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.”

The planned beer price increase was short-lived, however. Minister of Service Alberta Dale Nally said the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission had been directed by the province not to put in place the planned pricing change, which would have raised the minimum price of a pint of beer from $3.20 to $5.

“This will provide business and Albertans with greater certainty and consistency,” Smith posted June 22 on X.

New Noise Rules

Although the province decided against raising the minimum price of beer, city council voted 9–6 against an urgent motion tabled by Ward 1 Councillor Kim Tyers to undo changes for noise exemption permits for musical performances and entertainment tents set up outside Stampede Park during the event, which runs July 3 to 12 this year.

The rules require that concerts during the week in the area of the Stampede have to finish by midnight, but can include “cool-down” music until 1 a.m. Weekend rules continue to allow concerts to go until 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and lighter music may continue until 2 a.m.

The allowable volume for concerts has also been reduced by five decibels in most categories.

Timeline

In February of this year, the City of Calgary first notified Stampede music festival operators that operated past midnight in 2025 that it would be imposing stricter rules on their noise exemption permits for this year’s event, including earlier weeknight concert end times and lower allowable noise levels.

The issue gained the spotlight in mid-June ahead of Stampede starting on July 3 this year, with Mayor Farkas posting on social media a memo from Calgary’s chief of community standards explaining the new limits, saying it’s important to both support businesses and also respect the rights of residents.

This was followed by Smith’s June 21 post accusing the city of acting as the “fun police” as well as harming workers and creating safety risks as large crowds would exit venues in a short period. Smith added that most large concerts in North America don’t face such restrictions and said the Stampede is a signature event for the city and that the city and organizers should reach a compromise.

The Stampede is a rodeo, exhibition, and festival celebrating Western culture that drew roughly 1.4 million attendees last year. In addition to parades and chuckwagon races, it features live concerts, agricultural showcases, midway rides, and one of the world’s largest rodeos.

Smith–Farkas Clash

In her opposition to the stricter rules, Smith cited a recent opinion piece by President of Penny Lane Entertainment Paul Vickers that said the changes would make it “extremely difficult” to hold outdoors concerts and that the volume limits are “far below” what audiences expect in a live concert. He added that some performers might cut parts of their performances due to the noise rules.

In response to Smith’s criticism, Farkas responded that the city was the real “fun police” for formerly having planned to allow a minimum price increase to beer, leading to the province’s decision to reverse course on that price hike.

“Looks like the fun police have struck again in Alberta, this time targeting people trying to enjoy a pint,” he wrote. “The provincial government will negatively affect thousands of workers and create additional problems for bars and restaurants already facing higher costs.”

As for the noise restrictions, Farkas said they are reasonable in order to still have a successful festival while also respecting those who live in the area.

“Here at city hall, we have sent a strong signal that we value people more than big money,” he said. “This isn’t about the Stampede at all, it’s about one single bad actor who has chosen to treat their neighbours like garbage.”

In justifying the changes, city officials have pointed at 225 noise complaints received last year in relation to downtown music festivals, including 125 linked to the Cowboys Music Festival. The majority of the complaints were filed on weeknights, Farkas said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also stated his disagreement with the noise level changes, saying they will result in “killing jobs.”

Although he didn’t respond to Poilievre’s comments directly, Farkas said there has been a “coordinated smear campaign from out-of-town politicians” to criticize the new noise limits, which he said are only the same as those at other major music festivals.

Changes Stay

Reacting to the changes staying, Smith posted June 22 saying she hopes those impacted by the changes can “resolve this impasse.”

“We’ve written Calgary City Council urging immediate and meaningful consultation with the businesses, workers, artists, and organizers impacted by recent noise bylaw changes in hopes that the City and various effected music venues can resolve this impasse in a way that makes more sense for everyone,” Smith posted June 22.

For his part, Farkas posted in support of keeping the new noise limits in place, saying it “strikes the right balance.”

“This decision strikes the right balance. Calgary will have a vibrant festival scene while respecting the people who live nearby,” Farkas posted June 23.