The Wake the Giant Music Festival encountered criticism when Flo Rida, a Grammy-nominated headliner, incorporated alcohol props into his performance at the alcohol-free event in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on Saturday. Established in 2019, the annual festival aims to foster a secure and inclusive space for numerous Indigenous youth from distant northern communities studying in the city.
Following the incident, CBC Thunder Bay contacted the festival organizers for a response, leading to a statement released on social media the next day. The statement expressed regret and acknowledged the negative impact caused by the rapper’s actions. It clarified that the props used were unauthorized, and explicit instructions were given to the artist’s team regarding the alcohol-free nature of the event.
The festival team emphasized their shared sense of disappointment and affirmed that the performance did not align with the values of Wake the Giant or the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council, an Indigenous-led educational body. They took responsibility for booking the artist and pledged to apply the lessons learned to ensure future artist selections align with their core values.
Aside from Flo Rida, other performers at the festival included the Wallflowers, featuring Jakob Dylan, and Tia Wood, a Cree and Salish pop singer-songwriter from Canada. Esther Maud, a local resident who attended the event to support her son’s drum group, expressed surprise and disappointment at Flo Rida’s performance, given her personal journey of sobriety.
Despite feeling let down by the incident, Maud appreciated the festival’s response and hoped that it would serve as a valuable learning opportunity. She emphasized the importance of continuing the festival’s mission to support Indigenous youth and expressed her ongoing support for the organizers despite the setback.
