Proposed changes to the city’s Special Events Ordinance would allow outdoor concerts and music festivals to be held later, rather than louder.

A public meeting was held at city hall on Monday regarding proposed changes to the Special Events Ordinance that governs events such as Rock the Park and Sunfest.

Currently, outdoor concerts are required to end at 11 p.m., but after consulting with the industry, city staff are recommending extending the performance period until midnight.

“If you extend the event an hour until midnight, you ignore the fact that the thousands of people who attend these events have to evacuate the area after the event is over,” said Anna Maria Valastro, who lives in the North Talbot neighborhood. Near Harris Park.

Valastro said it took time for the large crowd of excited people to leave the venue and filter through his neighborhood toward downtown.

Sunfest Founder Alfredo Caxaj told the committee that the extra hour would provide flexibility to ensure performances are not cut short due to unexpected delays such as storms.

“Some sort of weather events or other delays,” Caxaj explained. “It allows us to continue programming. “The goal is not to schedule until midnight, but to at least have that (time) to deal with any emergencies.”

Deputy City Manager Cheryl Smith currently has the authority to extend the 11 p.m. music curfew by up to 45 minutes.

Smith said he has used the authority delegated to him twice in the past due to storms.

An amendment proposed by Downtown Councilman David Ferreira to maintain the 11 p.m. limit but allow the Deputy City Manager to extend delayed events by 60 minutes was defeated 3-2.

Instead, the committee recommended extending special events until midnight.

Council member Elizabeth Peloza supported the change: “What we heard from Sunfest is that if they have extra time, that doesn’t mean they’re going to use the extra time. They may use some of it, but at least they know it’s there depending on which artists are trying to book the festival; “There is flexibility.”

After consulting with industry and the public, city staff recommended that the maximum sound level remain at 90 decibels (close to the level of a working lawnmower).

London hosts over 160 special events organized by third-party event operators each year.

“Almost 25 per cent of people coming to Sunfest now come from outside London,” Caxaj explained. “It’s an incredible, tremendous impact on our city’s economy.”

The Civil Administration will introduce an amended Special Events Policy at the Community and Protective Services Committee meeting on December 2, 2024.