RBC Rock the Park takes over Harris Park in London, Ontario every summer, bringing thousands together for 5 days of live music, good vibes, and fundraising for local charities (which definitely makes the ticket price feel a bit more worth it).
What started back in 2004 as a classic rock event has grown into something much bigger, with lineups now covering everything from rock to country to pop. This year, I hit up both country days, and here’s my full review.
Festival Review Criteria
As always, I’m breaking down the festival experience into five categories:
- Venue & Organization – How the space is laid out, how smoothly things are run, and overall logistics.
- Food – Looking at the variety, quality, pricing, and availability.
- People & Vibe – What’s the crowd like? General atmosphere, how people are interacting, and the age/demographic mix.
- Bathroom Situation – Yep, we’re going there. Are there enough toilets? Cleanliness, access, all that.
- Performances – Not just who’s playing (since taste varies), but how good the sound is and how the acts deliver live.
RELATED: Catch Lily’s experience at Meadows Music Festival in Fergus Ontario …
Two Nights, Two Vibes
RBC Rock the Park delivered two full nights of country music this year, each offering a totally different feel, and we were there for all of it.
Night one kicked things off on Wednesday, July 9, featuring a stacked lineup of American talent: Maggie Antone, Waylon Wyatt, Bayker Blankenship, Wyatt Flores, and The Red Clay Strays.
Night two brought the party on Saturday, July 12, with performances from Brandon Wisham, Avery Anna, Lonestar, Owen Riegling, The Reklaws, and Lee Brice.
When the lineups dropped, I was so excited!
Wednesday’s setlist was a dream for Americana-country fans, especially since artists like Bayker Blankenship, Waylon Wyatt and The Red Clay Strays hardly make their way up to Canada. The night had a laid-back, soulful energy that felt personal and raw in the best way possible.
Saturday, on the other hand, was pure country-pop fun. With favourites like Avery Anna, Owen Riegling, and The Reklaws, it leaned into high-energy singalongs and a more mainstream festival vibe.
It was the perfect blend of nostalgic hits (hello, Lonestar) and new-age country vibes.
Great Performances, Rain or Shine
Overall, the performances across both nights were fantastic.
I genuinely enjoyed every set. Singing along, dancing, and soaking in that live-music energy.
Wednesday had a few technical hiccups. Some artists ran into sound issues. Everything from untuned guitars to mic and in-ear monitor problems. A couple of performers had to pause mid-set to get things sorted, which briefly interrupted the flow, but the artists handled it with professionalism and were able to jump right back into it.
Saturday brought a different kind of challenge: extreme weather.
Unfortunately, Avery Anna’s set was cut short for safety reasons, which was disappointing since she was one of the acts I was most excited for. But props to the organizers and artists for handling things so well … once the weather cleared, all of the remaining performers still came out and gave it their all.
In the end, even with a few bumps, the talent and energy from every artist made both nights memorable!
Festival Venue and Organization
On the topic of extreme weather… When the threat of extreme weather rolled in on Saturday, festival staff acted very quickly, asking everyone to evacuate the grounds as a precaution. You could see the dark clouds in the distance, and the radar confirmed that something was headed our way.
They let us know we’d get an email once it was safe to return, and although it ended up not raining at all, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
The unexpected break actually worked out great for us as we were able to grab a quick snack and take a much-needed breather from the heat. When it was time to head back in, we were a little nervous seeing the long re-entry lines, but to our surprise, everything moved super fast!
At first, the layout of the venue surprised me…The venue was basically a long, skinny rectangle with VIP on one side and GA on the other. While it was easy to get around, I didn’t like that there were no in-and-out privileges, so you couldn’t go back to your car for snacks or water (very tough in the heat). Also, the farther back you were in GA, the harder it was to see the stage since it was on a slight hill, but the big screen halfway back helped a lot!
It was seriously hot, like, really, really hot. But the festival staff did an awesome job helping everyone stay cool and hydrated. They had a hose spraying people down and were walking around the barricades selling water.
Also, this festival had a strict no smoking or vaping policy, which I hadn’t seen at a festival before. Honestly, it was nice not having to deal with smoke in the air the whole time!
Food at RBC Rock The Park Music Festival
The festival had lots of cool food options, from slushies and cheesecake to meat on sticks, so there was something for everyone’s taste! It was a bit pricey, but that’s pretty normal for festivals like this.
The drink lines got really long at times, especially because of how hot it was. Water was priced at $3 a bottle and other drinks around $13 each, which made staying hydrated a bit of a challenge. Still, it was nice to have a variety of tasty options to choose from throughout the day/night.
People & Vibe
There were definitely more people on Saturday compared to Wednesday, but the crowd never felt too rowdy or overwhelming.
The vibe stayed pretty comfortable throughout. You could tell there was an older crowd for Lonestar, especially when they played “Amazed” and everyone started slow-dancing, which was honestly super cute. There were also quite a few kids around, making it feel family-friendly.
One thing we noticed: because of the extreme heat, a lot of folks seemed to get drunker faster than usual.
Probably because the heat can make drinks hit harder … just something to keep in mind!
The festival staff were on top of it too, quickly stepping in and escorting anyone who got too out of hand out of the grounds.
Bathroom Situation at Rock The Park
Y’all… these porta-potties were incredibly clean!
Everyone I was with noticed how clean they stayed in both GA and VIP areas. Honestly, I have no idea how they kept them that way over a five-day festival, but they absolutely nailed it, and I’m so thankful!
Plus, the best part?
We never had to wait in line once.
So…Is RBC Rock the Park worth it?
Absolutely! There was a day of music for everyone, good vibes, great performances, friendly people, tasty food, clean bathrooms, and more.
Considering everything, the price of tickets wasn’t too bad at all.
I’d definitely go again!
Lily Braendle
A seasoned concertgoer and festival enthusiast who was raised on country music. With passions for writing, storytelling, marketing and content creation.
