Organizers at Canada鈥檚 summer music festivals say even as pandemic restrictions lift and live concerts return to some semblance of normalcy, it鈥檚 anything but normal behind the scenes.

While concertgoers descend on outdoor events, the people leading the country鈥檚 largest music gatherings are facing a long list of anxieties 鈥� from travel delays to COVID-19 illnesses 鈥� that have made putting together a festival even more tumultuous, costly and unpredictable.

Todd Jenereaux, executive vice president of Republic Live, said it鈥檚 impossible to narrow down his concerns ahead of the Boots & Hearts country music festival in Oro-Medonte, Ont. on Aug. 4. He鈥檚 confident the weekend will go off without a hitch, but getting to showtime won鈥檛 be easy.

鈥淭hings are as troubling from an industry standpoint as they were during the (height of the) pandemic, it鈥檚 just different,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not like a normal year. Our struggles have all been things that we鈥檝e never dealt with before.鈥�

In recent weeks, festival leaders have convened through texts and phone conversations to share the hurdles of running a successful event in 2022. They鈥檝e talked about rising costs tied to inflation, supply issues for stage equipment and a shortage of experienced workers.

Each music festival has its own unique blend of problems to overcome, but common among them is the fear that something will prevent top-billed performers from reaching the stage.

That鈥檚 what happened with the Bass Coast electronic music festival in Merritt, B.C. earlier this month when flight delays left about half of their Sunday lineup stranded.

Despite having a contingency plan that asked musicians to arrive a day early, about seven acts wound up stuck at airports before showtime, said festival co-founder Andrea Graham.

鈥淔lights were cancelled altogether or postponed to another day, which really doesn鈥檛 work if you鈥檙e playing that evening,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e had to scramble to find solutions, like picking them up in other cities (with drivers).鈥�

The emergency backup plan worked. Only one of the acts didn鈥檛 make it on time, she said. And yet, that hasn鈥檛 necessarily assured other music festivals on the calendar.

Talal Farisi, who helps organize the Veld Music Festival in Toronto, recently made a call to a private jet company, putting them on alert for the weekend of his event.

鈥淚 was like, 鈥楲isten, I鈥檝e got a really good tip for you. Try to have some planes on standby 鈥� there鈥檚 Lollapalooza, Osheaga and Veld all in the same weekend, within the same vicinity,鈥欌�� he said.

鈥淚鈥檝e been thinking about it with Air Canada 鈥� we鈥檙e conscious of the delays and that鈥檚 a very big issue.鈥�

Elsewhere, musicians have been helping out in the direst situations.

At Calgary鈥檚 Sled Island festival in June, a case of COVID-19 left the bassist of Los Angeles rock trio La Luz unable to perform, so Jenni Roberts, a member of Edmonton band Faith Healer, stepped in as a substitute.

Other events haven鈥檛 been so lucky with COVID. The Regina Folk Festival announced earlier this month that Buffy Sainte-Marie was cancelling her Aug. 6 headlining gig after contracting the virus.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in a much more 鈥榬oll-with-the-punches鈥� kind of world,鈥� said Nick Farkas, co-founder of Montreal鈥檚 Osheaga Music and Arts Festival, which kicks off later this month.

鈥淓verybody鈥檚 kind of MacGyvering solutions to make sure that everything happens.鈥�

Some of the obstacles are easier to fix than others, said the executive at concert promoter Evenko, which also runs the Montreal jazz festival.

For instance, a shortage of workers can throw everything out of balance. A few years ago a festival might鈥檝e hired 50 people to move equipment, but now only 40 will be available.

鈥淭hat means those 40 people have to work harder, later and longer hours 鈥� and will they be back the next morning?鈥� he said.

鈥淚鈥檓 hearing it across North America, that鈥檚 the reality right now. The unemployment rate is super low, and it鈥檚 harder to get and keep people engaged.鈥�

Think of each music festival as a duck swimming across a pond, suggested Farkas, who recently heard the comparison from a colleague. On the surface, the duck appears calm, cool and collected, but beneath the water, the animal is 鈥渒icking like hell鈥� to move forward.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what鈥檚 going on in our production and creative teams right now,鈥� said Farkas.

鈥淥ur people are very used to trying to find solutions 鈥� and unfortunately, this year there are more problems than ever.鈥�

Not everything can be contained below the surface, however. Several festivals say inflationary pressures, coupled with high demand for dressing room trailers and tents, have sent costs soaring.

Debbi Salmonsen, artistic director at the Vancouver Folk Festival, said in British Columbia several industries 鈥� music festivals, film production companies and developers of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline 鈥� are all jostling for the same equipment.

鈥淲e鈥檙e talking fences, stages, gear, backline (also known as concert gear), porta-potties. You know, all the things that you need to have a safe event,鈥� she said of organizing the mid-July festival.

鈥淣othing has remained stagnant 鈥� some things have gone up by 75 per cent, some things have gone up by 10 per cent.鈥�

How festivals are handling those higher costs varies. Some increased ticket prices, while others say the surge of inflation came after they put tickets on sale, making it nearly impossible to adjust their packages.

鈥淵ou have two choices: either deliver a really good festival or cut a lot of costs and the customer will feel it,鈥� said Farisi, who oversees Veld as an executive at event organizer Ink Entertainment.

Festivals that focus on their bottom line at the expense of the experience will 鈥減ay for it鈥� once word of mouth gets around and ticket sales begin to slip a few years down the road, Farisi said.

So this year, organizers added an extra day to the lineup, which allowed for more tickets to be sold and costs spread across a longer period.

This strategy has paid off, Farisi said, as young people who were 17 years old at the start of the pandemic turn 19 and are ready to party.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen our best year,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 pent-up demand; there鈥檚 a need for people to come back together. You can鈥檛 deny the human instinct to gather together and that鈥檚 really what festivals are all about.鈥