Country music festival brings a little thunder to downtown Calgary

Alberta's High Valley performs at Country Thunder Calgary Friday (Photo courtesy Twitter@HIGHVALLEY @dalemphoto)

Country Thunder returned to Alberta with a bang Friday.

There wasn't a cloud in sight on the opening day of the festival Friday, when a sellout crowd basking in the late summer heat celebrated the return of Country Thunder to Alberta for the first time since 2019.

Friday's lineup included Canadian Country Music Award winners McKenzie Porter, and High Valley, American Idol alumnus Laci Kaye Booth, Texan Granger Smith and headliner Lee Brice.

"The artists did their jobs, but it was really about the fans, 21,000 of them." said Country Thunder spokesperson Gerry Krochak. " It was just fantastic. An amazing sight.

"It's like we've never been away."

The event is being held for the first time at Fort Calgary, moving from its previous location at  Prairie Winds Park in northeast Calgary, which allowed the festival to increase capacity and made it possible to book higher-profile acts this year.

"This historic site is a home run for us," Krochak said.

Saturday's lineup includes Aaron Goodwin, Phil Vassar, Blanco Brown, Hardy, and headliner Morgan Wallen.

Tickets for the three-day event are sold out.

Friday, organizers tweeted that people who are taking an Uber or getting dropped off at the festival should have the driver drop them at the designated 6 Avenue rideshare zone.

They have also closed down their advance wristband pickup at the National Music Centre, so all wristbands can be picked up at the front gates.

Krochak said despite the heat and packed house, and high spirits, Friday's crowd was "pretty well-behaved."

For weekend festival-goers, he recommended giving yourself a little extra time to reach the site. There are city garages and parking lots throughout downtown, and cyclists can lock up around 6^th Street S.E. and 8 Ave.