Photo credit: from the Claude Latour collection with our sincere thanks.

The Automotive Stadium (opened in 1966, before Expo 67)

SPECTACULARS

Six glittering spectaculars staged in the Automotive Stadium as part of the World Festival will be the highlight of their Expo entertainment for countless visitors.

The stadium is the contribution to Expo of five leading car manufacturers -- American Motors (Canada) Ltd., Chrysler Canada Ltd., General Motors Products of Canada Ltd. and Volvo (Canada) Ltd.  It will also be used for principal sports events.

Of unique precast construction form, it covers an area of 366,100 square feet.  Nineteen seat-supporting units rest on pre-stressed concrete columns and beams.  The units slope up from ground level, giving the effect of a bowl.  Facilities include administration offices, press room for up to 60 with radio and TV booths, and a booth for producer-director, announcer and lighting director.

More than 5,000,000 tickets have gone on sale for Expo's entertainment program, and almost half of them are for the major events in the Automotive Stadium.

It is close to the main entrance to Expo -- in Cité du Havre just outside Place d'Accueil with its bus and Expo-Express stations.  The Victoria Auto Park nearby will accommodate 12,000 cars.  No Expo admission passport is necessary for admittance, but only an appropriate ticket for the particular show.

The Spectaculars showing during Expo are:

Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus, The Greatest Show on Earth. May 16-21, 23-28.  Mammoth outdoor circus featuring the world's greatest performers and highlighted by a succession of hair-raising and death defying stunts.

Canadian Armed Forces Tatoo.  June 19-22 and June 25-July 4.  The greatest event of its kind ever staged by Canada's Armed Forces.  Specially produced for Expo and in honor of Canada's Centennial Year, it tells the military story of the nation -- takes a look at the future.  At Seattle World Fair 1962 the Canadian Military Tattoo broke all attendance records and was an outstanding success.

Flying Colors.  July 11-30.  Maurice Chevalier in Flying Colors, conceived and produced by Leon Leonidoff, famed producer of shows for Radio City Music Hall, is heralded as "the largest of all the Stadium spectaculars -- certain to be one of Expo 67's major highlights."

La Gendarmerie Française.  August 21 to 27, August 29 to Sept 4 and Sept. 6-9.  La Gendarmerie, force with a history that goes back to the 15th century, puts on its spectacular for the first time in North America.  The cast for the spectacle includes 700 men and 130 horses and 40 motorcycles and 25 jeeps are used as well.

World Horse Spectacular.  September 17-October 1. Colorful, exciting and unusual horse acts from many countries are included, with Canada represented by the famed musical ride of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Great Western Rodeo.  October 6-15.  This spectacular represents an outstanding aspect of the Western scene -- and an activity which in most parts of the world is regarded as typically Canadian.  The Expo Rodeo will compare with the finest events of its kind ever seen on the continent.

Click here to see the location of the Automotive Stadium.

Click here for an artistic rendering of the Automotive Stadium.

Click here for a brief history on the Automotive Stadium by Claude Latour.

Click here for construction photos of the Automotive Stadium.

                   

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