On July 24 and 25, the City of Kitchener hosted its annual Wayback Festival, transforming Carl Zehr Square and King St. outside City Hall into a two-day celebration of live music, local food and timeless classic rock anthems.
This event was originally launched 38 years ago under the banner of the old rock festival; ever since it first started, the event steadily expanded its scope. According to Mary Manser, an events coordinator at the City of Kitchener’s special events team, the primary goal of investing in a festival of this scale goes beyond filling a weekend schedule; it is about injecting life and foot traffic into the heart of the city.
Steve Roth, manager of special events with the City of Kitchener, emphasized that these large-scale events serve as an introduction for thousands of visitors who experience the core firsthand.
“They may not stop at the restaurants tonight. They may not go to whatever’s here, but they’re introduced to what’s here in downtown [Kitchener],” Roth said. “And it’s been proven that, you know, it’s not just a night of, but people go, ‘Wow, look at my night in Kitchener,’ and they come back.”
Manser noted that the economic and social value is measured not just by cold attendance metrics, but by the overall feel and vibe of the community coming together. To gauge the event’s turnout accurately, Kitchener uses tools such as geo-tracking alongside traditional headcounts, while working closely with the downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) to ensure that surrounding shops and restaurants benefit from the influx of visitors.
This year’s festival kicked off on Friday, July 24, with tribute acts honouring Journey and Elton John. Saturday’s lineup stepped things up further, opening with the cover band Born in the 80s before introducing a brand-new feature: the Wayback Collective, which highlighted performers such as Steve Stromlin, Rob Saboe and Danny Michelle.
“We’re launching the first-ever Wayback Collective, which is a mix of Kitchener-born artists that are now on the charts,” Manser said.
The collective paved the way for Saturday night’s headliner, the iconic Canadian classic rock band Trooper. While original plans had pointed to Loverboy to close out the festival before health-related issues prompted a change, Trooper stepped in to deliver a powerhouse performance of multi-gold records and chart-topping hits. By balancing familiar nostalgia with local pride, the festival aims to provide something that appeals across generations.
While the music primarily targets adults in their 50s and 60s, Roth pointed out the unique cross-generational appeal.
“Even though we target people in their 50s and 60s, you see people bring their kids and their grandkids, and it’s awesome,” he said.
As Kitchener experiences rapid population growth and development, large-scale public events must adapt to match. Organizing a festival in the heart of the city comes with distinct operational hurdles, chief among them being weather and crowd safety.
With growth comes increased security measures, such as integration of hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) barriers and increased security measures.
“As we have navigated into getting larger and bigger and bringing in larger name talent, we definitely put safety and security as a primary focus for this event,” Manser said.
To help manage the large influx of attendees, the city also encourages alternative green transportation methods, including a popular on-site secure bike check behind the stage where families can safely check their bicycles just like a coat.
Looking ahead, the city is already planning how the festival footprint can scale alongside the local population. Planning is a continuous year-round cycle; Roth shared that the city typically starts talking about concepts six months in advance, and musical acts for 2027 are already booked. Potential future adjustments include extending road closures, expanding daily programming windows earlier into the afternoon to help crowds ebb and flow, and continuously refining accessibility and environmental sustainability models.
For the events team, the heavy lifting happens long before the first guitar chord rings out over Carl Zehr Square, with post-event debriefs immediately following each weekend to evaluate crowd dynamics and unpack what worked.
“I think the public will be surprised by how much time and effort actually goes into the process of putting on a big festival like this,” Manser said. “It’s many minutes, many staff and a lot of thought that goes into making it an awesome show from a production standpoint, but also a safe show.”
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