US Christian Musician Holds Event at First Canadian Public Venue to Grant Permit

U.S. musician Sean Feucht performs at the Diefenbaker Park in Saskatoon on Aug. 21, 2025, as protesters demonstrate behind the stage. Chandra Philip/The Epoch Times

SASKATOON— Following a series of permit cancellations across Canada, American Christian musician Sean Feucht held his first event at a public venue where the municipality approved the permit.

Feucht’s event was held at Saskatoon’s Diefenbaker Park on Aug. 21, despite the city’s mayor saying she would like to cancel it.

Several public venues on the Canadian leg of his “Let Us Worship” tour have been cancelled by municipalities or Parks Canada who cited safety concerns over reports of planned protests of the events. Quebec City and Gatineau cited Feucht’s views on gender ideology as the reason for the cancellations.

Feucht describes himself as a missionary and musician on social media. He has also been outspoken about issues such as abortion and gender-related issues.

“Do not pledge your loyalty or sell your soul to the religion of the LGBTQ no matter what they demand,” he said in one instance on social media.

The musician told The Epoch Times in an interview before the Saskatoon show that the cancellations have been “very enlightening” on the state of Canada.

“It unintentionally started a national dialogue around the anti-Christian bias that’s obvious—some call it Christophobia—and the hypocrisy of the government.”

Feucht said those trying to stop his show don’t understand that “we never back down.”

“I don’t think that they realize that they are actually helping us. And the unique thing about this is there’s so many more people who know about it now, so many more people hear about it. It’s a lot of free press.”

As Feucht held his performance at Diefenbaker Park within a fenced-off area, groups of protesters shouted slogans and used noise makers to drown out his performance.

High school teacher Tyler Eaglesham, who brought a drum, said he wanted to be loud to “stand up for what I believe in,” adding that those in the LGBT community have “a right to feel safe and that they have allies in our community.”

“I’m here because I have friends, I have students and family who are part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community,” Eaglesham said in an interview. “The fact that he was allowed to perform in a public Saskatoon park after the City of Saskatoon declared us a safe city for our LGBTQ folks, I think it’s appalling.”

Feucht said that he has seen the “worst of Canada” and also the best.

“Some of the most incredible people, most hospitable people, most kind people have opened their farms, their homes, they bring us food, they bring us fruit. And I think that’s one of the things that I want people to know is that exposing the darkness really brings out the light.”

Permits Approved

Permits for Feucht’s events were approved to be held in Saskatoon as well as the Alberta legislature grounds in Edmonton, where he is performing on Aug. 22.

Saskatoon’s Mayor Cynthia Block previously said in a video posted to social media that she wished she could cancel the permit, saying that some of what Feucht has said is “abhorrent” and “hurtful” and goes against “everything our city says it stands for.”

Block added that in Canada, the Charter protected freedom of expression even when the message was “offensive or upsetting.”

A statement from the Alberta Ministry of Infrastructure said that the province was committed to supporting and respecting free speech.

It said the province does not “engage in shutting down or censoring law-abiding events.”

BC Cancellations

Abbotsford and West Kelowna have both declined a permit application for Feucht’s upcoming events in those cities, citing safety concerns.

The City of West Kelowna said it, along with RCMP and West Kelowna Fire Rescue, “reassessed the safety and security plans submitted” by event organizers and determined public safety risks had not been “appropriately mitigated.”

City spokesperson Ashley Stewart previously told The Epoch Times in an email that West Kelowna was committed to fostering a community where everyone is “treated with respect and dignity.”

Conservative MLA Macklin McCall, who represents West Kelowna-Peachland, said in a statement that the decision to cancel the event sets a “dangerous precedent,” adding that it amounted to “informed, principle-based decision making” being “surrendered to mob rule.”

City of Abbotsford spokesperson Melissa Godbout previously told The Epoch Times there was concern the event would draw “significant numbers of protestors and counter-protestors,” making safety considerations “extremely difficult to mitigate.”

Godbout said the city found no permit conditions could “adequately address the potential risks to the public.”

Civil advocacy organization Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) has sent a letter to the city asking for the decision to be reversed, saying the municipality was engaging in “unlawful censorship” and legal action could follow.

JCCF said that the city had confirmed on Aug. 18 it received a revised application for the Feucht event, scheduled for Aug. 24.

The Epoch Times attempted to contact the city about the application but did not hear back by publication time.

Feucht said he would be pursuing legal action over the cancellations.

“There’s this high, high burden of proof on a lot of these cities to prove why they would cancel us after confirming us. And to be honest, I don’t think that they can prove that.”