Lainey Wilson (C) performs “Ring Finger” during the 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 19, 2025. George Walker IV/AP Photo
Country Thunder says it is cancelling its upcoming music festival in Calgary due to “city-created safety and operational barriers.”
The cancellation notice was issued June 24 ahead of the festival, which had been scheduled for June 26 to 28 this year, and comes in the wake of clashes between Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith over new noise limitations put in place ahead of the Calgary Stampede.
“After exhaustive efforts to find a workable path forward, the organization has determined that conditions created by the City of Calgary, including active construction surrounding the festival site and new restrictive sound limitations, make it impossible to stage the event for 2026,” Country Thunder wrote in a June 24 release.
The organization added that “city-created safety and operational barriers” were at fault and “make safe and enjoyable execution of the festival impossible.”
The City of Calgary said it had met with Country Thunder organizers earlier on June 24 and was told they were satisfied with the plans for the event. It added that the city had made several changes to accommodate the company’s needs.
This year’s Country Thunder had been scheduled to be headlined by country music performers Kane Brown, the Red Clay Strays, and Lainey Wilson, and would have also featured rising Canadian country music star Cameron Whitcomb.
Months of Unsuccessful Negotiations, Festival Says
Country Thunder said the cancellation came about after “several months” of negotiating with the City of Calgary about “challenges” surrounding construction downtown that interferes with access for concert attendees, emergency services, and production staff, in addition to lower noise limits put in place for concerts and entertainment ahead of the Stampede, which runs July 3 to 12.
