Katy Perry on hotseat for Gratitude Canyon summer camp proposal

Arts and nature camp would host underserved youth in California's Goleta Valley

Published Nov 04, 2026  •  2 minute read

Katy Perry speaks onstage as CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration Of Dolly Parton at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on October 21, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. Perry is facing local opposition to a proposed youth summer camp called Gratitude Canyon. Photo by (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source

Article content

Singer Katy Perry is facing local opposition to a proposed youth summer camp called Gratitude Canyon. 

Article content

Article content

“Gratitude Canyon is envisioned as a place of inspiration and access for underserved youth from the surrounding region and local community, offering programming rooted in the arts, nature exploration, and creative expression,” the website says.

The proposed camp sits on a 110-acre parcel of land in her hometown of Goleta, Calif.  

Plans include eight cabins, accommodations, a dining hall, a gymnasium, a zipline, a swimming pool, tennis and pickleball courts, an amphitheatre, and a recording studio. The sleep-over camp would serve kids aged 11-13. 

The website claims the camp will be minimally invasive to the surrounding community. 

“The proposal limits built structures to roughly 3% of the site, preserving approximately 97% of the property as open landscape including restored habitat areas, orchards, pathways, outdoor recreation spaces, and nature-based use areas,” the website says. 

Article content

Singer Katy Perry is facing local opposition to a proposed youth summer camp called Gratitude Canyon. Photo by Gratitude Canyon

Not welcome

According to the Santa Barbara Independent, 380 neighbours want the county to shut the project down before it gets started.  

Primary concerns include noise, traffic, fire evacuation, disturbance of the peace and quiet neighbours expected when purchasing property in the area.  

The Neighbours Against Gratitude Canyon website says the proposed camp could accommodate up to 2,410 person-visits, off-season leases of up to 4,992 visitors, and four 400-person special events. Potentially, the camp could draw roughly 9,000 visitors annually through the residential canyon. 

“Gratitude Canyon is not proposed as a wedding or concert venue,” the website said. “Outside of summer camp, limited use could include schools, nonprofits and occasional retreats, plus no more than four special events per year.” 

“The idea of a nature camp is not a bad one, but why is there this thing in the application about other events,” resident Deborah Holmes told the website Noozhawk.

The project has received support from Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and the United Boys & Girls Club Santa Barbara. It also received positive feedback during a June presentation to the Santa Barbara County South Board of Architectural Review. 

Perry is in a high-profile relationship with former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

[email protected]

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Article content