Livestock Niagara moves to Ferry Street for fifth year
Between the cancellation of Roxodus and troubles with Rock the Roses, it hasn’t been a good week for Ontario music festivals.
But you can still count on Livestock Niagara. The region’s largest music festival will be back in Niagara Falls for its fifth year Aug. 23 and 24, again putting the spotlight firmly on local bands and singers.
For organizer Rafik Guirguis, the game plan has always been basic: Grow it slow. Rather than risk it all on big-name acts, he has let the festival build its reputation over four years. Other festivals throw a Hail Mary their first year, which is why so many struggle.
Rock the Roses, planned for Welland July 11 to 13, has seen Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe) and members of the Trailer Park Boys bow out. On Wednesday, organizers hinted the event could be cancelled unless 1,000 ticket packages are sold over the next two days.
The Roxodus music festival scheduled for Clearview Township July 11-14 was cancelled Wednesday citing poor conditions due to excessive rain. The festival was to feature Aerosmith, Kid Rock and Nickelback among the headliners.
“It’s getting continually harder and harder to host a music festival,” says Guirguis. “But there is new blood being pumped into the scene. Cicada Fest (in Niagara) is on their second year, and there are other local music festivals happening.”
Niagara’s famed SCENE Festival in 2015 folded because of an “over-saturation” of music festivals in Ontario, Guirguis adds.
“Because of that, there’s so many different options for these big bands to play. It’s driving up the market, so the costs of these big bands have gone up. It’s making it very difficult to secure a number of them. And when you have that much money on the line, a rainy day or bad weather can really have an effect.”
This year’s Livestock moves from TAPS downtown to the farmers market behind Niagara Falls History Museum on Ferry Street. Both days will run 3 p.m. to midnight, featuring local bands including Road Waves, Revive the Rose and LMT Connection, who have all played previous Livestock festivals.
In addition to music, the event will feature plenty of food, art, vendors and craft beer. Admission will be $25 a day, or $40 for a two-day pass.
Guirguis says the festival will go through a major change next year, which will see it expand to a 40-hectare venue in Durham along with a new location in Niagara Falls.