Summer in Toronto is known for its many food and musical festivities, and while the last two years prohibited any such events, 2022 was billed as the best summer yet.

But this weekend's Kultureland Fest at the Markham Fairgrounds (and Ajax Downs Racetrack) was far from a dream come true, with venue changes and last-minute cancellations.

Let's start at the beginning.

Kultureland was billed as an event that blends the "sounds and cultures that produce some of best artists from around the world and offers music fans a two-day experience unlike no other in the city."

Headliners included chart-topping artists Jhene Aiko and Burna Boy.

It seemed the festival started off on the right foot with Burna Boy, who delivered an explosive and wildly entertaining set on Saturday night.

Social media agreed, with many saying the performance was the jewel of the festival.

WHEN I TELL YOU KULTURELAND WAS A MESS MINUS BURNA BOY…I have never seen anything like it. ABSOLUTE SHAMBLES

— Rutendo (@ricenbakedbeans) August 7, 2022

But it seems that's where the positives end and negatives start to take off.

For unknown reasons, the festival changed locations for Sunday, some 40 kilometres away to the Ajax Downs Racetrack. This was announced at 4:10 p.m.

It’s 4:10 pm and Kultureland just announced that the event will be moving to different venue in a city nearly 40km away pic.twitter.com/b5Y1a9RUxn

— Richie Assaly (@rdassaly) August 7, 2022

This is when some festival-goers started to cry foul and compared the mess to the infamous Fyre Fest, which notoriously promised people a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Bahamas only to be met with ham sandwiches and tents.

These kultureland stories are so wild!! It’s giving fyre festival 😂😂

— Ronke Alao (@Ronke_) August 8, 2022

Some fans demanded refunds and were very disappointed while others used laughter to express their situation.

After 11 hours. A whole venue change to another city. Several time changes. Half the artists dropping out. 0 headliners performing yet. 0 accountability from the organizers. #Kultureland better be giving refunds pic.twitter.com/LjvloclW7L

— Tuktuk Islam (@TuktukIslam) August 8, 2022

Festival goers who arrived at the Markham Fairgrounds were turned away (sometimes by police) and told the venue had been changed.

Kultureland just called me and asked if my backyard was big enough for a crowd??? What is happening

— Gobi Bryant (@iDSilva93) August 7, 2022

As with every multi-day music festival, some fans had driven hours to attend and also booked hotels or airbnbs. With the news of the venue change, people were furious.

I still can't get over the fact that she came from Nunavut..... NUNAVUT?????? Kultureland needs to run sis her coins ASAP https://t.co/e0rWWAI6yt

— Serenity ✨ (@_snaas) August 8, 2022

But things just continued to get worse.

Kulturefest- So the concert was great!!! But the festival wasn’t. On their Instagram page the day before, it said to come at 3 pm mind you, once we were in the festival or within grounds, we could not leave until the end of the festival. We arrived at around 3:20

— joyce (@joycekab17) August 8, 2022

Due to technical difficulties in Aiko's show that "required a level of visuals" that organizers couldn't "technically produce in a short period of time," her set was cancelled entirely.

"Our headliner for the night will not be able to perform. As we all know Today has been a wild sequence of events, however it is our intentions to give you the best experience we can offer; despite the circumstances."

yo kultureland jhene aiko is too pregnant for all this

— 𝔂.✨ (@y_bxbyy) August 7, 2022

Many fans say they were told by festival promoters and organizers that Aiko was going to perform up until the last-minute.

It also is alleged that fans paid hundred of dollars for VIP access and were met with less than extravagant conditions. Complaints rolled in about long lines, ticket malfunctions and excruciating heat. 

Toronto, I know Kultureland was a mess but I’ll be back soon.

— B Young (@BYoungOfficial) August 8, 2022

Some artists dropped out of the festival entirely too and it is alleged Kultureland didn't release the set times for their acts.

"Due to circumstances out of our control, Stonebwoy, Fireboy, Lojay and Kamo Mphela will not be able to perform today," read a message from Kultureland's Instagram.

So people paid for jhene aiko, fireboydml, stonebwoy and lojay and got -----0/4 on Sunday? #Kultureland

— The Impatient Tourist (@ImpatienTourist) August 8, 2022

One positive was the available food, which seemed much more substantial and seasoned than Fyre Fest's menu.

This was the best part from Kultureland for me. I never got this much food at a festival for under $20 & it actually tasted really good👌🏽 Usually festival food is expensive & bland as hell. & really the food was not even from the festival but the event that took place before it😬 pic.twitter.com/6Vfy7bwxYL

— Azizunisa (@Azizunisa) August 8, 2022

It is not entirely known what happened that lead to these drastic changes. Some allege funds weren't paid while others say the festival was a scam to begin with.

Someone just sent me a clip of the crowd chanting "REFUND" at Kultureland.. 😭 pic.twitter.com/wOWFwjpgsr

— ❔ (@WHOISMRKOA) August 8, 2022

All comments have been turned off on the Kulture Land Fest Instagram page.

Anyone who bought tix to #Kultureland we need to ask for refunds and alert the media of this fyre fest 2.0 so that we’re not ignored by the scammers who organized this mess 😊

— x (@ldnxgirl) August 7, 2022

There has yet to be a formal statement about what happened this weekend either.

Here's hoping fans can get some kind of refund. Or explanation to the disastorous weekend.