(UPDATE: Aug. 22 @ 3 pm) - The Regional District of Central Okanagan says it will "monitor the situation" and remains "committed to ensuring public safety" with regards to Sean Feucht's newly-announced concert in Joe Rich on Saturday.
However, the RDCO notes that its authorities are limited as the event is being held on private property.
"We recognize that this event has generated public interest and concern," the Regional District said in a media release issued Friday afternoon.
The Joe Rich Rural Land Use Bylaw does not require permits or approvals for free events held on private land and Feucht has made the show free of charge.
(Original story: Aug. 22 @ 10:20 am) - Two days after West Kelowna officials nixed Christian singer Sean Feucht’s previously-scheduled concert at the Memorial Park Amphitheatre, a new venue has been announced.
As he’s done in several cities across Canada when faced with the same dilemma, Feucht has moved the show to private property. It will now take place Saturday night at 1170 Greystokes Rd. in Joe Rich, just east of Kelowna and around 44 kilometres away from the original venue.
🚨FINALLY, WE HAVE A LOCATION FOR KELOWNA!!!!
— Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) August 22, 2025
The city tried to sabotage this by cancelling us last minute - so I need YOUR HELP to spread the word!!! SHARE and RT! #LetUsWorship pic.twitter.com/tvc3JlOo04
When the permit for Feucht’s show in West Kelowna was officially denied on Wednesday, the associated Love Over Hate protest was cancelled as well. It had been planned by Advocacy Canada, an LGBTQI+ organization led by Kelowna activist Wilbur Turner.
Turner spoke with NowMedia video host Jim Csek on Thursday and said the main opposition to Feucht’s show is that it was being held on public, taxpayer-funded property. As a result, he doesn’t expect the now-cancelled Love Over Hate protest to follow the show across the bridge from West Kelowna to Joe Rich.
“I really don't think there’s any point in protesting a private location,” Turner explained. “What people do on their private property is a different matter than when it’s on public property.”
He still doesn’t like to see the event take place and has significant issues with Feucht’s messaging, but not with regards to his religion. According to Turner, Feucht has led protests against the queer community, calling members “demonic and perverted” and chastising anyone who’s an ally.
“He has said that people who support pride are supporting the agenda of the community to pervert children,” Turner told Csek. “It’s really quite problematic when you have someone who has quite a bit of influence…and he’s pushing this rhetoric which ultimately causes harm to people in the community.”
Turner added, with regards to people calling pushback to Feucht’s show an attack on Christianity: “We have no problem with folks practicing their religion or worship, but when they weaponize it for purposes to cause harm to a minority group, it’s not okay.”
Faith leaders across the Pacific Northwest and even locally have publicly called out Feucht’s messaging, Turner claims, but he recognizes that there are also churches here in the Okanagan that promote similar views on homosexuality. Those churches, however, operate on their own private property and "don’t use as strong language as he does."
Turner admits that Feucht’s exposure in Canada has skyrocketed due to the publicity from these concert cancellations, but notes that there are both pros and cons to that.
The bottom line, he says, is that these kinds of events and language that are “definitely harmful to marginalized communities” will happen underground.
“But when it’s exposed, I think it needs some light on it. I think people need to know what’s happening,” he said. “It can be discussed in a public forum, otherwise it carries on and spreads kind of in the darkness.”
Thumbnail photos courtesy of Sean Feucht/Advocacy Canada on Facebook.
