A high-energy celebration of music and summer vibes turned into something just short of a disaster at the Calgary Stampede on July 8, 2025, when Don Toliver’s free concert became oversold and a mass of people, far larger than the venue had space for, descended on the BMO Centre.
At the Coca-Cola Stage in Calgary, Alberta, the show was poised to be one of the more intriguing bookings of the Stampede, and it certainly was. Fans crowded into the area early, ready to watch the Houston-born hitmaker do his thing. But excitement turned to panic when the crowd grew too large to be safe, bodies pressing together until some people found it hard, if not impossible, to breathe, some at the festival say.
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“It was just too crowded and way too pushy. … I couldn’t breathe anymore, really fast,” a concertgoer said to CBC Radio Canada. Another, who stands at just 5’2”, said she was “trying to survive.”
The scene was eerie for many, a painful reminder of November’s deadly AstroWorld Festival in Houston, where 10 fans died after a crowd crush broke out during a set by Travis Scott. No official injuries were reported this time, but security and police pulled several members of the crowd out of the crowd mass to avoid potential medical emergencies.
Organizers of the Stampede had billed the Don Toliver show as a free event, a generous offer but perhaps a miscalculation of just how many fans would turn out. With exits blocked and people overheating in the packed space, there was even one report of a stabbing, and the night hung dangerously close to where the line blurs toward chaos.
The security and law enforcement presence there sprang into action, but even they were confronted with the flood of humanity spilling onto the stage. In addition to Toliver’s performance, the energy was high, but it was accompanied by a sense of unease that many won’t soon forget.
In a statement after the event, officials with Stampede insisted the night was still a success, while they also admitted there’s plenty to learn. With the festival scheduled to run through July 14, 2025, the organizers are reportedly reviewing their safety protocols to better prepare for large-scale performances in the future.
For fans, it was a mix of thrills and trepidation, some walking away thrilled that they had had the opportunity to see Toliver for free, while others were shaken by how quickly things had spiraled out of control.
It’s a sobering reminder that even in celebration, safety must come first. A free concert can bring the masses, but if it isn’t controlled with care, it can also bring disaster.
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