Toronto fire melt down Drake’s ice tower after chaotic ‘Iceman’ publicity stunt

'Dangerous activities' prompt fire chief to take action at downtown parking lot

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Published Apr 22, 2026  •  Last updated 22 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

In a photo shared by the Green Bay Packers football team, rapper Drake is seen walking near an ice sculpture that has been erected to promote his upcoming album, 'Iceman.' Photo by Green Bay Packers /X

Toronto Fire Services isn’t letting Mother Nature take its course when it comes to Drake’s ice sculpture.

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Firefighters are hosing down the 25-foot ice block the Toronto rapper erected to promote his upcoming album, Iceman.

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A statement shared with Postmedia from Toronto Fire Services Chief Jim Jessop said there were “dangerous and unsafe activities” happening at the ice sculpture. A spokesperson for Toronto Fire Services told Postmedia that the call was made to hose down the structure at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

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“Toronto Fire Services was alerted to dangerous and unsafe activities taking place at 81 Bond Street pertaining to the large ice installation,” Jessop said in an email to Postmedia.

“Large numbers of individuals have gathered to attempt to melt the ice using flammable liquids and open flames in an uncontrolled environment, which results in an immediate threat to life,” Jessop wrote. “As Toronto’s Fire Chief, my top priority is keeping Torontonians safe. As a result, we are initiating measures under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act to mitigate the risk to public safety.”

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People gather around blocks of ice, installed in a Toronto parking lot as part of promotion for rapper Drake’s upcoming album ‘ICEMAN’ on Monday, April 20, 2026. Photo by Cole Burston /The Canadian Press

So far, Toronto Fire Services has dispatched rotating trucks to douse the edifice, which as of Wednesday morning was still partially standing.

“Toronto Fire began dismantling the ice tower last night as it was assessed to be a public safety hazard and to mitigate any risk to public safety,” media relations officer Const. Laura Brabant added in a separate statement to Postmedia.

On-duty officers were present to assist firefighters in crowd control in the lot, which is located on private property.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she supported Jessop’s decision.

“His responsibility is people’s safety,” Chow told reporters Wednesday. “Folks climbed it. I’ve seen them doing all types of things. It is our responsibility to make sure people are safe.”

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But Chow praised Drake for being “a big supporter of our city.”

“There’s so much excitement across our city towards this new Drake album, The Iceman,” she said. “I’m excited too.”

Publicity stunt quickly turned into chaos

Drake, who visited the site in a Green Bay Packers jacket, shared the coordinates to the structure on his Instagram Story on Monday and captioned it, “Release date inside.”

Fans immediately descended to the location at a parking lot at 81 Bond St., just east of Yonge and Dundas Sts., in an effort to reveal the date.

Shortly before midnight, police were called to the scene after some of the gatherers posted photos and videos that showed throngs of people taking pickaxes and setting fire to the towering monument.

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“At 11:05 p.m. [Monday] night, police were called to a parking lot on Bond St. for crowd control,” Brabant told Postmedia. “It was reported that there were people on top of a 25-foot-high ice sculpture refusing to come down.”

Brabant added that people were breaking off chunks of the ice pile with pickaxes and hammers and throwing them. A fire was also set atop the pile.

“Large pieces of ice began falling, creating a dangerous situation for people on the ground, as well as those who climbed the structure,” Brabant said. “Officers attended and remained on scene out of concern for public safety and to assist with crowd and traffic control.”

There were no reported injuries.

By midday Tuesday, Twitch streamer Kishka had smashed through one of the blocks of ice and retrieved a bag containing a booklet with the album’s release date inside: May 15.

Internet personality Adin Ross urged the content creator to visit the hip-hop star’s mansion on the Bridle Path, where there was “something exclusive” waiting for him.

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When Kishka arrived, he was given a bag containing stacks of cash — the reward for whoever had uncovered Iceman’s release date. Drake waved to him from a window of his sprawling home.

“I don’t even know how much this is, bro!” Kishka yelled on his livestream. “Am I dreaming?”

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Installation the latest in a series of headline-grabbing stunts to plug new LP

Last week, Drake alarmed residents near Downsview Park in North York while filming a music video for a track off of Iceman that involved a large explosion.

The 6 God reposted footage of the blast to his Instagram Story. Police later confirmed the detonation was tied to the film shoot.

Following 2023’s For All the Dogs, Drake has been teasing Iceman — his ninth studio LP — since last year when he released the first single, What Did I Miss?

Drake also said he was enjoying stoking fan anticipation and reading the conspiracy theories surrounding the album.

“I watch murder docs a lot and as you get invested you start to try and solve things before you even know where it’s headed or what the answers are. It’s like this sleuth energy — ‘What did I learn? What did I miss?’ No pun intended,” he told Complex in November after he plugged the record in a series of livestreams. “It’s crazy to see people make two-, three-hour videos on their thoughts and building conspiracies. It’s interactive content and that adds such a desirable element, more so than a music video with cars and things. Not that those aren’t lovely sometimes.”

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