Organizers of the popular Vancouver Island MusicFest are reporting record sales figures for early-bird tickets, which went on sale to the public Dec. 1. The three-day Courtenay roots festival, which for the first time in its 18-year history sold out in advance last summer, moved 1,000 tickets over a 48-hour period as part of its "Christmas in July" promotion.
The figures trumped sales for the entire month of December during the same campaign last year, said Doug Cox, the festival's artistic director and executive producer.
"Don't wait to get your tickets," Cox said. "Last year, we could have sold another 2,000 to 3,000 tickets to the festival, easy."
The next tier of reduced-price tickets, of which 2,000 are available, is now on sale. "I would anticipate that our second tier will sell out quickly, too," Cox said.
Last year, MusicFest included sets by Emmylou Harris, k.d. lang, Richard Thompson, the Sheepdogs, Laurie Anderson and Buffy Sainte-Marie, among others. The lineup for the 2013 edition, which runs July 12-14 at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds, is expected to be announced in January.
For more information, visit islandmusicfest.com.
