Chasing Summer (festival)
| Chasing Summer | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Electronic dance music |
| Dates | Early August (Heritage Day long weekend) |
| Location(s) | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Years active | 2013–2019, 2021–present |
| Founded by | Harvey Cohen, Nhaelan McMillan (Union Events) |
| Attendance | 33,750 (2015, weekend)[1] |
| Website | Official website |
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Chasing Summer is an annual electronic dance music festival in Calgary, Alberta. First held in 2013, the event is staged outdoors over two days in early August.[2] It is produced by Live Nation Canada in partnership with the Vancouver-based company Blueprint.[2]
History
The festival was launched by Calgary and Edmonton promoters Union Events at Fort Calgary on August 9–10, 2013, with Tiësto and Above & Beyond as the first headliners.[3]
In 2015, organizers reported a weekend attendance of approximately 33,750. An earlier estimate cited attendance of around 14,000 in 2014, indicating more than a 50 percent year-over-year increase.[1][4] In 2016, the festival moved to the Max Bell Centre Festival Grounds to accommodate larger audiences and shifted permanently to the Heritage Day long weekend. That same year Live Nation Canada acquired Union Events’ festival portfolio, bringing Chasing Summer under its management.[5]
The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] The full festival returned to the Max Bell Centre site in 2022 and marked its tenth anniversary in 2023.[7]
Reception
The festival's scale and substance abuse controversies have raised concerns around public safety. In 2015, seventeen attendees were hospitalized, a number nearly triple that of 2014, which led to a municipal review of the City of Calgary’s festival policies. Stricter regulations were suggested for events like Chasing Summer and raised the possibility of relocating the festival outside the city due to the impact on emergency and police resources.[8]
In 2016, the Calgary Emergency Medical Services reported ten hospitalizations related to substance abuse.[9]
Controversial discussions were raised with the organizers that were centered on harm reduction strategies such as sanctuary spaces and drug-purity testing. Drug testing was dismissed by city officials and police on the grounds that it could be seen as condoning illegal activity.[8] The debate highlighted broader tensions on harm reduction practices in the overall Canadian festival culture.
Organization and venues
Chasing Summer was co-founded by Harvey Cohen and Nhaelan McMillan of Union Events.[10] Following Live Nation’s 2016 acquisition of Union’s festivals, the event has been organized by Live Nation Canada with production support from Blueprint.[2]
From 2013 to 2015 the venue was Fort Calgary. Since 2016 it has been staged at the Max Bell Centre Festival Grounds in southeast Calgary, adjacent to a light-rail transit station.[1]
Year-by-year headliners
| Year | Venue | Headliners | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Fort Calgary | Tiësto, Above & Beyond | Inaugural edition..[3] |
| 2015 | Fort Calgary | Weekend attendance reported as 33,750.[1] | |
| 2016 | Max Bell Centre Grounds | First year at new venue.[1] | |
| 2018 | Max Bell Centre Grounds | Year included a reversed all-ages policy.[11] | |
| 2019 | Max Bell Centre Grounds | The Chainsmokers, Steve Aoki, Alesso | [12] |
| 2020 | Cancelled | N/A | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] |
| 2021 | Shaw Millennium Park | Loud Luxury, Zeds Dead | Branded “Family Reunion” edition.[13] |
| 2023 | Max Bell Centre Grounds | Kx5 (Deadmau5 & Kaskade), Timmy Trumpet | 10th anniversary edition.[7] |
| 2025 | Max Bell Centre Grounds | Deadmau5, Alan Walker, Loud Luxury | [14] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Calgary's Chasing Summer Festival Moves To New Weekend And Location". Concert Addicts. 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedTravelAB2024 - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Friday, August 9th - Chasing Summer Electronic Music Festival (Day 1)". EDM Canada. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ THUMP Canada Staff (2014-09-02). "Calgary Does it Best at Chasing Summer". VICE. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ "Live Nation acquires festivals from Canadian promoter Union Events". Music Business Worldwide. 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ "2020 Chasing Summer festival cancelled due to COVID-19". Global News. 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2025-08-28.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Chasing Summer Festival". Where Calgary. 2023. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Dealing With Drugs at Calgary's Summer Festivals". Avenue Calgary. 2016-11-01. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ "2016 Chasing Summer music festival: 10 people hospitalized due to drugs, alcohol". Global News. 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ "Nhaelan McMillan - founder profile". MarketScreener. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ "Calgary's Chasing Summer Music Festival reverses all-ages decision". Global News. 2018-06-01. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ Gilligan, Melissa (2019-03-12). "The Chainsmokers and Steve Aoki among performers at 2019 Chasing Summer music festival". Global News. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Chasing Summer Music Festival 2021 recap". Accessible Travels & Vacations. 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ↑ "Chasing Summer 2025 festival guide". Music Festival Wizard. 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
External links
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