The vision of Rogers Place was born when Daryl Katz purchased the Edmonton Oilers in 2008 and founded what is now OEG Inc. (formerly Oilers Entertainment Group). At that time, Daryl stated a desire to not only find the Oilers a new home in downtown Edmonton but to transform the city he grew up in. Through his partnership with the City of Edmonton, Rogers Place was built in the heart of Edmonton and Daryl’s vision became a reality through his investment and development of ICE District—the largest mixed-use sports and entertainment district in Canada.
A shining jewel in the live entertainment industry, Rogers Place is a world-class venue with capacity for up to 20,000 fans. It’s the venue of choice for live entertainment in Western Canada, including concerts, festivals, and other major sporting events. Celebrity performances include Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Drake, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Snoop Dogg, Elton John, Cirque du Soleil and nine consecutive sold out shows by Garth Brooks, to name just a few. Rogers Place is an arena built for fans. Among its many significant features are a lower bowl of over 9,000 seats, terrific sight lines, wide concourses, leading food and beverage offerings and the latest in technology. Whether attending an Oilers game or the biggest of concerts, guests of Rogers Place will experience it all in the most dynamic of entertainment environments.
The International Olympic Committee and International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities have awarded the arena Gold in their Major Venues category for exemplary architecture. Rogers Place is LEED Silver certified and the arena hosts state-of-the-art broadcast technology, facilities and capabilities, and is fully integrated with Ford Hall and ICE District Plaza for multi-site festivals and other major events. Due to its unparalleled amenities, Rogers Place was selected as one of the two NHL Hub Cities in North America in 2020.
Most notably, through Daryl Katz’s investment and development in ICE District, the City of Edmonton and its residents have greatly benefitted through the property taxes generated. Some $800 million in downtown public infrastructure projects will be funded through the Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) based upon the uplift in municipal taxes due to new construction around the arena.
The City is using CRL revenues for many projects that will enhance our downtown including programs to make our streets more greener and more walkable, a new downtown park, an upgrade to the utility/sewer backbone, and Jasper Avenue’s revisioning to name a few.