Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has launched a blistering attack on Country Thunder Alberta, accusing the festival organizers of fabricating a link between their cancellation and the city's new tent noise regulations. In a statement early Wednesday, Farkas dismissed the organizers' claims as "B.S." and urged the public to look beyond sensational headlines.
Farkas calls out misinformation
Farkas pointed to a news article published Monday in which Country Thunder stated that the city's new rules—including a 5-decibel noise reduction and earlier curfews for big tents during the Stampede—would not affect them because their festival always had an 11 p.m. curfew. The mayor noted that organizers were fully aware of the noise limits and that musicians had been briefed on them.
"They met with city officials on Wednesday and didn't bring up any complaints," Farkas said. "The city learned of the cancellation like everyone else—as a bombshell."
Political opportunism alleged
The mayor's comments come after self-proclaimed conservative commentators seized on the cancellation as proof that Farkas and city council are driving music festivals out of Calgary. Farkas accused these critics of failing to investigate the facts before speaking out. "Do these folks investigate before they engage their mouths? Of course not. They figure people won't read beyond the headline," he said.
The controversy is the latest in a series of disputes over noise regulations for large tents operating during the Calgary Stampede. Earlier this month, the city council voted to impose new rules—weeknight concerts ending at midnight, weekend concerts at 1:30 a.m., and a 5-decibel reduction in noise and bass levels from last year—in response to complaints from nearby residents.
Country Thunder's cancellation
Country Thunder Alberta announced the cancellation of its festival, scheduled to start Friday, citing construction at The Confluence site and "sound limitations" imposed by the city. However, Farkas noted that the new noise rules are irrelevant to Country Thunder, which operates under a different permit and has always adhered to an 11 p.m. curfew.
"I'm not going to speculate that almost record rainfall is expected this weekend," Farkas said. "I'm not going to speculate they've been posting desperately pushing bigger discounts than we've ever seen for ticket sales. I'm not going to speculate it was poor ticket sales and piss-poor weather this weekend that could have prompted a business decision."
Background on noise regulations
The city's new noise rules were passed in response to years of complaints from residents near tent venues like Cowboys, which operates during the Stampede's 11-night run. The regulations affect only those tents, not festivals like Country Thunder that take place at other times. Cowboys owner Paul Vickers had previously opposed the rules, sparking a heated public debate.
Farkas emphasized that Country Thunder's cancellation has nothing to do with city policy. "The facts are clear: Country Thunder knew the rules, agreed to them, and then pulled the plug for reasons that have nothing to do with city hall," he said.
