July 16th, 17th, 2010 - Montreal - Hippodrome
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KristenCaNaDiAn
Blue Crack Addict
Yummy 
Flaming_C
The Fly
I think the problem U2 will have is that that time of year is littered with festivals in Montreal. For instance, I think the Just for Laughs festival will be taking place at that time, and that festival is a massive local draw. As such, U2 will be competing for Montrealer's dollars. As such, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a 2nd show. It would be great if there was one, but I can understand if there wasn't a Saturday show.
ntalwar
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
"One night only" has been mentioned by TM prior to sales for Chicago, Toronto, and Miami in 2010, and so far that has been accurate. If it sells out in an hour or two, I guess they could add a second show.
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
Except that tickets are going on sale now, in November and not later. Have Just for Laughs tickets gone on sale yet? Do we even know who will be headlining the galas, for example? I think that with today's presser, and Saturday's sale, all of the attention will be on this event, and it may drive up demand.
We shall see, but all I'm saying is despite what the press release says, if they think they can have a second show, they will.
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
And one other (cynical) thing to consider: the price tag for building the temporary structure is supposedly $3 million. This being Montreal, there will almost certainly be cost overruns.
It just seems like, to me, it's a massive undertaking for one night only, that's all.
It just seems like, to me, it's a massive undertaking for one night only, that's all.
romi
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I believe the "one night only" was mentioned by U2.com, not by TM. Either way, that comment was not made about any date other than Chicago and Toronto.
ntalwar
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I saw it on TM myself for all 3 cities mentioned - it was there only briefly.
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
Chicago and Toronto also had two nights this year, so they may just be specifying that there will be "one night only" this time around.
Junan
The Fly
hmm, this sounds pretty interesting. I may have to rethink my decision not to go to Montreal. What's another credit card bill?
subnet
New Yorker
so i booked my hotel at ruby foo's, but is this really a decent place and location? anyone from MTL know? i paid $169 for the renovated double queen room.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
I stayed there for work and it's a decent hotel - nothing fancy but it was in good shape, it's about a 5-10 minute walk to the concert venue and the subway line.
subnet
New Yorker
portapoties might be situated on the back side of the bleachers, as at F1 Montreal Grand Prix
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
ANYONE BOOKING A HOTEL IN MONTREAL PLEASE TAKE NOTE:
Do not concern yourself with booking a hotel near the venue. You could find better deals and better hotels elsewhere. The important thing to realize is that the venue is near the intersection of two major highways on the island of Montreal.
More importantly, there is the Namur subway (metro) station right across the street. So getting there from downtown, for example, will take 20 minutes, tops. Getting back downtown, however, will be tough given the fact that everyone will be going to one station, but there are places you can hang around where you can eat or drink while the area starts thinning out.
Do not concern yourself with booking a hotel near the venue. You could find better deals and better hotels elsewhere. The important thing to realize is that the venue is near the intersection of two major highways on the island of Montreal.
More importantly, there is the Namur subway (metro) station right across the street. So getting there from downtown, for example, will take 20 minutes, tops. Getting back downtown, however, will be tough given the fact that everyone will be going to one station, but there are places you can hang around where you can eat or drink while the area starts thinning out.
U2Mama
Refugee
This show will no doubt sell out very quickly--drawing people not only from Canada, but all of Upstate NY, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine too! Plus the unique venue--what a great night it's going to be!!
Flaming_C
The Fly
None of the ticket sites - Ticketmaster, Admission, GEG - has any information on the show or presales.
charmer_
The Fly
Anybody else planning on buying tickets in the lower stands for the pre-sale tmr?
westendgirl
War Child
Where does the GA line start? 
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
..
U2 to play Montreal Hippodrome July 16, 2010
by T'cha Dunlevy, The Gazette November 16, 2009 2:26 pm
U2 and Bono will perform at the Montreal Hippodrome on July 16, 2010.
Photograph by: Clemens Bilan, AFP via Getty Images
Montreal – It's confirmed. U2 will play Montreal on July 16, 2010. The band will perform on the polo field at the Montreal Hippodrome, kicking in $3 million for the construction of a temporary open-air stadium to fit between 60,000 to 80,000 people.
It is the only date for which U2 is not performing in a pre-existing stadium. The fact that the band is fronting the costs of building the venue for this event is a testament to its love of Montreal, according to Jacques Aubé, vice-president and general manager of promoter Gillett Entertainment Group.
