Chase Rice performs for 40,000 fans at Boots and Hearts main stage, Sunday, August 7th 2016 at Burl s Creek Event Grounds. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-/Boots and Hearts Music Festival MANDATORY CREDIT
TORONTO – Organizers of the country-fuelled Boots and Hearts music festival are pulling the plug on this year’s summertime event.
Republic Live announced Monday that ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Ontario made it impossible to move forward with their plan to hold massive concerts less than four months from now.
Boots and Hearts is one of the province’s biggest music festivals and was set to be held over the Aug. 5 weekend at the Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ont., about 30 kilometres north of Barrie.
Country music stars booked to perform included Dan + Shay, Sam Hunt and Eric Church.
Summer music festivals have been in a tough spot as COVID-19 cases surge across the country, making it uncertain whether any crowds will be able to gather by July and August.
Many of Canada s music festivals opted to forgo planning a 2021 season while others have dropped off the schedule, including RBC Bluesfest in Ottawa, and Country Thunder festivals in Craven, Sask. and Calgary.
A few festivals still remain on the schedule, among them the Calgary Folk Music Festival, which said it will be cautiously optimistic and adaptable this year, and Montreal s Osheaga Music and Arts Festival which said last week it was too early to talk about our summer festivals at this moment as Montreal is still in a red zone.
Canada’s summer festival organizers face the music as COVID-19 rages across the country David Friend Bookmark Please log in to listen to this story. Also available in French and Mandarin. Log In Create Free Account
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Blair Gable/The Globe and Mail
Summer 2021 was supposed to mark the triumphant return of Canadian music festivals. Instead, it’s ushering in another season of disappointment.
As COVID-19 cases rage across the country, many of Canada’s beloved summer music events are falling like dominoes as organizers abandon any hope of a return this year.
Hinshaw letter outlines return to audiences at events in Alberta starting in late May calgary.ctvnews.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from calgary.ctvnews.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
David Friend
In this May 26, 2018, file photo, people listen to Michael Franti perform at the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival in Napa, Calif. Canadian music festival organizers hoped this summer would mark a return to concerts, but as COVID-19 cases rage on many have already dropped off the calendar. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Eric Risberg April 16, 2021 - 8:27 AM
TORONTO - Summer 2021 was supposed to mark the triumphant return of Canadian music festivals. Instead, itâs ushering in another season of disappointment.
As COVID-19 cases rage across the country, many of Canadaâs beloved summer music events are falling like dominoes as organizers abandon any hope of a return this year.