Only two days before it was set to kick off, Country Thunder Alberta in Calgary has been cancelled.
Headliners for the June 26-28 festival were The Red Clay Strays, Kane Brown and Lainey Wilson, with the bill also including Cameron Whitcomb, Tyler Hubbard, Ian Munsick, Mark Chesnutt, Noeline Hofmann and Elizabeth Nichols, among others.
Organizers posted on social media on Wednesday (June 24), “Today, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Country Thunder Alberta 2026,” citing issues with the city of Calgary for the late cancellation. “Active construction, loss of critical infrastructure and a restrictive noise bylaw made safe and enjoyable execution of the festival impossible,” the post stated, noting that the festival had been in contact with the city to resolve the challenges, but have not been able to.
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The festival was still touting its arrival on socials as recently as Tuesday (June 23), posting images of the main stage and trucks loading in equipment.
Organizers went into more detail on the festival website. “For several months, Country Thunder has been in direct communication with the City of Calgary in an effort to resolve a series of escalating infrastructure and regulatory challenges tied to the new arena development. Despite sustained advocacy, the following conditions remain unresolved,” the statement said, listing several impediments, including the installation of a water bypass pipe that made sections of the festival site unusable. Scotia Place, a $1.2 billion event center that will be the new home to the NHL’s Calgary Flames, is under construction and will open in fall, 2027.
“We do not take this decision lightly,” said Kim Blevins, Country Thunder’s executive director, in a statement on the site. “Our fans travel from across the country to be part of this experience and we owe them an event they can enjoy fully. The city-driven conditions in Calgary this year make that impossible. Proceeding would have meant compromising on not only safety but also the fan experience and that is not something we are willing to do. We want our fans to feel the music, lose themselves in it and leave having had the experience they paid for. The new sound limitations placed on this event would not have allowed us to deliver that experience.”
All fans will receive a full refund.
Country Thunder Alberta is one of five festivals under the Country Thunder banner. The other festivals take place in Florence, Arizona; Clearwater, Florida; Craven, Saskatchewan and Twin Lakes, Wisconsin.
