OttawaThe organizers of a multicultural music festival at Lansdowne Park have cancelled the two-day event over safety concerns. Police say they responded to reported gunshots in the area’This decision was made with deep care and consideration,’ organizers sayCBC 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 two-day event over safety concerns after reports of gunshots in the vicinity brought the first day of the festival to a halt.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 9 p.m. ETYowFest initially announced on its website that it could not move forward with Day 1 of the festival, and said that the safety and security of the attendees were its top priority.In the evening, YowFest announced that Day 2 of the festival would also not be going ahead.”We understand the disappointment this may cause for those who were looking forward to the festival,” the festival’s update said. “YowFest is a celebration of community and togetherness, and this decision was made with deep care and consideration.”Organizers said they are working with the city to manage site dismantling, and will provide updates regarding ticket refunds.Sixteen acts were slated to perform on Friday — including Xavier Trudeau, the son of the former prime minister Justin Trudeau — with a further 22 planned for Saturday.
YowFest cancelled after reports of shots fired at Lansdowne Park
