Climate Contingency Roadmap
Build climate-ready live music events one step at a time
Project Overview
Extreme weather events are becoming an increasingly common and costly challenge for live music across Canada. The Canadian Live Music Association has developed this roadmap with practical, sector-specific tools to help you anticipate, plan for, and respond to climate disruptions.
The roadmap includes a national report on how climate change is affecting live music events across the country, and a free, practical toolkit to help the sector respond.
A national overview of how climate and weather are affecting live music in Canada
‘Sound Check: Climate Risk and Resilience in Canada's Live Music Sector’ draws on the CLMA's Climate Contingency survey, national disruption data, and climate projections to examine how weather-related disruption is affecting live music events, and what the sector needs to adapt.
You don't need to do everything
Climate risk can feel complex, unpredictable, and hard to prioritize. This roadmap is designed to reduce that pressure. You don't need a perfect plan or new resources to get started. You just need a clear next step.
Choose your starting point
New to climate and weather risk?
Already aware of your risks?
Need tools you can use right away?
Already doing the work?
The Climate Contingency Roadmap
Weather preparedness should be incorporated into the plans, roles, communications, and decision-making processes your event already uses. These resources are intended to help you identify gaps and strengthen existing systems—not create a separate set of plans and responsibilities where they are not needed.
ASSESS
Understand your risks and your current level of preparedness. Identify the weather and climate risks that affect your event, assess what is already in place, and determine where attention is most needed.
Explore key findings from the Climate Contingency Roadmap research. [lire en français]
Glossary →
Learn about key weather, climate, emergency planning, insurance, and event preparedness terms used across the toolkit.
Evaluate current exposure to and preparedness for weather-related risks. [Download Excel SA]
PLAN
Identify priorities, resources, and realistic next steps. Focus on your most consequential risks, clarify responsibilities, and decide what improvements are practical within your event’s capacity and context.
Hazard Identification Risk Assessment →
Identify and assess weather hazards that may affect event operations. [Download Excel HIRA]
Identify, plan for, and manage the financial impacts of weather and climate risk. [Download Excel FPT]
Understand weather-related insurance needs, prepare questions, document key information, and avoid preventable claim issues.
Community Preparedness Guide →
Prepare local permit bodies to provide simple weather planning resources that can be shared with permit holders.
Designed for use by event permitting organisations, this simplified version of the Community Preparedness Guide can be attached to event permits to assist with safe weather planning.
IMPLEMENT
Put practical tools, plans, and processes in place. Develop clear, usable approaches for monitoring conditions, making decisions, communicating, and responding when weather affects your event.
Adverse Weather Planning Basics →
Learn the basics of event weather planning through a quick, visual guide to key steps.
Adverse Weather Contingency Plan →
Help events prepare for and respond to weather risks. This is a detailed, editable version of the Basic Plan, including action worksheets for staff.
Weather Procedure Guides|Coming November 4th
Provides sample weather-specific procedures to support event preparedness and response.
Weather Monitoring Resources →
Find additional weather monitoring tools and climate projection resources that can support planning and operations.
Learn about when and how to use public forecasts, weather monitoring services, and professional meteorological support.
Prepare detailed communication strategies before weather-related incidents occur.
IMPROVE
Train, review, and strengthen your approach over time. Build familiarity through orientation and practice, capture lessons from experience, and continue adapting your plans, partnerships, and operations.
Training Pack | Coming November 4th
Prepare staff to recognize weather-related risks early, understand their roles, and act quickly, safely, and consistently. Access exercises that help teams practice weather-related roles, decisions, and response actions.
Partner Readiness Guide | Coming November 4th
Define expectations and opportunities for partner involvement in climate adaptation and preparedness.
Idea Bank | Coming November 4th
Get quick access to weather preparedness ideas for different live music event situations.
Why this matters
What's happening
- More frequent and complex weather disruptions
- Increased safety and operational pressures
- Evolving insurance and permitting expectations
- Growing financial and organisational risk
What preparation does
- Protect audiences, staff, volunteers, artists, and partners
- Make clearer decisions under pressure
- Reduce disruption and avoidable losses
- Strengthen coordination and communication
- Support the long-term viability of live music events
Important Limitations
These resources support basic weather awareness, planning, communication, and escalation.
They do not replace site-specific operational planning, professional meteorological advice, legal advice, insurance advice, or an event organiser’s responsibility for event safety and decision-making.
Public tools, subscription services, templates, checklists, and internal monitoring roles can support preparedness, but they cannot confirm that conditions are safe or that an event is weather-prepared.
Organisers should seek qualified professional support when weather risk is consequential, uncertain, complex, or changing quickly.
stay connected
Follow the project on socials and sign up here to hear when the full toolkit goes live.
We extend our thanks to all of our industry sponsors for making this project possible.
Special thanks to our top tier sponsors: Live Nation Canada, Werklund Centre, Sicard Studios, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Winnipeg Folk Fest, City of Mississauga, Festivals and Major Events Canada, City of Mississauga, Front Row Insurance Brokers, Instant Risk Coverage, Altis Recruitment & Technology, and Calian
This project is supported by FACTOR, Ontario Creates, and Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia.
