Thanks to a new partnership between Budweiser Gardens and telecom company Start.ca, the theatre portion of the London, Ontario arena will now have a new name starting December 1, 2018.

The space, which can seat up to 4,000 people for a variety of events, including touring Broadway musicals, concerts, comedy shows and guest speakers, will be renamed the Start.ca Performance Stage from the RBC Theatre.

“We talked to a number of different businesses that we thought might be interested, Start.ca just rose to the top; it was just a great partnership, said Brian Ohl, General Manager at Budweiser Gardens at the press conference on Tuesday. “We like to be involved with businesses and companies that align with us in terms of value and Start certainly does that through their dedication to the community, so we thought it was a good fit.”


Media was treated to a small performance on the newly named Star.ca Performance Stage on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018.

Budweiser Gardens has the ability to accommodate not only West End and Centre stage productions for shows, but was also designed to accommodate touring Broadway shows and smaller concerts. Along with the ability to seat thousands, the Start.ca Performance Stage at Budweiser Gardens is complete with a 40-line fly grid. The theatre has played host to hundreds of Broadway shows, concerts and events over the past 16 years, including recent performances from Stone Temple Pilots and Simple Minds.

“Being involved is one of Start.ca’s core values, and as a local London business, it’s important for us to give back to the community,” said Peter Rocca, President and CEO of Start.ca. “The Start.ca Performance Stage is a great way to introduce our company to a new audience, and we look forward to doing our small part in bringing great entertainment and cultural events to London.”

“We do a lot within the community and we really haven’t tapped into the theatre arts and music area yet,” added Janet Smith, Marketing Manager with Start.ca. “It was really nice for us to be approached by Budweiser Gardens with this opportunity. For them to think of us as an integral part of London and that we have a strong enough brand to put on their banners is a huge compliment for Start.ca.”

The name change takes effect Saturday and the first event on the stage is the Broadway in London presentation of The Hip Hop Nutcracker with rap legend Kurtis Blow on Monday, followed by The Paw Patrol Live! The Great Pirate Adventure on Dec. 3 and 4.

To help celebrate the naming of the theatre, Start.ca will be donating 30 tickets to Paw Patrol Live! to the Children’s Health Foundation and 30 tickets to the upcoming Kinky Boots show to Belle Pointe Dance & Movement Company.