Two music festivals in Ontario were "a disaster" this weekend

@sherihill/Twitter | @SHERRYtheCOACH/Twitter

This weekend was not a great one for celebrations.

First, the Montreal Pride Parade got cancelled last minute, and then two music festivals in Ontario – Boots and Hearts and Kingstonfest – experienced major issues that attendees can only compare to Fyre Fest.

The Boots and Hearts festival wrapped up its four-day event Sunday at Burl’s Creek in Oro-Medonte, Ontario. However, due to bad weather conditions, it had to temporarily evacuate the grounds.

Due to severe incoming weather conditions we are temporarily evacuating the festival grounds. Please seek shelter outside the grounds for your safety. We will provide further information as this situation develops.

— Boots and Hearts (@BootsandHearts) August 8, 2022

An emergency alert was displayed next to the main stage, where Shania Twain was expected to perform.

boots and hearts festival emergency alert

@SheriHill/Twitter

The grounds reopened just before 9:30 pm, when the rain stopped, and Twain performed as planned.

But the abrupt evacuation did not sit well with festivalgoers.

“What would they have done if a tornado had come? Where would people who had flown in take cover?” someone tweeted.

Just a thought, should events like these be made to have an evacuation plan in the future? What would they have done if a tornado had come? Where would people who had flown in take cover?

— Heather (@414Heather) August 8, 2022

@BootsandHearts what is happening. Why can’t anybody leave. This is insane. Been 1.5 hours and have moved 2
Inches.
No exaggeration

— Stephanie Dubreuil (@StephDubsy) August 8, 2022

It appears people were told to evacuate but not WHERE to evacuate once the heavy rain started.

Current status: running my ass to … no clue! #bootsandhearts pic.twitter.com/h8tKEMLsUB

— Courtney Duthie (@courtney_duthie) August 8, 2022

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Elsewhere, Kingstonfest – a Jamaican music festival – took place at Downsview Park in Toronto the same night.

Attendees were quick to call it a “complete disorganized disaster” on social media after artists performed with no sound, food and water ran out, and the gates were knocked down.

Kingston festival a complete disorganized disaster left after this… there goes my vip section…#Refund #KingstonFest pic.twitter.com/3GldGsSd9p

— Sherry Rampersaud (@SHERRYtheCOACH) August 7, 2022

According to festivalgoers, several fights broke out and “everyone [started] running to avoid getting shot.”

#KingstonFest worst event possible. People fainting left and right and vendors don’t have water. Fights breaking out and everyone starts running to avoid getting shot. People showing up wearing bulletproof vests bc this shit is “expected”

— sarah babyyy (@sarah_land19) August 8, 2022

Some called Kingstonfest even worse than Fyre Fest, the fraudulent luxury music festival that took media by storm back in 2017.

im cryinggg they really calling #KingstonFest the new fyre fest and i promise it might’ve been WORSE

— LDN (@lad4nn) August 8, 2022

I want my 88$ back 😭 a complete mess

— yasmine (@yasmine_coco) August 8, 2022

Whoever these organizers are, they’re ruining it for the city cuz artists might not wanna come perform in Toronto anymore after so much discombobulated nonsense #Kultureland #KingstonFest

— Miss Munro (@s_munroo) August 8, 2022

#KingstonFest is currently a FLOP. We’re here in an almost silent park. Only the front few rows can hear the performances bc ALL the speakers are down. Ppl keep running. This is a disaster. Oh. And Shenseea & Skilli just performed. BOOING Everywhere. Can’t believe it. 😅 https://t.co/9JKbeYuqRR

— 🌸 Dolly 🌸 (@FlawsofCouture) August 8, 2022

There were reports of other events gone awry in the city. Both Kultureland and JerkFest were deemed “a mess” all over social media.

If you stayed home all weekend, looks like you made a wise decision.