By Pepper Parr
July 25th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Does anybody know how many people attended the Sound of Music (SoM) last June?
Nothing in the way of news on that matter has been released by the SoM.
The organization is required to give the City a report on how they are going to make the event financially sustainable in the not too distant future>
Nothing that we can find on the SoM website – except for this:
Has the time come to at least think about a fee to take in the Sound of Music performances?
Every year, beloved music festivals across Canada shut down due to a lack of funding, and post-COVID-19, this reality has only intensified. The Sound of Music Festival has proudly remained a free and accessible festival for decades, but we need your help to keep it that way.
The Encore Club is our legacy donor program—a one-time fee grants you a permanent membership, ensuring the festival continues to thrive for generations to come. By joining, you become part of a dedicated community that helps celebrate emerging artists, support live music, and keep Burlington’s biggest summer tradition alive.
Your support makes a lasting impact.
Sponsorships have their limits. Asking people to pop a toonie into a barrel or use one of the services that lets a cell phone handle the donation. Time for some creative thinking.
I worked for the Sound of Music years ago doing a survey to see if people would pay a small fee for a better venue. At the time Oakville had a similar sound of music and charged a “small fee” to attend. They did have a better venue than Burlington did when the fee was charged. However the small fee grew from $5 to $10 to $20 in three years. Meaning a family of 5 paid $100 to attend. It closed the next year. The survey we did came in at 96% for no fee. Burlington has no shortage of rich guys/gals living here. Maybe we do a Fox 40 day of music,Paletta Music is on me day or something similar to ofset the costs. I think it might work.
Absolutely!
Burlington Property Tax payers should not be on the hook year over year for the operating expenses and debts incurred by the “Sound of Music”.
Time is long overdue for the Sound of Music Festival to pay their own way without receiving any funds from the City of Burlington, and implement a user pay fee for those people who attend the festival and music venues.
This festival should be run as a self sufficient organization.
Burlington Property Tax payers should not be paying anything to the “Sound of Music” period.