What to know
- Halloween on Church drew an estimated 50,000 attendees to Toronto’s Gay Village on Oct. 30 and 31.
- Attendees took to social media to report overcrowding, physical altercations and unsafe conditions.
- The Church-Wellesley BIA says it is reviewing the event with city officials, Toronto police and the mayor’s office.
- Planning for 2027 will focus on crowd capacity, pedestrian flow, emergency access and public safety.
The Church-Wellesley BIA says it is reviewing this year’s Halloween on Church festival following complaints from attendees who raised concerns about overcrowding and unsafe conditions.
The annual Halloween celebration took place along Church Street, between Carlton and Gloucester streets, from Oct. 30 to 31 in Toronto’s Gay Village.
However, following the festivities, attendees took to social media to criticize this year’s event, citing massive crowds, reports of physical altercations and concerns about public safety.
Videos circulating online also show some attendees climbing lampposts amid the packed crowds.
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In response to the backlash, the Church-Wellesley BIA, which organizes the event, released a statement on social media confirming that it is reviewing this year’s festival alongside the local councillor, the mayor’s office, Toronto Police Service, City staff and other relevant groups.
The review will focus on developing new strategies to address overcrowding, improve crowd management and enhance public safety.
The BIA says planning for next year’s edition of Halloween on Church will begin in early 2027.
“We will work toward implementing proactive new measures and exciting improved strategies addressing crowd capacity, pedestrian flow, emergency access and overall event safety,” the BIA said in its statement.
The organization also acknowledged the challenges that come with hosting large-scale public events and emphasized the importance of addressing concerns raised by attendees.
“Our shared goal is to build on the success of Halloween on Church while ensuring the necessary planning, resources, and safety measures are in place in 2027 to support a safe, inclusive, and memorable event,” the BIA said.
The statement comes after Mayor Olivia Chow said she would work with the BIA to examine this year’s festival and explore ways to make the event more structured and potentially more controlled.
This year’s Halloween on Church attracted an estimated 50,000 attendees according to Chow.
