Abbotsford, B.C., denies permit for MAGA singer Sean Feucht’s show, citing protests

Advertisement

Advertise with us

ABBOTSFORD - The City of Abbotsford in British Columbia's Fraser Valley says it will not issue a permit for a concert by Sean Feucht, becoming the latest Canadian cancellation for the American Christian musician who's outspoken in the Make America Great Again movement.

Read this article for free:


or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Subscribe and receive a limited-edition Free Press branded hat or tote.

Digital Subscription

One year of digital access for only $205*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/07/2025 (434 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ABBOTSFORD – The City of Abbotsford in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley says it will not issue a permit for a concert by Sean Feucht, becoming the latest Canadian cancellation for the American Christian musician who’s outspoken in the Make America Great Again movement.

The city said in a statement that the permit for a proposed Aug. 24 show at Mill Lake Park is being denied because of the potential for protesters and counter-protesters.

B.C. Conservative legislator Heather Maahs, who represents Chilliwack North, says on social media platform X that Abbotsford’s decision “undermines the principles of an open, democratic society.”

Christian musician Sean Feucht, of California, sings during a rally at the National Mall in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jose Luis Magana
Christian musician Sean Feucht, of California, sings during a rally at the National Mall in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jose Luis Magana

Maahs says the cancellation raises “serious concerns” about freedom of expression, religion and peaceful assembly.

Feucht ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for Congress in 2020 and has been criticized for remarks on the LGBTQ+ community and abortion.

Six of his concerts in Central and Eastern Canada were cancelled last week.

“Given the recent publicity surrounding the proposed event, the city believes that the event could potentially attract significant numbers of protesters and counter-protesters in addition to attendees,” the City of Abbotsford says in the statement.

“These factors, among others, make the community safety considerations of the proposed event extremely difficult to mitigate, and the city found that no permit conditions could adequately address the potential risks to the public.”

Feucht criticizes the cancellation on X.

“You can no longer call Abbotsford the ‘Bible Belt’ of B.C. when they cancel outdoor worship to Jesus,” Feucht says in the post.

Feucht is also due to play in West Kelowna on Aug. 23, and the city said earlier this week that it was reviewing safety and security plans for the private booking and there were “increased concerns” about the concert.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025.

Report Error Submit a Tip

More Stories

Manitoba Federation of Labour calls for independent review of Workers Compensation Board

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Preview

Manitoba Federation of Labour calls for independent review of Workers Compensation Board

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026

A major labour association is calling for an independent Workers Compensation Board review as Manitoba leads the country in workplace injury rates.

Last year, 2.5 employees in every 100 reported a workplace injury serious enough to take time off, WCB tracking shows. The number is higher than any other province — just as it has been for the past three years, according to the Manitoba Federation of Labour.

(In 2025, the next highest time loss injury rate was in British Columbia: 2.04 people for every 100.)

“Our prevention work in Manitoba is failing Manitobans,” said Kevin Rebeck, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour. “We need an independent review to help shine a light on, ‘What is happening on the prevention front of WCB?’”

Read
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026

Canadian Mennonite University students, staff victims of cyberattack

Free Press staff 3 minute read Preview

Canadian Mennonite University students, staff victims of cyberattack

Free Press staff 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:29 PM CDT

Canadian Mennonite University fell victim to a cyberattack that compromised the data of current and former students and employees last month.

School officials became aware of the cybersecurity incident, in which an “unknown third party” accessed its information technology systems without authorization, on Sept. 18, university president Cheryl Pauls said in a recent statement.

The university has since confirmed the third party used that access to steal information from its systems.

“We immediately initiated our incident response plan, retained expert assistance, and informed the university community whose workflows were affected as soon as we became aware of the incident,” Pauls said. “We also reported this incident to law enforcement and will be filing a report with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.”

Read
Updated: Yesterday at 6:29 PM CDT

Province takes aim at ER wait times by adding community-care capacity to free up hospital beds

Chris Kitching 5 minute read Preview

Province takes aim at ER wait times by adding community-care capacity to free up hospital beds

Chris Kitching 5 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026

The province is aiming to free up hospital beds and cut wait times by adding 103 community-based care spaces in Winnipeg for patients who need shelter or specialized supports in order to be discharged.

Read
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026

Ladies and gentlemen of voting age, please turn your attention to the centre ring…

Dan Lett 5 minute read Preview

Ladies and gentlemen of voting age, please turn your attention to the centre ring…

Dan Lett 5 minute read Yesterday at 3:40 PM CDT

If there’s one thing that we in the news business wish for any election, it’s that the campaign is competitive and voters have multiple, viable options when it comes time to cast their ballots.

That is certainly what I wished for in this year’s Winnipeg mayoral election: a ballot with two or more competent candidates — including incumbent Scott Gillingham — that offered contrasting visions for the future of the city.

Unfortunately, this time we didn’t get competent or viable. Instead, we got a clown show stuffed with candidates for mayor who have demonstrated a stunning capacity for self-inflicted wounds.

It all started when mayoral candidates Kevin Klein and Mike Vogiatzakis both alleged they had been asked by each other’s campaign to step down to give the remaining candidate a better shot at defeating Gillingham.

Read
Yesterday at 3:40 PM CDT

Kinew, two NDP caucus members file lawsuit defence, deny defaming former party MLA Wasyliw to expel him

Erik Pindera 4 minute read Preview

Kinew, two NDP caucus members file lawsuit defence, deny defaming former party MLA Wasyliw to expel him

Erik Pindera 4 minute read Yesterday at 5:22 PM CDT

The premier and two New Democrat caucus members have denied they conspired to defame another politician as an excuse to oust him from the party.

Mark Wasyliw, now an independent Member of the Legislative Assembly representing Fort Garry, was booted from the NDP in September 2024, which the party claimed was due to Wasyliw’s former law partner representing convicted sex offender and disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard.

The independent MLA, who’s a defence lawyer, claims statements his former colleagues made in September 2024 linking him to Nygard or accusing him of lying, harmed him and his reputation.

Wasyliw filed his lawsuit in December last year, naming Premier Wab Kinew, Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie and Seine River MLA Billie Cross as defendants. The claim was later amended to remove Bushie as a defendant and add Environment Minister Mike Moyes, who was at the time chair of the NDP caucus, in his place.

Read
Yesterday at 5:22 PM CDT

Kids deserve better

Jordan Laidlaw 4 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

As much as I cling to hope, I recognize the ominous circumstances and questionable future that our young people stand to inherit.