Afrofest cancelled in Toronto this year over capacity, safety concerns

Organizers faced challenges securing a permit for the event from the city

Toronto's annual African music festival will not take place this summer as organizers cite safety concerns over limited capacity at Woodbine Park.

This would have been the 38th year of one of Canada's longest-running African cultural festivals, and the largest free African music festival in North America.

Music Africa of Canada says it faced challenges securing a permit for the event scheduled for mid-August and did not get final direction from the city until June, leaving little time to pivot.

It says Woodbine Park's long-standing capacity is 17,000 people but the city told organizers that its operational limit would be just 5,000 this year — and the festival typically draws up to 40,000 people in a single day.

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Organizers say even with planned safety upgrades such as ticketing and fencing, thousands more people would still show up expecting to attend the event, creating a risk outside the gates they couldn't responsibly manage.

The organization says it will work with the city to secure a larger venue and plans to return in 2027.