Cowboys and Badlands music festivals breached sound levels Monday: City of Calgary

The Cowboys Music Festival in Calgary.

The Cowboys Music Festival continues to be a popular destination for Calgary Stampede revelers while also irritating some of those who live in the area.

The City of Calgary says 23 noise complaints were filed about the tent on Monday night and into Tuesday morning.

In comparison, just seven noise complaints were filed about the Badlands Music Festival tent, located in the 700 block of Ninth Avenue S.W., during that same time.

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In years past, the Cowboys Music Festival was located near the Cowboys Casino on 12th Avenue S.E., but this year the tent moved to the newly renamed Cowboys Park, formerly Shaw Millennium Park, at 1220 Ninth Ave. S.W.

The festival’s tent has been granted a noise exemption, allowing it to play music at 85 decibels until 1:30 a.m., which is about as loud as a lawn mower.

After that, it must be reduced to 60 decibels, equivalent to what you would experience in an office or restaurant.

The music needs to be completely over or off by 2 a.m.

The decibel reading takes place from the point of reception—or where the complaint is being made—or as near as possible.

Measurements are monitored from all around the location during the evening.

In a statement, the city said between midnight and 1 a.m. on Tuesday, officers found both Cowboys and Badlands were “in breach” of the sound levels.

“Both sites were educated, and the sound was adjusted to comply,” said the statement.

Some nearby residents have been frustrated by the noise from the music festival.

The total of noise complaints filed about the Cowboys tent is now 39.

On Monday, Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong apologized for any disturbance the festival has caused, saying he was committed to addressing concerns with residents.