Calgary’s mayor says a new permit issued to the company organizing the Cowboys Music Festival will allow the music festival to proceed, but with new restrictions. Jeromy Farkas said in a written statement on social media Friday evening that the city has issued a new mutually agreeable amended permit to Penny Lane Entertainment that “delivers stronger protections for nearby residents” while allowing the festival to go ahead. Under the new agreement, Penny Lane must end all live concerts — including those held on weekends — at midnight. The entertainment company has also agreed to reduce bass levels, lower overnight sound and make “significant investments in additional sound mitigation measures,” Farkas wrote. The amendment to the agreement did not require council approval, Farkas said. A possible step up Last year, the festival, which is held at Cowboys Park in the Beltline neighbourhood, was required to end shows by 1 a.m. The new arrangement could be a step in the right direction for nearby residents, who have previously decried the arrangement, saying the sound from the crowd kept them awake until 5 or 6 a.m. The city received 126 complaints about noise and reduced access to a nearby skate park in 2025 alone. Over the last week, outcry from residents unhappy about noise levels led to urgent debate at city council. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith spoke out about the “fun police” targeting the Calgary Stampede, while federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre accused “city hall gatekeepers” were “killing jobs.” And Penny Lane Entertainment Group had spoken out, saying noise restrictions had “set (the festival) up for failure” and could put the both the festival and the city’s revenues at risk. For now, it’s unclear what the specific details of the amended permits are beyond the new concert end times. “I want to thank Penny Lane Entertainment for working constructively with administration,” Farkas wrote. “They listened to community concerns and agreed to meaningful improvements that better balance a festival with the needs of nearby residents.”
