OttawaThe organizers of a multicultural music festival at Lansdowne Park have cancelled the event’s first night over safety concerns. Police say they responded to reported gunshots in the areaPolice say they responded to reported gunshots in the areaCBC News · Posted: Aug 29, 2025 7:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoYowFest, a multicultural festival slated to kick off at Lansdowne Park on Friday, had to cancel its first night because of a disturbance in the area. Police said they responded to reported gunshots. (Francis Ferland/CBC)The organizers of a multicultural music festival at Lansdowne Park have cancelled the event’s first night over safety concerns. YowFest was set to get underway on Friday evening.At about 4:20 p.m., however, the Ottawa Police Service responded to reports of gunshots in the area, the force said on X. No injuries were reported. Police were still searching for a suspect as of 6 p.m.At around the same time, YowFest announced on its website that it could not move forward with Day 1 of the festival. “Your safety and our experience are our top priority,” according to the festival’s update. “We’ll provide updates regarding next steps shortly.” Sixteen acts were slated to perform on Friday. The two-day festival’s lineup outlines 22 performances for Saturday.
First night of YowFest cancelled over disturbance at Lansdowne Park
