NEWS
An OVO takeover was anticipated at Kendrick Lamar's Grand National Tour stop in Toronto to support the hometown hero, Drake.
However, the planned gathering was quickly dispersed by Toronto police as concert goers arrived at Rogers Centre. The OVO takeover was meant to be a peaceful gathering in support of the Drizzy. Fans participating in the takeover informed social media that they were forced to leave after authorities received concerning calls.
In a statement shared on social media, the organizers of the OVO takeover wrote the following:
"Unfortunately, we have to cancel the OVO Takeover. We genuinely just wanted to bring people together, have some fun, and create good vibes for the city. But unfortunately, some people decided to report us, falsely claiming we were planning to "start trouble" or cause chaos. Because of those reports, police were already on high alert and were quick to shut down anything that even looked like a crowd forming - including us."
The statement would share that the gathering wasn't expected to draw large numbers. It originally began as a joke that quickly transformed into a movement. It would even draw local media attention.
"We didn't expect things to blow up the way they did," the organizer wrote. "What started as a joke turned into a full-on movement, and y'all made that happen. Shoutout to the media outlets that pulled up - CTV, CityNews, CP24, Virgin Radio, MuchMusic - and most importantly, shoutout to every single one of you who showed love and made this real."
Thankful of the united support of Drake fans across Toronto, the organizer's statement would request fans that attended the gathering to message them on social media and organize another outing.
The statement continued: "To make sure your time wasn't wasted, if you pulled up at all, DM us any videos or photos you took - we'll be mailing out hoodies to everyone who came through. Just give us a few days to process everything. We'll also be running a few giveaways over the next couple days to get the rest of the hoodies out. We're honestly disappointed it had to end like this — it was all meant for the culture, for the city, and for the fun of it. But the fact that so many of you cared enough to show up means the world. Thank you for turning something spontaneous into something unforgettable. We'll be back."
Kendrick Lamar's Grand National Tour in Toronto has helped the city become one of the top five stops on the tour based on tickets sales, according to StubHub. The OVO takeover's disperse follows the postponement of Drake and Kai Cenat's livestream set for Thursday evening (June 12) at 8 PM EST.
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
