Drake is one of the biggest music stars in the world right now. The Toronto-born rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor has achieved immense success over the course of his career so far. Drake is known for hit songs like “Hotline Bling,” “God’s Plan,” and “In My Feelings.” He has sold over 170 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists ever. Drake is currently on his “Assassination Vacation Tour” in support of his latest album Certified Lover Boy. Fans in Canada are eagerly wondering if Drake will be bringing his tour home in the near future.
Drake’s Connection to Canada
Drake was born in Toronto, Ontario and lived there until he found fame as an actor on the teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation. Music was always Drake’s passion though. He self-released his first mixtape Room for Improvement in 2006 while still acting on Degrassi. Drake left the show in 2007 to focus on his music career full-time. His mixtape Comeback Season in 2007 helped kickstart his rap career.
Despite moving to the United States after finding fame, Drake has always stayed closely connected to his hometown of Toronto. He frequently references Toronto in his music and is an avid supporter of the Toronto Raptors NBA team. He even has the CN Tower, a Toronto landmark, tattooed on his arm. Many of Drake’s early music videos were filmed around the city. Toronto is an integral part of Drake’s public image and music.
Drake’s Previous Canadian Tours
Drake has embarked on four major tours across Canada in the past. Here is a look back at his past concert tours in his home country:
Away from Home Tour – 2010
Drake’s first headlining tour across Canada supported his debut album Thank Me Later. The tour consisted of 19 shows across 15 cities.
Club Paradise Tour – 2012
Drake returned just two years later for a bigger 37-date Canadian tour. It supported his second album Take Care and its hit single “The Motto.”
Would You Like A Tour? – 2014
This major worldwide tour in support of Drake’s album Nothing Was the Same included a robust 22 shows across 13 Canadian cities.
Boy Meets World Tour – 2017
Drake’s most recent Canadian tour had him playing 29 shows in 18 cities across the country. It supported his massively successful album Views and Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping single “One Dance.”
Based on Drake’s continual commitment to touring Canada every few years, it would make perfect sense for him to plan another Canadian leg of shows for his current tour supporting Certified Lover Boy.
Where Drake Would Most Likely Tour in Canada
Looking back at Drake’s previous Canadian tours, he has hit most of the major markets multiple times. Here are the cities Drake has played the most shows in over the years:
| City | Total Shows Played |
|---|---|
| Toronto | 18 |
| Montreal | 14 |
| Vancouver | 11 |
| Edmonton | 7 |
| Ottawa | 7 |
| Winnipeg | 5 |
Based on this data, it is highly likely Drake would target these major Canadian cities again for his next tour. Toronto would almost certainly get the most shows as Drake always spends a lot of time performing in his hometown. Montreal and Vancouver are also near locks to get concerts given how often Drake has toured there in the past.
Some smaller cities Drake has played multiple times and could revisit include Calgary, Hamilton, London, and Saskatoon. And there are a few big cities like Quebec City and Halifax that Drake has only played once or twice before that fans hope he might make time for on a future tour.
How Soon Could a Canada Tour Happen?
Drake just recently completed the United States leg of his Assassination Vacation Tour in support of Certified Lover Boy in September 2023. He has a few scheduled shows in the UK and Europe taking place in October 2023. As for 2023, Drake currently only has one scheduled concert on November 18 in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
It is certainly possible Drake could tack on some Canadian tour dates before 2023 is over. November and December would be reasonable times for him to tour Canada before the holidays. Otherwise, early 2024 seems a likely timeframe. Drake doesn’t have anything officially scheduled past November right now.
The timing would make sense for Drake to plan a Canadian tour early in 2024. By then it will have been over two years since Certified Lover Boy was released. Expanding the tour’s scope to Canada next year would help give the album another boost. It would also satisfy his Canadian fans eagerly awaiting his return.
How Quickly Would Shows Sell Out?
Extremely quickly! Drake’s popularity in Canada is massive. Whenever he announces a new Canadian tour, tickets typically sell out in minutes.
Demand far exceeds supply for Drake’s shows in his hometown of Toronto especially. For example, when Drake announced six shows in Toronto as part of his Boy Meets World Tour in 2022, over 100,000 tickets were sold in the first hour! Six additional shows had to be added to meet demand.
It was a similar story in other Canadian cities as well. Tickets for Drake’s Vancouver and Edmonton stops on the Boy Meets World Tour sold out instantly too. Most venues he played had capacities of 10,000-20,000 fans. But Drake could have easily sold out arenas double and triple that size based on the intense demand.
Unless Drake decides to book larger venues, tickets for any newly announced Canadian tour dates in 2024 would likely sell out in seconds. True Drake fans know to be on Ticketmaster right at the moment sales open to try to secure seats. Most shows would inevitably sell out within minutes at most. Drake performing in Canada is a major event that fans plan for months in advance.
How Much Would Tickets Cost?
As one of the most in-demand live performers in the world, Drake tickets don’t come cheap. His popularity allows him to charge premium prices. Based on past tours, here is an approximate breakdown of what ticket prices could look like for a potential 2024 Canadian tour:
| Ticket Type | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|
| Upper Level Seats | $125-$250 |
| Lower Level Seats | $250-$400 |
| Floor Seats | $400-$500+ |
| VIP Packages | $1000+ |
Of course, Ticketmaster fees and dynamic pricing models could drive prices even higher, especially for floor seats. Front row or VIP packages will demand four-figure prices. But upper levels will offer more affordable options in the $100-$200 range before fees.
Given Drake’s popularity, many fans consider tickets worth the price. It’s the best chance for locals to see one of Toronto’s biggest exports and cultural icons live in concert. For those who find the costs prohibitive, the silver lining is that Drake tours Canada frequently. He’ll surely be back again down the road.
How Drake Would Promote a Canadian Tour
Drake would drum up hype for a Canadian tour announcement through a few key promotional channels:
Social Media
As one of the most followed people on Instagram with over 121 million followers, Drake can generate buzz with the click of a button. Even just a vague teaser on his Instagram or Twitter would ignite speculation. Once concrete tour dates are set, flashy graphics and tour announcements on his social accounts would get millions of likes and shares.
Interviews and TV Appearances
Drake would likely do some high profile interviews on Canadian talk shows and news programs leading up to the tour announcement. Similarly, he could promote the tour with appearances or performances on Saturday Night Live, late night shows, award shows, and other must-see TV events.
Radio Play
Drake would surely debut some new music on popular Canadian radio stations like 99.9 Virgin Radio Toronto in the months before the tour. New music would help build excitement and spike Drake’s radio play. Radio contests for tickets could also create a fan frenzy.
Concert Announcement Video
Drake would probably announce the tour dates creatively through a cool music video or short film. It would dramatize him making the decision to return home and could feature clips of his past Canadian concerts. Drake has taken this approach with past tour announcements to hype fans.
Setlist Expectations
Drake’s setlist on a Canadian tour would span his entire discography. However, he would perform songs off his newer album Certified Lover Boy more frequently. Here are some of the tracks fans could expect to hear the most:
From Certified Lover Boy:
– Girls Want Girls
– Champagne Poetry
– Fair Trade
– Way 2 Sexy
– Knife Talk
– Race My Mind
– TSU
Other Hits:
– God’s Plan
– Hotline Bling
– Hold On, We’re Going Home
– Laugh Now Cry Later
– Energy
– Headlines
– HYFR
– Started From the Bottom
– Jumpman
– Passionfruit
Drake loves performing his older deep cuts and collaborations too. Songs like “Crew Love”, “The Motto”, “Find Your Love”, and “Forever” often get played as fan favorites.
And Drake ALWAYS includes “Know Yourself” and “Legend” to rep his hometown of Toronto. The crowd goes insane singing along to those classic anthems together.
Surprise Guests
As a top artist in the rap game, Drake frequently brings out surprise guests on tour if he has collaborators in town that night. Canadian rappers like The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, and Nav or close singer friends like Chris Brown could make semi-regular appearances. Not knowing who might show up each night is part of the excitement!
What Stops Might He Add?
If Drake extends his current Assassination Vacation Tour to Canada, there are some cities he might want to add:
Quebec City, QC
Drake has only performed in Quebec City once before in 2017. Adding a stop here could give fans in Eastern Quebec easier access to the tour.
Saskatoon, SK
Saskatoon hosts a lot of major concerts and Drake hasn’t been there since 2012. He owes fans in central Saskatchewan a long overdue return.
St. Johns, NL
Drake has never held a concert yet on The Rock. Scheduling a show out east in St. Johns would let him cover even more ground coast-to-coast.
Victoria, BC
The capital city of British Columbia has been skipped on Drake’s past few tours. Victoria is long overdue for a show of its own rather than having to commute to Vancouver.
Halifax, NS
Drake’s tours typically hit larger markets like Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec City. Scheduling a stop in Halifax would give Atlantic Canada more options.
How Much Revenue Could a Canadian Tour Generate?
If Drake were to play 30 shows across all 10 Canadian provinces, he could easily gross over $50 million from the tour:
| Average Tickets Sold Per Show | 15,000 |
|---|---|
| Average Ticket Price | $150 |
| Total Estimated Tickets Sold | 450,000 |
| Total Estimated Revenue | $67,500,000 |
Even if Drake plays smaller venues, the immense demand would allow him to achieve multiple sold out shows in most cities. Add in merchandise sales, sponsorships, and Drake’s overall star power appeal, and the tour would likely generate over $50 million.
Drake could even hit 9 figures in revenue if he booked bigger venues and leaned into dynamic pricing. For example, his 6 shows in Toronto on the Boy Meets World Tour grossed over $30 million just in that city. Drake performing in Canada is a license to print money.
Conclusion
In summary, the chances seem quite high that Drake will plan a full fledged Canadian tour in support of Certified Lover Boy sometime in 2024. He has consistently toured Canada every 2-3 years throughout his career. 2024 would be perfect timing to bring the Assassination Vacation Tour home based on his touring schedule.
If and when Drake announces a Canadian tour, expect venues across Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and more to sell out in seconds. Drake touring Canada has become a cultural phenomenon. He could easily gross $50 million from playing the major markets coast-to-coast. Canadian fans are already eagerly anticipating the announcement of a 2024 tour from the hometown hero.