AfroFest outgrows Woodbine Park, faces permit hurdle
The 37-year-old festival has been told attendance projections of 45,000 per day are nearly three times the safe capacity of its longtime home.
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AfroFest, North America's largest free African music festival, is facing significant challenges securing a permit from the City of Toronto after organizers were told the event has outgrown Woodbine Park, its home for the past 37 years.
"It was indicated to us that we've outgrown the park. They said the capacity of Woodbine Park is 17,000. And the number of people that attend AfroFest is way above that," said Peter Toh, Executive and Artistic Director of AfroFest.
The City said attendance projections of approximately 45,000 people per day is almost three times the safe capacity of Woodbine Park, making it unable to approve a permit for that location. Organizers applied for the permit in February but were told not to sell tickets or promote the event until approval was granted.
When the City finally provided terms in early June, organizers found their initial application denied and faced new conditions they must meet before reapplying, including a detailed traffic plan and a capacity management strategy. Toh said this has paused their preparation.
"Unlike in previous years, they instructed us not to sell tickets or advertise the event until the permit had been approved," Toh said. "Those terms never came until the beginning of June."
Organizers have been exploring strategies to keep numbers manageable, including making the free event ticketed or limiting entries into the park, but say they haven't been given the chance to explore these options properly.
AfroFest is slated to run August 14–16 this year. The City says they are committed to working with organizers to adjust the event size or identify a suitable alternative venue. Organizers say they will continue working toward making the event happen.