Do West Fest Organizers Looking to Clean Up Event After Saturday Night Chaos
Toronto Police said they received 66 calls about the festival in Little Portugal last weekend. A larger than expected crowd became unruly, with fights and numerous petty crimes occurring until officers began shutting the event down at about 10 p.m.
Ward 9 City Councillor Alejandra Bravo will meet with event organizers to help prevent a repeat of what happened in her riding on Saturday night. She shared a laugh not far from a group press conference at Nathan Phillips Square, but the mood was serious regarding the festival's future.
Toronto Police reported 41 calls regarding theft under $5,000 and 36 specifically regarding stolen cellphones. Seven arrests were made, five for alleged assaults. The multi-day event in Little Portugal was intended to unofficially kick off summer in the city.
“It’s critical that we support festival organizers to operate safe and successful events across our city, and I have reached out to the Do West Fest organizers and will be meeting with them directly to understand how the festival can be better supported going forward,” Bravo said in a news release.
According to the festival’s official website, the event is “built by and for the members of the Little Portugal Toronto BIA.” It features music, art, food and vendors over three days in the heart of Little Portugal. Bravo was stationed in the Shaw Ave. area on Saturday evening until 10 p.m.
The city is also reviewing the incident. “City staff will be reviewing with Do West Fest organizers to better understand the issues and develop mitigation strategies both for application to Do West Fest next year and to support public safety efforts with other street festivals due to be held in Toronto this summer,” said Pat Tobin, general manager of Economic Development and Culture for the City of Toronto.
Toronto Police said they review their actions and reactions when staffing events, always looking to improve performance for future duties. They worked alongside organizers in advance to review safety plans and staffing levels, but the crowd was larger than previous years and posed challenges.
“We will be reviewing this year’s event with all partners to determine what changes are needed moving forward to ensure public safety remains a top priority,” Toronto police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan wrote in an emailed statement.
Residents in the Little Portugal section of the city surrounding the festival area have also expressed concerns. “I will be attending to community concerns of overcrowding and capacity that occurred late on Saturday evening, particularly in the eastern portion of the festival,” Bravo said.
Do West Fest organizers did not return two phone calls made by the Sun. However, on Wednesday afternoon they released a statement via their website. “While overcrowding and subsequent incidents can occur at any large public gathering, we continually review our operations and security measures to identify opportunities for improvement,” the statement said. “The events committee is already evaluating this year’s event and discussing adjustments for 2027. Options under consideration include modest changes to operating hours, further refinements to amplified sound management, and additional measures to improve the experience for residents, visitors, businesses, and festivalgoers.”
