Shaded Seating at BMO Field

What You Need to Know About Shade at BMO Field

 

BMO Field is a premier outdoor stadium located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario. It serves as the home ground for Toronto FC of MLS and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. Since its opening in 2007, it has become a central hub for Canadian sports, hosting major events like the MLS Cup and the Grey Cup.

The stadium features an open-air design that brings fans close to the action, but this also means you are fully exposed to Toronto’s varying climate. While the 2015-2016 renovations added impressive roof canopies to cover most of the east, west, and south stands, the central part of the stadium remains open to the sky.

Understanding how the sun moves relative to these canopies is the best way to ensure a comfortable afternoon at the pitch.

How Shade Moves During the Day

The stadium is positioned on a north-south axis. For a typical early afternoon game, the sun is high and slightly toward the south. As the afternoon progresses, the sun moves behind the west grandstand. This creates a shadow that begins at the top of the west stands and moves down toward the field.

Fans on the west sideline home side will find themselves in the shade much earlier than those on the east. The east sideline visitor side stays in the sun for the majority of the afternoon, and while the east canopy provides some protection from vertical rays, the horizontal afternoon sun can still reach many of the lower rows.

Stay on the West Side

To maximize your time in the shade, prioritize the west side of the stadium where the architectural shadows are most effective:

• West Sections 119 – 127 and 219 – 227: These are the ultimate “shade zones” at BMO Field. By sitting here, you have the sun behind the stadium’s tallest structure. The shadows move from the back rows down to the field as the game progresses.

Late Afternoon and Evening Games: Tracking the Sunset

For 4:00 PM or 7:00 PM kickoffs, the sun’s angle becomes lower in the west-northwest sky. This is when the east sideline and the north end zone become particularly bright. The sun will shine directly underneath the east canopy, creating a harsh glare that can make it difficult to follow the ball on the far side of the field or see the video boards clearly.

To enjoy a late-afternoon game without squinting, stay on the west sideline. The entire home side will be in a deep, cool shadow by the second half, while the east side fans may still be dealing with the setting sun. If you find yourself in the east stands for a late game, polarized sunglasses are a must to manage the reflection off the field and the bright white canopy underside.