People in Toronto are furious after the music festival made major changes at the last minute
Toronto

People in Toronto are furious after the music festival made major changes at the last minute

By Judy J. Beasley

Summer in Toronto is known for its many culinary and musical festivities, and although the past two years have banned such events, 2022 has been touted as the best summer yet.

But this weekend’s Kultureland Fest at the Markham Fairgrounds (and Ajax Downs racecourse) was far from a dream come true, with venue changes and last-minute cancellations.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Kultureland was billed as an event that blends “the sounds and cultures that produce some of the world’s finest artists and offers music fans an unparalleled two-day experience in the city.”

Headliners included chart-topping artists Jhene Aiko and Burna Boy.

It looks like the festival got off to a good start with Burna Boy delivering an explosive and wildly entertaining set on Saturday night.

Social media agreed, with many saying the performance was the crown jewel of the festival.

But it seems that’s where the positives stop and the negatives start to take off.

For unknown reasons, the festival has changed venue for Sunday, approximately 40 kilometers from Ajax Downs Racecourse. This was announced at 4:10 p.m.

It was then that some festival-goers began to cry foul and compared the brothel to the infamous Fire Festwhich notoriously promised people a once-in-a-lifetime Bahamian experience only to end up with ham sandwiches and tents.

Some fans demanded refunds and were very disappointed while others used laughter to express their situation.

Festival-goers who arrived at Markham Fairgrounds were turned away (sometimes by the police) and told the venue had been changed.

As with every multi-day music festival, some fans drove for hours to attend and also booked hotels or airbnbs. With the news of the location change, people were furious.

But things only got worse.

Due to technical difficulties in Aiko’s show which “required a level of visuals” that the organizers could not “technically produce in a short time”, her set was canceled entirely.

“Our headliner of the evening will not be able to perform. As we all know, today has been a wild sequence of events, but we intend to give you the best experience we can offer, despite the circumstances.”

Many fans say that the promoters and organizers of the festival told them that Aiko was going to perform until the last minute.

It is also alleged that fans paid hundreds of dollars for VIP access and met with less than extravagant terms. Complaints piled up about long queues, ticket malfunctions, and excruciating heat.

Some artists have also dropped out of the festival altogether and it is alleged that Kultureland has not released set times for their acts.

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, Stonebwoy, Fireboy, Lojay and Kamo Mphela will not be able to perform today,” read an Instagram post from Kultureland.

A positive was the food available, which seemed much more substantial and seasoned than the Fyre Fest menu.

It’s unclear exactly what happened that led to these drastic changes. Some claim the funds were not paid while others say the festival was a scam to begin with.

All comments have been disabled on the Kulture Land Fest Instagram page.

There has been no official statement yet on what happened over the weekend either.

Here’s hoping fans can get some sort of refund. Or explanation for the disastrous weekend.

Judy J. Beasley
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