Heatwave (festival)
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| Heatwave | |
|---|---|
 Heatwave promotional poster | |
| Genre | Electronic music, new wave, rock |
| Dates | August 23, 1980 |
| Location(s) | Toronto at Mosport Park, north of Bowmanville, Ontario |
| Years active | 1980 |
| Attendance | 85,000+ |
Heatwave was a rock music festival held on August 23, 1980, at Mosport Park near Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
Approximately 85,000 people attended the festival, with tickets priced at $20 or $25 at the gate. Dan Aykroyd, in character as Elwood Blues, invited radio listeners to join the event for free on his guest list. An additional 15,000 people arrived, bringing the crowd to nearly 100,000 as Talking Heads took the stage.[1]
The event faced issues, including accusations between the backers and park management, with claims that ticket stubs were discarded. The festival reportedly lost one million dollars.[2]
The entire concert was recorded, though no rights agreements were signed. The tapes resurfaced later in 1980 and were secured by promoter John Brower. In the mid-1990s, Brower entrusted the tapes to Canadian record executive Jan Haust for restoration. By 2017, 102 tracks from five of the bands were available on Wolfgang's website.[3] A video of The Kings' set was also released.[4]
Creem magazine covered the festival, noting the novelty of a new wave/punk festival, as many of the bands typically performed in clubs rather than outdoor venues.[citation needed]
