Beyond Meat and Live Nation Canada have inked a two-year exclusive partnership deal that makes the brand the official plant-based meat sponsor of Live Nation Canada, and the exclusive onsite supplier for Toronto concert venues Budweiser Stage and Echo Beach.

With 63% of music fans considering themselves “foodies,” Beyond Meat sees the sponsorship as the right opportunity to continue its commitment to category growth in Canada. In addition, Ontario is the largest plant-based protein market in the country – 41% market share of total Canada plant-based protein – making Toronto is the ideal location to reach more consumers.

This is the first mass-scale sponsorship deal Beyond Meet has signed in Canada, which Heena Verma, marketing director for Canada at Beyond Meat, aims to tap into the cultural music and food scene.

“Our goal with the partnership is to get Beyond Meat products into as many Torontonians’ hands as possible to drive first-time trial amongst a demographic we haven’t yet reached,” she says.

As part of the sponsorship, Beyond Meat will provide concert goers with over 80,000 samples of its recently launched “juicier” Beyond Burger, as well as its Beyond Sausage and Beyond Beef, through a branded food truck outside of Budweiser Stage and Echo Beach venue.

This summer, the full sponsorship will include on-site digital and static signage, product availability, social storytelling through Live Nation Canada’s social channels and POS amplification in grocery stores nationwide.

The partnership with Live Nation Canada also marks the beginning of a larger summer marketing push behind the Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, with content starring comedian Kevin Hart. Beyond Meat works with Toronto agency Agnostic in Canada.

At the store level, Beyond Meat is activating the sponsorship by giving away concert tickets for a year through a national retail promotion running until July. It is being promoted via social and on-site at Live Nation concert venues as well as retail signage.