Montreal may be headbanger’s paradise, but the official designation granted by city hall in April isn’t enough to save a popular gathering of heavy metal fans at Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Heavy Montreal, produced by Evenko, announced Thursday it will be taking a breather in 2020.
READ MORE: Montreal officially dubbed a metal music city
“It’s not an easy decision to put one of our events on pause,” said Evenko chief operating officer Jacques Aubé in a statement.
The annual festival got it’s start in 2008 under the name Heavy MTL — a clever abbreviation for both metal and Montreal. In its first year, it welcomed nearly 300,000 fans from across the globe.
This isn’t the first time the musical extravaganza has been put on hold. Heavy Montreal was cancelled in 2009 and 2017.
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3:56Music festival Heavy Montreal returns this weekend
Music festival Heavy Montreal returns this weekend
Evenko’s reasons for the cancellation were vague.
“Several factors must be taken into consideration, including the number of non-festival metal/rock concerts that will be announced over the next few months,” Aubé said.
There is no news on whether the festival will be back in 2021. In the meantime, Heavy Montreal says metal heads can still enjoy a variety of concerts not only in Montreal, but province wide.
READ MORE: Montreal flaunts heavy metal credentials as city hosts rock festival
“We’re working hard to make sure we continue to offer the best metal/rock shows in the world,” said Nick Farkas, the senior vice-president for concerts and events for Evenko.
“Heavy Montreal fans should not be worried.”
— With files from Global News’ Adam Wallis
© 2019 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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