
There are few spaces where people truly allow themselves to get lost in the moment. But when you, your friends, and hundreds or thousands of other fans are singing along with your favourite band as they command the stage at a concert or music festival, any other thoughts or worries just seem to drift away.
Unfortunately, if promoters and facilities haven’t adequately prepared for crowd control, trained staff for emergency protocols, or hired sufficient security personnel, these events can quickly escalate into dangerous and even fatal situations.
Toronto is a magnet for world tours by major artists hosts many festivals with diverse bills that draw people into the city from around the country and beyond. With Toronto’s Rogers Stadium now booking events and other concert halls and festivals grounds posting great line-ups for the summer season, in this blog post I address some potential risks at these shows and outline the responsibilities of both concertgoers and venue operators in maintaining safety and preventing avoidable accidents.
Learning From The Past
Over the years there have been all-too-many tragedies at concerts and festivals.
The most well-known recent example occurred at the Astroworld Festival in 2021. During Travis Scott’s performance, a crowd surge caused 10 deaths and countless injuries. Despite clear signs of distress in the crowd, including people who became unconscious others who attempted to escape through barricades, the performance continued.
Investigations revealed critical failures in crowd management, emergency response, and communication between organizers and security personnel. But these were not mere oversights or operational errors; they were matters of life and death for people in the crowd.
Canada has its own history of close calls. The 2011 Ottawa Bluesfest experienced a near disaster when a stage collapsed in a windstorm just after an act concluded its set. Nevertheless, injuries were sustained. Similarly, the 2018 Osheaga Festival in Montreal faced severe criticism over overcrowding, protracted wait times for medical assistance, and severe water shortages, that became particularly hazardous during a heat wave.
Common Safety Risks at Concert Venues
While reputable venues and promoters adhere to strict safety regulations, inherent risks make concerts and festivals potentially hazardous. Key risks include:
- Overcrowding and Stampedes – Without appropriate crowd control measures or clear capacity limits, the likelihood of crush injuries and suffocation rises significantly.
- Inadequate Emergency Planning – Poorly marked exits, lack of trained staff, or delayed medical responses can exacerbate injuries during emergencies.
- Poor Security Measures – Inadequate bag checks and lax responses to aggressive behaviour among attendees can allow conflicts to escalate and trigger panic in a crowd.
- Weather-Related Hazards – Open-air festivals are particularly vulnerable to abrupt weather changes, which can expose attendees to lightning, flooding, or heat-related illnesses. Communicating with the crowd is essential to give people time to prepare for incoming weather systems.
- Structural Failures – Collapsing stages, lighting rigs, or railings resulting from faulty setup or poor maintenance can lead to catastrophic injuries or deaths.
Concert Venue’s Duty of Care
The newly opened Rogers Stadium in Toronto is poised to become a premier entertainment venue, enhancing the city’s cultural landscape. But whether a venue is large or small, owners and operators have a responsibility to keep concertgoers and performers safe from reasonably foreseeable dangers. Ongoing vigilance in day-to-day operations should include:
- Enforcing strict capacity limits
- Providing clear signage and ensuring there are accessible exits
- Ensuring on-site emergency services are visible and prepared
- Training staff in de-escalation techniques and first aid
- Guaranteeing accessibility for attendees with disabilities
- Regular testing of fire alarms, emergency lighting, and other safety equipment
- Establishing protocols to ensure harmful substances or weapons are not brought into the event space
- Having sufficient water, working bathrooms or portable toilets, and sanitizing products on hand (particularly for large outdoor events)
Under Ontario’s Occupiers’ Liability Act, concert organizers and property owners have a legal duty of care to ensure that all individuals on their premises remain reasonably safe. If this duty is neglected and results in serious injury, victims may be able to seek compensation.
Serious Injuries Include:
- Broken bones or concussions resulting from falls or crowd surges
- Emotional trauma or PTSD stemming from crowd-related incidents
- Heat-related illnesses or medical emergencies arising from negligence
- Life-altering disabilities or, in tragic instances, fatal outcomes
Even though owners and operators of concert facilities and festival ground must be responsible organizers and hosts, attendees should also take care when attending these events.
Take time to familiarize yourself with the venue and its exits, agree upon an emergency meeting spot with friends if you become separated, and exercise caution in settings without assigned seating if you notice there is insufficient space between members of the crowd.
Hope Starts Here
Enjoying live music should not jeopardize our safety or expose us to an unreasonable risk of serious or death. As Toronto welcomes larger venues and more music festivals, public awareness of the best safety practices and the legal accountability of negligent promoters must be at the forefront of discussions.
Concertgoers who have been seriously injured deserve answers about how tragic failures could occur but also support as they recover and heal. At Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP, our knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced personal injury lawyers are here to help guide you if you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries at a concert or music festival.
If we believe we can successfully access compensation for you, we would be honoured to become your staunch advocate and dedicated legal representative. With empathy, compassion, and professionalism, we are ready to be on your side and by your side on your journey toward healing and finding justice for the harm done to you. Because at HSH LLP, Hope Starts Here.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.