Calgary City Council Votes to Keep Stampede Noise Rules in Place Despite Province Conceding on Alcohol Pricing

Calgary Fire Department firefighters look on from on top of an aerial ladder truck during the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary on July 4, 2025. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

Calgary city council voted down a last-minute attempt to lift new noise restrictions on Calgary Stampede party tents downtown, following objections from business groups and the province.

The vote on June 23 came after earlier clashes between Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith over the bylaw restriction, with Smith saying “the fun police have struck again in Calgary” and Farkas responding that a planned increase to the minimum price of beer was the real “fun police.”