Your weekend plans could include some live music and a potential opportunity to volunteer, as Vancouver Island Music Fest is taking place next weekend.
In the lead-up to this year’s festival, developments have been made in the volunteering department, as thousands of residents have joined to volunteer, according to Marketing Manager for the Musicfest Sue Wood.
Wood says it takes about 1300 volunteers to help run the festival.
“At this point, we’re only 60 volunteers short,” says Wood. “As a volunteer, you get a weekend pass, so whenever you aren’t on shift, you can enjoy the music over the weekend. While working, we feed you, and there’s also free volunteer camping.”
For this festival, 46 bands are going to be performing over the weekend, with the line-up including Sarah McLachlan, Rickie Lee Jones, Galactic, and the Awakeneers.
Since the announcement of the line-up, they have sold more than 80 per cent of the tickets.
Wood adds with the six stages the festival has; the Canadian talent have a chance to play with the international names.
“There’s a great mix, a great variety, and the Canadian talent is given the same level of showcase as the international talent,” says Wood.
“So they play both for the audience and with each other, and that in of itself, is what they come away with from this festival, its experience with world-music performers that they never would have had a chance to play with before.”
The festival will take place at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds next weekend, running from July 14 to the 16.
For more information, you can visit the MusicFest’s website.