TFC is a great way to take in the (2nd) highest level of soccer the city has to offer.
