The Virgin Festival—first held in Toronto in 2006—is expanding to include five cities across Canada this summer. The festival will be held for the first time in Montreal, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia. Additional concerts are planned for Ontario and Alberta. (Calgary hosted a festival in 2008.) The Black Eyed Peas and New Kids on the Block will headline the Montreal festival, scheduled to take place June 19 and 20 at Parc Jean-Drapeau. The Quebec date is the first of the five Canadian shows, and organizers have not disclosed which cities the festival will hit in the other provinces.
Festival director Andrew Bridge told the CBC, "We tailor the lineups [for] each market. The festival … in Montreal is a bit of a pop event. You'll see variances in the talent in different markets. You'll see different styles in the different cities." Although Virgin's plans for a Vancouver show fell through last year, Bridge said he's confident organizers can pull off an event in B.C. this summer. "We're taking a bit of a gamble going out and doing five festivals, but we're confident that we're delivering a smart ticket price with amazing talent and a great experience for festival-goers," Bridge said.
Nathan Rosenberg, chief marketing officer for Virgin Mobile Canada, reported the festival is expecting to attract more than 300,000 fans this year. Organizers are offering a V.I.P. weekend package for the shows, which includes access to a private area called the Louder Lounge, front-of-the-line entrance to the venue, and a discount on festival merchandise. Dates for the two-day shows in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and B.C. have not yet been announced.
