Two Calgary venues are stepping up to provide entertainment for ticket holders of the cancelled Country Thunder Alberta festival. Ranchman's Cookhouse & Dancehall and Mugs Pub are offering free admission to concerts and a wrestling event for those who were set to attend the country music festival, which was called off two days before its scheduled start.
Ranchman's offers free entry and last-minute concerts
Ranchman's is providing free entry on Friday night to its venue, featuring live music from Brandon Lorenzo. Additionally, ticket holders can attend a performance by Cooper Alan, who was originally slated to play at Country Thunder. Alan booked a last-minute show at Ranchman's for Saturday. Regular tickets for these events cost $25 online.
Mugs Pub gives free wrestling tickets
Mugs Pub in Calgary's Beltline neighborhood is offering a free ticket to a wrestling competition hosted by CanAm Wrestling for every ticket purchase from Country Thunder Alberta attendees. The event will run from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the pub's parking lot. Courtney Linterman, an employee of Mugs Pub, explained the initiative: "My boss and I were actually at Costco shopping for our wrestling event when it hit the news that Country Thunder was cancelled. So I said, 'Well, why don't we do like a discount for Country Country Thunder Pass holder?'" The pub has received permission from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis to waive age restrictions during the competition.
Festival cancellation sparks controversy
Country Thunder Alberta abruptly cancelled its show, citing active construction surrounding the festival site and new "restrictive sound limitations" imposed by the city. However, the city contested those claims. Mayor Farkas stated that the recent noise bylaw requiring outdoor events to end by midnight did not apply to Country Thunder, whose show ends by 11 p.m. The festival's spokesperson also confirmed two days before the cancellation that the noise bylaw was not a concern. Farkas called the cancellation a business decision, suggesting it had more to do with fewer ticket sales and heavy rain forecast for the weekend. "I'm not going to speculate about the nearly record rainfall that's expected this weekend. I'm not going to speculate about reports on social media about failing ticket sales. I'm not here to speculate," he said. "But I am here to back up the city. When it comes to the facts, the noise regulations did not apply to them, and to claim that this was a factor in their decision is pure unadulterated BS." As recently as Tuesday, Country Thunder had been sending promotional offers to subscribers, offering $100 free cash to spend on food, drinks and merchandise if they bought 10 single-day general admission tickets.
