To bring awareness and some needed funding to B.C.’s ongoing wildfire effort, a local music festival is donating all ticket proceeds for a limited time.
All proceeds from ticket sales on Aug. 1 and 2 to Ambleside Music Festival will be donated to three firefighting organizations – the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C, SenseNet Wildfire detection, and the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund. Proceeds from ticket sales from the same dates for Rock the Lake in Kelowna will also be donated. Both festivals are operated by GSL Group, a Vancouver-based live entertainment company.
2023 is already B.C.’s most destructive wildfire season on record, with more than 14,000 square kilometres burned as of the end of July.
In the face of the record wildfires, the music festivals are channelling their energy and spirit to support the heroes on the front lines, said GSL Group president and CEO Graham Lee.
Lee said the three charities were chosen because they cover the areas of prevention, early detection and helping firefighters recover from the dangerous work they do.
“As part of our appreciation to the front-line firefighters dedicated to protecting our province, we are also providing complimentary tickets to local firefighter charitable associations in West Vancouver and Kelowna as a token of our gratitude,” he said.
On Aug. 19 and 20, West Vancouver’s beachside park will host a lineup of 1990s favourites including Third Eye Blind, Weezer and Bran Van 3000, alongside a list of well-known local and international artists.
Two-day general admission passes are selling for $195, and two-day VIP for $365. Day passes are $79.50 for Sunday and $89.50 for Saturday. The Ambleside event is nearing its 5,000-person capacity, Lee said.
