TORONTO, June 30 (UPI) -- The concert billed as Toronto's recovery sold a record 150,000 tickets in its first day of sales, Billboard reported Monday.
With more than $1 billion in losses due to two outbreaks of severe acute respiratory ayndrome, the city is embracing the July 30 concert whose roster keeps growing.
The event will feature the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Justin Timberlake, the newly added Rush, the Guess Who, Flaming Lips and Kathleen Edwards.
Tickets, priced at $16 plus service charges, went on sale Friday at Ticketmaster outlets. Grocery chain A&P has purchased 240,000 tickets at full price, which it plans to sell at stores in Ontario and the United States beginning this week.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. has also tentatively agreed to broadcast a one-hour edition of the concert worldwide.
The event's main sponsor, brewer Molson Canadian, said sales to U.S. fans for the July 30 concert at Downsview Park were "well ahead of expectations."
