Burlington’s Sound of Music Festival leaves Spencer Smith Park after 45 years

It’s the end of an era as The Sound of Music Festival will no longer be held at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington.

The news comes after Burlington city staff have chosen a new operator for the free two-day festival this summer.

The new festival doesn’t have a name yet, but it is being referred to as the Waterfront Music Festival right now.

The city chose from 12 applicants to operate it, eventually landing on MRG Live Ltd.

This change comes after The Sound of Music Festival’s finances went into the red and Burlington’s city council decided not to provide funding to them for the 2026 festival.

“We will have a festival on Father’s Day weekend, it will be free,” said Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. “I believe it will continue the legacy, but it will do it in a new way.”

At a city council meeting on Monday, the city chose MRG Live Ltd. as the top applicant to host a music festival on Burlington’s waterfront to replace The Sound of Music Festival.

“According to our staff at the meeting, one really rose to the top and that was the one they selected,” said Ward.

MRG Live has offices in Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria, and Toronto.

An information report given to council says MRG Live has experience in producing multi-day festivals, civic celebrations, artisan markets, and large family focused events.

WATCH MORE: Burlington Sound of Music Festival asks city for $750K to stay afloat

“It was really a choice that was made with the staff in conversation with stake-holders,” said Ward. “Those included our economic development and tourism folks, Burlington Performing Arts Centre, which has been a key sponsor of the festival in recent years, our police.”

This change ends the long-standing Sound of Music Festival’s residency at Spencer Smith Park.

This past year city council decided to not provide funding for the proposed 2026 edition of the festival, after the organizers laid out a large financial request to the city, which amounted to $740,000 for one year.

Much of that money would have gone toward loan forgiveness, unpaid bills, and paying off local vendors that were still owed.

In a statement to CHCH News, the chair of The Sound of Music Festival said in-part, “while we may not operate at Spencer Smith Park in June 2026, we still remain as an event/festival provider — one that creates opportunities for local and emerging talent, and showcasing established Canadian talent.”

“Our team is currently working on what 2026 will look like,” further reads the statement. “We wish the city and the for-profit operator well in 2026.”

Burlington city staff will report back to council with more details about the festival in April.

CHCH News has reached out to the new operator MRG Live for more information.

READ MORE: City of Burlington seeks feedback for waterfront music festival