Two long-running and much-loved Ontario music festivals are disappearing from the province’s cultural landscape, with one shutting down for good and the other fighting for survival after a major funding setback.
Riverfest Elora, held in the picturesque village of Elora for the past 15 years, announced this week that it is closing permanently. Meanwhile, Burlington’s Sound of Music (SOM) festival — Canada’s largest free music festival for decades — is scrambling to reorganize after Burlington City Council rejected its request for additional financial support.
Riverfest Elora Calls It Quits
Organizers of the three-day August festival said the rising costs of bringing major acts to a small community event had become unsustainable. Despite strong attendance and a reputation for high-quality programming — featuring artists such as Alessia Cara, Bruce Cockburn, Metric, The Flaming Lips, and The Violent Femmes — financial pressures mounted year after year.
“Continuing to operate an unsustainable model would only deepen that burden beyond what we can responsibly bear,” organizers said in a statement. They added that festivals across Canada are facing similar economic pressures, with many at risk of shutting down.
There have been no discussions about trying to revive Riverfest, making this year’s announcement final.
Sound of Music Festival Faces Uncertain Future
While Riverfest has closed its doors, SOM is fighting to stay alive after Burlington denied its request for an extra $750,000 to stabilize its finances for 2026. The festival, which has run for 45 years, typically received $150,000 annually from the city.
SOM draws hundreds of thousands of attendees to Spencer Smith Park each June — though the city disputes the often-quoted 400,000-plus attendance number. Its economic impact has been significant, helping bring millions of dollars into Burlington’s restaurants, hotels, and shops.
Over the years, SOM has featured major Canadian and international acts including Tom Cochrane, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kim Mitchell, Steven Page, Devo, Jacksoul, and the New York Dolls. But organizers say skyrocketing performance fees and production costs have pushed the event to its financial limit.
Burlington Plans a Replacement — But Likely Smaller
City officials say they still want a music event “in the spirit” of Sound of Music next June, but insiders expect any replacement will be much smaller in scale and unable to match SOM’s star-studded lineups or its draw as Canada’s biggest free music festival.
The city has invited SOM organizers to submit a new proposal but has also opened the door to other groups to pitch ideas for a fresh event. Residents are being asked whether Burlington should continue with SOM at all.
A Broader Warning for Canadian Festivals
Both Riverfest and SOM had strong crowds — their downfall wasn’t attendance but cost inflation. Organizers say the festival model is being squeezed by skyrocketing artist fees, production expenses, insurance premiums, and staffing costs, creating a harsh new reality across the industry.
Burlington is expected to reveal its plan for next summer in January, but for now, Ontario music lovers are left with the loss of two signature summer events that once helped define the province’s cultural calendar.