Some of Canada's most iconic arts festivals are cancelling or scaling back as they weather financial struggles. Many festival organizers say they are still recouping losses from COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns while they contend with inflation, increased competition and a loss of corporate sponsors.The Just for Laughs theatre is seen in Montreal. The company that runs the annual comedy festival has filed for bankruptcy protection.
It sparked concerns across the country and highlighted a number of other festivals facing similar struggles.of the Toronto International Film Festival last year after 28 years, providing millions as its leading sponsor. TIFF cut 12 employees in December, citing effects from the pandemic and the SAG-AFTRA strike.The president of Hot Docs, North America's largest documentary festival, recently said this year's event could be its last without a boost in funding.
Hot Docs also saw a mass exodus of programmers and its artistic director shortly after its announcement. "Based on industry insights, what was previously believed to be a three- to five-year recovery window in the arts is now being estimated at a 10-year post-pandemic rebuild," Dart previously told CBC.
Quebec boosted funding for its festival aid program in 2022, adding $85 million over three years, but the base budgets for the federal programs have sat at a combined $50.2 million since 2008, leaving a growing number of festivals to compete for smaller portions of funding. Jill Wilson, arts and life editor for the Winnipeg Free Press, says each cancelled festival sets off a chain reaction because it can prevent performers, like bands, from block-booking across the country, so other cities end up missing out on acts, as well.Festivals in rural Saskatchewan communities in particular have said they are short of festival volunteers, and that they've dwindled significantly since the pandemic.
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