Fans reflecting as Country Thunder Saskatchewan 2025 comes to a close

WATCH: As Sierra D'Souza Butt tells us, despite a lower attendance and smoky conditions, fans say the event still hit the high notes.

As Saskatchewan’s largest country music festival comes to an end, many fans shared their feelings on this year’s line-up of musicians.

Over the course of the four-day Country Thunder Saskatchewan festival, close to 20 musicians performed ranging from local talent like The Hunter Brothers and Jess Moskaluke to headliners Bailey Zimmerman and Def Leppard.

“I wouldn’t say it was one of my most favorite years to come to Country Thunder, in terms of the acts, but Def Leppard put on a hell of a show,” said Mike Dacey, a long-time camper.

Janice Halabura, who has been attending the event for 30 years, said she enjoyed this year’s entertainment.

“I thought this year was really good. I enjoyed Def Leppard. I was in the second row so I got a really good chance to see them,” Halabura said excitingly.

“I enjoyed Bailey Zimmerman and Jason Aldean is really good. He did an excellent, job. Over the years, I mean, the entertainers have changed but, overall it was I think it was just a successful year.”

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Country Thunder Music Festivals said about 21,000 people attended this year which is down from the 25,000 fan base from last year.

“Our ticket numbers have been pretty consistent over the past few years. We have seen more of a trend in people purchasing Single Day Tickets rather than the full weekend,” spokesperson Nicole Kennedy told CTV News.

“… We see people wait until the last-minute for tickets, waiting on the weather predictions. People want value for what they spend their money on, and we believe the value of a Country Thunder ticket is unbeatable compared to other concerts and live events."

One camper said he believes the lower crowd attendance was due to the costs for campsite bookings and ticket prices.

“Definitely less people in the last few years. I think the attendance is going down though,” said Gord Merkel. “There’s a lot of empty campsites. I think the prices have a lot to do with it, prices are up every year.”

“In the past, they’ve announced the headliners and I wish I could go back to that because they’re losing a lot of people because of that, because you don’t find out till January,” added another fan, Doug Westhouse.

Organizers stated they aim to book artists a year in advance to provide something for everyone, with the goal of continuing to incorporate traditional country music with a blend of rock for next year’s big event.

“The genres are bending and crossing over more than ever, so it’s an exciting opportunity to bring in performers who do not necessarily fit the traditional country mold,” Kennedy added.

“Having artists like Def Leppard allow us to introduce a new audience to our festival experience, while still providing an all-star country roster with red-hot Bailey Zimmerman, legendary Jason Aldean, up-and-comers, and a ton of Canadian talent.”

In terms of mischief and other legal trouble - this year’s festival saw a slight increase in the number of calls responded to by police.

Lumsden RCMP responded to 156 calls throughout the festival’s four day run.

Officers laid four criminal impaired driving charges and 40 roadside suspensions, along with two assault charges and one mischief charge related to property damage.