A 26-year-old man from Ottawa has been released on bail after allegedly threatening to kill British singer Morrissey. The threat was reportedly made via the Bluesky social media platform on September 4, ahead of Morrissey's scheduled performance at the CityFolk festival.

Court documents indicate that Noah Castellano posted a message under the account name “guy who gets shot in the head one hundred thousand times a day.” The post, which referred to Morrissey by his birth name, stated: "Steven Patrick Morrissey when you perform at TD Place here in Ottawa next week on the evening of September 12th, 2025 at about 9pm, I will be present at the venue in the audience and I will attempt to shoot you many times and kill you with a very large gun that I own illegally."

Despite the threat, the Morrissey concert proceeded as planned. CityFolk officials did not comment on the situation or whether they considered canceling the event due to the police investigation.

The incident highlights ongoing challenges faced by music festivals in Canada. Earlier this month, YOWFest, another event at Lansdowne Park, was canceled after reports of gunfire in the area on its opening night, although no injuries were reported.

In August, Festivals and Major Events Canada (FAME) noted that over 25 music festivals across the country had to cancel or shut down entirely in 2025. This information was part of a brief submitted to the federal government during its annual pre-budget consultations. FAME represents more than 500 events and festivals nationwide and estimates that the sector contributes approximately $1 billion to Canada’s GDP.

Martin Roy, president and director general of FAME, attributed the crisis in the festival sector to rising inflation and increased operating costs since the COVID-19 pandemic. He pointed out that the costs of securing insurance and arranging security for events have surged.

Roy noted that security was relatively inexpensive as recently as 2010, often relying on students for staffing during summer events. However, a series of violent incidents at music venues and festivals worldwide has changed the landscape. "Each year there’s an attack somewhere in the world or in Canada and we try to adapt — and to increase — security on our sites according to the threats," Roy said.

He referenced the 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, which resulted in over 50 deaths, and the Lapu-Lapu Day car-ramming attack in Vancouver in April, which killed 11 people. The Vancouver incident led to the cancellation of the Fun Philippines Ottawa Food and Music Street Festival, which was scheduled for May.

At the CityFolk festival, Ottawa Police utilized drones to enhance public safety, assess crowd dynamics, and determine the appropriate deployment of officers.

Morrissey, who gained fame in the 1980s as the frontman of The Smiths, has become known for his controversial remarks in recent years. Ahead of his Ottawa performance, there was local discussion about his request to ban meat at the festival, with organizers stating that security would search attendees for animal products.

Noah Castellano was arrested by Ottawa police on Friday and charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm. He is currently required to reside at his father's home in the Washington, D.C., area as a condition of his $5,000 bail. When reached for comment, Castellano declined to discuss the charge, stating, "I’m not interested."