London, Ontario’s well-known home for concerts, events, exciting hockey courtesy of the London Knights and full-filled basketball with the London Lightning now has a new name. Gone is the familiar John Labatt Center nameplate, replaced by the equally recognizable Budweiser Gardens moniker.
A soft transitioning of the venue to Budweiser Gardens began several months ago, with the official re-opening of the building held on Oct. 11 – the 10th anniversary of the venue.
The facility, with a seating capacity of 9,090 for hockey and ice events and more than 10,000 for concerts and family shows, also features 1,100 premium club seats, 38 private luxury suites and five group sales suites. The venue also has a new website: www.budweisergardens.com.
During the transition, a plaque was presented to the building by the Labatt company, which reads: This plaque commemorates the inauguration of Budweiser Gardens on October 11, 2012. This venue was previously named the John Labatt Centre from 2002 to 2012, after John Kinder Labatt. Labatt founded John Labatt’s Brewery – later named Labatt Breweries – on Simcoe Street in London, Ontario in 1847. This venue has proudly served the London community as a destination for world-class entertainment and sporting events for the past 10 years. Labatt and Global Spectrum look forward to continuing to provide fans with the best in hockey, concerts and performances for years to come.
In addition to the previously mentioned sporting events, upcoming schedule highlights at Budweiser Gardens include Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best Live Tour Ever! on Jan. 6; Disney On Ice: 100 Years of Magic, Jan. 24-27; Lord of the Dance, Jan. 30; Blue Rodeo, Feb. 6; Rock of Ages, Feb. 13; Eric Church, Feb. 14; Monster Jam 2013, Feb. 16-17; Diana Krall, March 4; ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2013, March 11-17; Heart, March 20; and Rain, March 21.
For helpful information on planning a quick getaway to London, please visit www.londontourism.ca.
