Cranbrook won’t be rock and rolling this summer due to the financial risk of hosting Rock the Kootenays.
Hosting the festival would involve the city committing nearly $700,000 of taxpayer funds.
That would have to be recouped through ticket sales, vendor fees and sponsorships.
However, last year’s festival saw declining sales a lower attendance, council has decided to cancel next year’s event.
“The challenges were very clear during the lead-up to the 2025 festival. One month before the event, we were looking at a potential $200,000 loss of City funds due to slow ticket sales,” said recreation and culture director Trevor Thors.
“While the final loss was thankfully limited to just over $14,000, the gap clearly showed us how unpredictable the market has become. Artist fees and production costs continue to rise faster than ticket prices can reasonably keep up.”
Council determined they couldn’t justify the cost with economic uncertainty expected to continue in 2026.
The city will look for other future concert and event opportunities.
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