By Chloe Teixeira, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Burlington’s new Lakeshore Music and Arts Festival kicked off on Father’s Day weekend, attracting thousands of people, from children to seniors. Crowds experienced live music performances, vendors, food trucks, and midway carnival rides that lined the grounds of Spencer Smith Park.
The two-day event, operated by MRG Live, followed the City of Burlington’s decision to end its partnership with the previous operator, Sound of Music Festival (SOM), in October.
Two long-time SOM attendees, Jon Walker and Dawn, who wished to be identified by her first name only, wondered how this new festival would compare. On the first day of Lakeshore Music and Arts, Dawn spoke about their concerns, saying they were both “a little wary” and wondered what would be similar or different.
There were a few noticeable differences between the two festivals, starting with the way the two organizations operate. While SOM is an independent, not-for-profit operator, MRG Live is “Canada’s largest concert and entertainment promotion company.”
Lakeshore Music and Arts ran for two days, while SOM, in recent years, ran for four days.
Another attendee, Christian, said the festival felt “a little scaled back” in comparison to SOM. He noticed the size difference between the stages. Unlike SOM’s two main stages, the new festival had one main stage and a smaller secondary stage on the west side. “The other one was kind of lame,” he said of the west stage.
Christian explained that having two “proper” stages might have been better, as it would have given people a reason to walk along the waterfront’s promenade.
The festival also prompted discussion on Reddit, where users shared a range of experiences. Accessibility was one topic of discussion: one Reddit user, who mentioned they “accompany a disabled person,” wrote that they found it easier to navigate the new festival than SOM because vendor and food trucks were located on the grass, leaving the waterfront walkway clearer.
Another user, who did not attend, wrote about the lack of screens at the stages mentioned by other users in the thread. “Glad I didn’t go. My eyesight is really bad and those screens come in handy.”
There also seemed to be slightly fewer vendors to browse this year, although some were familiar from SOM’s festivals. Many vendors were sponsors or food-related booths rather than merchandise. The Reddit user who praised the festival’s accessibility said they hoped to see more vendors next year.
Despite some differences from SOM, the crowds were there nonetheless. Things started off slowly in the afternoon heat, with low energy. Many people sat along the waterfront’s concrete edges with a snack or browsed the vendors.
Lots of families were in the midway section of the festival at this time of day, as they played in the Monkey Maze or rode the Ferris wheel.
MRG Live was only announced as the new waterfront music festival organizer in December 2025; Dawn said she and Walker were “pretty impressed” that the new festival was put together “so quickly.”
Walker also expressed his satisfaction with the event’s performance lineups — including an all-Canadian lineup — and the food selection: tacos, jerk chicken, and carnival-style snacks were just a few of the options.
The music itself seemed to be an important factor in determining if the new festival could live up to SOM. When Walker and Dawn were asked how they felt about the new festival in comparison, Walker said, “We’ll see tonight, from the performance. I’m sure it’ll be good.”
As evening approached, the energy quickly picked up as more people arrived, filing through security checkpoints and onto the grounds of the main stage area.
There were mixed feelings about the capacity at Lakeshore Music and Arts. Walker didn’t feel that it was overcrowded, and Christian said, “It feels like a real music festival.”
Online discussion reflected a range of experiences, particularly around entry into the festival. Some Reddit users wrote about struggling to get into the festival due to long lineups and wait times. Multiple users wrote they couldn’t get in at all. One wrote it was because “the fenced area apparently hit capacity,” while another wrote this wasn’t something they ever experienced with SOM.
Thousands of people attended the festival, many who gathered to watch Burlington’s very own Walk off the Earth perform, headlining the first evening. Walker and Dawn were among the crowd who were looking forward to seeing the local band perform that night.
The band’s energy commanded everyone’s attention. Their performance gathered the largest crowd of the day, and felt like a large-venue concert with fireworks and smoke shooting out from the stage. They performed some of their hits, including “Rule the World” and “Red Hands,” in addition to several covers, such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana.
Walk Off the Earth’s performance provided a powerful conclusion to the festival’s first day with music that could be heard throughout the streets downtown.
For many people, the desire for a festival seemed to surpass wanting a specific company to be operating the event. “I think it’s starting off small, but it’s probably going to be built on every year,” said Walker. “We appreciate that it’s actually here after the Sound of Music was cancelled.”
Back in August 2025, SOM released a statement, writing that Canada’s “largest free outdoor music festival is at risk” due to “sharp declines in public arts funding and sponsorship.” The statement mentioned the federal Heritage Fund, which “traditionally supported with $200,000 annually,” now offered grants up to $50,000.
Then, in September 2025, the City of Burlington asked SOM to submit their “best-case financial request,” which included an ask of $750,000. The city did not proceed with SOM, and a call for organizers was issued later.
Regarding the decision to partner with MRG Live, a December statement from the city wrote “[t]he process to determine the top applicant included a thorough review by the Festivals and Events Strategy Team” consisting of “City staff and external stakeholders,” such as the Burlington Performance Arts Centre and Halton Regional Police.
It also wrote, “the festival will bring a new creative vision and lineup of live music and community experiences.”
As for this new music festival, “I think it’s lived up decently well,” said Christian, who enjoyed the music from the performers and the overall energy.
While it is not yet known whether the festival will become an annual event, the festival’s website states, “Lakeshore [Music & Arts] is poised to become one of Ontario’s premier outdoor music and cultural events for years to come.”
