Tennis Canada​ – Toronto, July 11, 2017 – Guests visiting Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto this August will have plenty of entertainment options for their day or evening at Aviva Centre. Adding to the world-class action provided by the top tennis stars on court, visitors will be able to wander through the grounds for an all-encompassing experience, including Cirque du Soleil performances, music shows, delicious dining, and lots more – making Rogers Cup the perfect place for a family outing, get-together with friends, or date night.

“Our goal is to offer our guests a truly first-rate entertainment experience,” said Karl Hale, Rogers Cup Toronto tournament director. “While the core of our event remains the competition between the best tennis players in the world, we also want to improve and innovate each year. With the addition of new dining features, music, and the return of the phenomenal Cirque du Soleil, we believe we are providing visitors incredible value and a unique event experience. We hope everyone has an amazing time at Rogers Cup this summer.”

Cirque du Soleil to delight spectators for another year 

Cirque du Soleil, one of the world’s most renowned entertainment groups, will be participating at Rogers Cup once again this summer after a successful partnership last year. Fans will once again be treated to awe-inspiring acrobatic shows on Centre Court, taking place in between matches during the evening sessions of tennis. Performers will also roam the grounds throughout the day.

This year, performances will be inspired by Cirque du Soleil’s new show, VOLTA, running under the Big Top at Port Lands starting September 7. Inspired in part by the adventurous spirit of action sports, VOLTA is a story about transformation, blazing one’s own path in life and being true to oneself.

Canadian music line-up set to be featured 

Before heading to watch some matches, fans can also take in popular Canadian music at the new gazebo located in the centre of the Aviva Centre grounds. Among the slate set to appear are six homegrown acts, who will be performing one show each through the week. Visitors will recognize many of their chart-topping songs from the radio:

• Lucas DiPasquale (August 7): This young singer/songwriter captured viral attention on YouTube via a Popcaan mash-up that was supported by the popstar himself. Released his first EP “Post Secondary” two years ago with hit single “Do it Like” featuring Stylo G, Kardinall Offishall, and Konshens.
• The New Electric (August 9): From Calgary, this Pop/Alt band has collaborated with Canada’s top producers, including two-time Juno Award winner Brian Howes (who co-wrote and produced their hit single “Life’s What You Make It”).
• Jonathan Roy (August 10): Singer/songwriter from Quebec City; his major label debut is called “Mr. Optimist Blues” and has over four million streams featuring the hit single “Daniella Denmark”.
• Christian Hudson (August 11): A 21-year-old acoustic singer and songwriter from Calgary, won the Calgary Stampede Talent Search two years ago. Hit single is “Four Leaf Clover”.
• Dan Talevski (August 12): Top singles include “Knock Me Off My Feet” and “Guilty As Sin”. Worked alongside big names like the Backstreet Boys and Justin Bieber before embarking on solo career.
• JRDN (August 13): Has gone certified gold in Canada for tracks “Like Magic” and “You Can Have It All” and recorded his debut album under the guidance of Canadian hip-hop legend Classified.

Enhanced dining offerings to provide culinary experience 

In between watching tennis, taking in some exciting artistic performances, and walking around the grounds, fans who work up an appetite will have plenty of options. This year’s menu features special items like gourmet burgers, poke bowls, brisket parfait, and quinoa salad. This will be in addition to popular items such as food truck tacos and grilled cheese, barbecue brisket, and topped foot-long hot dogs. Two signature cocktails, sold in keepsake glasses, will also be introduced: Lemoni Peroni, sold at the House of Peroni patio, and Aperol Spritz, to be made available at a few different locations.

Fans who don’t want to miss a second of the action on Centre Court will also be able to order right to their seat. Rogers Cup will be the first tennis tournament to offer such service to its entire stadium, as a simplified menu of food and beverages will be available to the entire Aviva Centre bowl via the in-seat service on the Rogers Cup app.

Three celebrity chefs will also be appearing through the week to partake in cooking demonstrations, to be assisted on stage by a tennis star. One of their recipes will also be made available on-site for all guests to enjoy.

• David Rocco of Food Network’s Dolce Vita on Monday August 7
• Rob Gentile, executive chef of renowned Toronto restaurant Buca on Tuesday August 8
• Afrim Pristine of Cheese Boutique, on Wednesday August 9

The complete Rogers Cup special event schedule will be made available on the official website and app the week before the tournament, so fans can plan their whole week of sporting, artistic, and culinary entertainment.

Owned and operated by Tennis Canada, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is celebrating the 125^th anniversary of the women’s tournament this year, welcoming the best players of the WTA from August 5-13 at Aviva Centre in Toronto. As a not-for-profit organization, Tennis Canada invests all net proceeds from the tournament right back into growing the sport of tennis across Canada. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit rogerscup.com.

Links: 
Official Rogers Cup Site                 rogerscup.com
Like Rogers Cup                            facebook.com/RogersCup
Follow Rogers Cup                         @rogerscup
Official Tennis Canada Site              tenniscanada.com
Like Tennis Canada                         facebook.com/TennisCanada
Follow Tennis Canada                     @TennisCanada
#RogersCup

About Rogers Cup presented by National Bank
Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is a Tennis Canada owned and operated world-class tournament celebrating its 125th anniversary of the women’s event from August 5-13, 2017 at Aviva Centre in Toronto and its 137th anniversary of the men’s event from August 4-13, 2017 at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. As a WTA Premier 5 tournament, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, and US Open Series event, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will showcase the world’s best players. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is the third-oldest title in tennis, behind only Wimbledon and the US Open. For more information and tickets visit www.rogerscup.com.

About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP World Tour events, 10 professional ITF-sanctioned events and financially supports 12 other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates national junior training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada, please visit our website at www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACTS: 
Nicole Watts
Manager, Communications and Media Relations
nwatts@tenniscanada.com or 416-665-9777 ext. 4092

Caroline Anderson
Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations
canderson@tenniscanada.com or 416-665-9777 ext. 4545