Sean Feucht concert draws over 1,000 in Saskatoon, met with loud protests

After having permits denied or revoked across Canada, American Christian musician Sean Feucht brought his long-anticipated concert to Saskatoon Thursday night.

The show, which took place in Diefenbaker Park, was one of the few times Feucht has been able to perform in a major Canadian city this summer, attracting over 1,000 concertgoers.

“It was so powerful to see this many people come in the midst of a lot of resistance,” Feucht said right after getting off stage.

Referring to the dozens of protesters gathered outside the event’s fencing, he said, “tonight, they had to come to church.”

Read more:

• Saskatoon mayor to review conditions allowing controversial MAGA Christian singer’s concert
• Saskatoon mayor introduced motion, following Feucht controversy

Feucht has drawn ire from various groups, including those in the LGBTQ2S+ community, in large part because of his comments and posts on social media, sparking debates about freedom of expression.

He said he’s been dealing with protesters since 2020. Even so, Saskatoon had “the loudest protest we’ve had all over Canada.”

It was something he said he “didn’t expect” from Saskatchewan, but added “it kind of says something like they’re scared of the church.”

Saskatoon not living “up to its reputation” as safe city

UPDATE: outside of the Sean Fuecht concert in Diefenbaker Park dozens of protesters line the gates @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/uRmA1tPtF5

— Mia Holowaychuk (@miaholoway) August 22, 2025

Those who gathered to protest against Feucht’s performance weren’t interested in hearing anything he had to say, or sing.

Instead they had their own chants including, “One, two, three, four, MAGA bigots no more. Five, six, seven, eight, no love like Christian hate.”

Protester Bailey Parrkennedy voiced support for free speech, “but free speech doesn’t include hate speech,” specifically mentioning comments made towards the queer community.

By allowing Feucht’s concert, Saskatoon failed to live “up to its reputation” as a safe city, according to Parrkennedy.

Protester Judy Thomson, felt similarly.

“We have been labeled a safe city and for the city to allow hate speech to be in a public space is not right,” Thomson said, adding how if like-minded Christians want to listen to Feucht’s music, they can, just not in a public area.

The dozens who attended yesterday were just the latest in a string of anti-Feucht demonstrations.

Thousands had already signed a petition to cancel the concert, with LGBTQ2S+ advocates demonstrating outside of Saskatoon’s City Hall weeks ago, all in an effort to cancel the concert.

It’s something, that according to Feucht, every Canadian venue aside from Saskatoon’s has done thus far.

“You can’t be a government that says you allow free speech, and then let pride parades do whatever they want, and pro-Hamas sympathizers do whatever they want and shut Christians down,” Feucht said, adding how Saskatchewan and Alberta are the only provinces “to take a stand for free speech.”

That list of cancelled venues Feucht was referring to include spaces in Winnipeg, Toronto, Moncton, Halifax, Charlottetown, and most recently West Kelowna, which denied or revoked his permits citing safety concerns.

But the City of Saskatoon didn’t find reason to change the event’s permit.

“There continues to be no public safety reason to cancel this event. The event organizers have complied with all City requirements,” the City wrote in a statement on Aug. 21.

Even though Feucht was able to perform, his concert may create changes in permits granted to future performers.

TONIGHT : US Singer and missionary Sean Fuecht is about to perform in Diefenbaker Park

Protestors are outside of the gates @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/qZqzjVzkI8

— Mia Holowaychuk (@miaholoway) August 21, 2025

Reviewing permit process

With chants like “Cynthia Block we see you, you are complicit too,” being shouted outside Feucht’s concert, protesters voiced their frustrations with Saskatoon’s mayor over the ordeal.

Parrkennedy said Mayor Cynthia Block should have taken a harder stance against the event, especially considering other cities were able to cancel it.

For Parrkennedy, it brought into question whether Block is a “true ally” of the LGBTQ2S+ community.

The frustration over Feucht’s performance led to Block filing a notice of motion on Aug. 13 to the Governance and Priorities Committee, citing how other Canadian cities handle permits differently.

Block said it’s been a long time since the Saskatoon’s permitting processes have been reviewed and she thinks there needs to be some conditions on permits from the start.

Those, “can go a long way to helping people who wish to use park space in our city understand what their commitment is,” she said.

By putting parameters around the permit process, Block said it will help protect vulnerable people in the city, although it’ll come too late for those standing against Feucht.

Concertgoers “Hear the hope”

Over a thousand people came out to see Sean Feucht’s performance in Diefenbaker Park, with some saying how they came from out of town. (Marija Robinson, 650 CKOM)

Those who did come out in support, though, weren’t there to see Feucht, according to the musician and were instead supporting “the right to worship here.”

That was especially true for some concertgoers, like Grant Gessner, who hadn’t heard of Feucht’s name until recently.

Even by the time he was sitting down waiting for the concert, Gessner hadn’t listened to Feucht’s songs but said he came out to support.

It’s “something that the world does need,” he said about Feucht’s music. For Gessner, Christianity, “is a love-based religion. And whether people choose to see it that way or not is, unfortunately, up to them.”

Vivian Dick, meanwhile, is an ardent supporter of Feucht, although she said it took her until 2020 to learn about him since she hasn’t had internet access.

“The worship music, it’s just so pure, and it’s from his heart,” she said.

When asked what for her thoughts on the protesters outside the concert venue, she said, “I hope they listen.”

“A lot of people who are struggling right nowadays, and yet we need to hear the hope,” Dick said.

IN SASKATOON: Around 1000 people turned up to see Sean Fuecht in Diefenbaker Park @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/utHsXQQqUf

— Mia Holowaychuk (@miaholoway) August 22, 2025

— With files from Mia Holowaychuk