"It's unprecedented," Aubé said Monday. "It's historic. It will be the biggest paid show in an open-air stadium in montreal.
"After the concert, the stadium will be demolished and (the site) will become a real-estate project."
It's also a testament to the grand scale on which a monolithic rock band such as U2 can afford to operate. Tossing in $3 million to build a stadium for a night (or maybe two - don't discount the possibility that a second show could be added once the first one sells out) is the privilege of the mighty, and wealthy.
Aubé attributed U2's gesture to its love of Montreal and its fans here, but you can bet the band is also getting bang for its buck.
Do the math and it's not hard to see that this is a money-making enterprise. Tickets for the show cost from $30 to $250. Average that out to, say, $100 per ticket, with 70,000 tickets sold, and you've got a cool $7 million.
That's not counting beer and food sales, merchandise, and spinoff cd sales for the band. Aubé said the event would inject $10 million into the montreal economy, not counting revenues from the concert itself.
But while nobody's working for free, here, U2 is apparently doing its best to make this affordable to everyone - 55 per cent of the tickets cost less than $55, Gillett proudly announced monday.
Gillett and tour promoter Live Nation have been working on the possibility of a Montreal date for months. The biggest problem was finding a venue big enough to host the show (including the 150-foot-wide stage, featuring a massive, steel spider-like structure) and comply with U2's request for an open-air stadium.
The Olympic Stadium's roof is not retractable; Jean Drapeau park is too small; even the Hippodrome wasn't big enough originally, which led to talks of constructing a venue specifically for the event.
"C'est assez flyé comme idée," Aubé said. (rough translation: "It's a pretty wild idea.") The last time U2 was in town was in November, 2005.
The band performed two sold-out nights at the bell centre, with opening act the Arcade Fire.
This is U2's first North American stadium tour since 1997's Popmart tour. Apparently Bono and his boys still have something prove.
U2 performs July 16 at the Hippodrome. Tickets cost $30 to $250 and go on sale Saturday at noon. Call 514-790-2525 or go to www.geg.ca.
subnet
New Yorker
Flaming_C
The Fly
I was just going to post the information. No link or information, though, on the presale, although the information might be posted later today or early tomorrow.
bort269
War Child
I am confused, wasn't the the whole point of the big O?
Didn't they spend millions of dollars fixing the retractable roof and making it not leak & stuff?
I wish they put up a seating chart on the hippodrome website.
I also hope that GAs aren't more expensive because they can't build as many seats as normal stadiums, Nice was like that where GAs were 80 Euros instead of 65 in Paris.
maxpouliot
War Child
If 55% of the tickets are bellow 55$, you can be certain that GA is 55$
ntalwar
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
The geg wesite mentions only 4 price levels: $30 - $55 - $95 - $250, so I think it'll be $55 like elsewhere.
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
It was retractable at one point, but now it's permanent. I'd rather not go into all the details, as it's a long, sad saga, and pisses me off when I think about it too much.
subnet
New Yorker
BoMac, what hotels would you suggest?
bort269
War Child
I won't bring it up again (as I just went to wikipedia and I think I understand why you would be pissed)
On a brighter note, I saw U2 play the hippodrome in Paris for the Zooropa tour and it was a great show!
I can't wait to see U2 in Montreal and bring my godson (who lives there) to his first U2 show. I saw them at the Bell Centre for Vertigo and it was the loudest crowd I have ever heard (my godson was too young to come to that one)!
I hope they add a second show on saturday! I can't imagine they'd spend $3 million for just 1 night!
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
You know what, I honestly don't know. I've never stayed at a hotel in Montreal, seeing as how I was born and raised there and lived there almost my entire life.
I would suggest looking at places downtown, because if you're going to be in town for a few days, that's where all the action is anyway (outside of July 16, of course). If you want a nice hotel in a really beautiful area, look at getting a place in Old Montreal, so a place like Place D'Armes Hotel, or the St. James (where U2 stayed during the Vertigo tour) might be a good place to try. They're pricier, though.
And if you're in Old Montreal, you can easily hop on the Orange subway line and head up to Namur where the concert venue is. No more than 20 minutes and you're there.
Canadiens1131
ONE love, blood, life
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This will be a special show for a special city…
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