As festival season begins, here’s what they can cost Canadians

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With festival season underway, Canadians and tourists alike will be spending their hard-earned cash on entertainment over the summer.

Although some festivals are struggling — with inflation, loss of corporate sponsors and “recouping losses from COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns,” per CBC News — there are many that are keeping their doors open.

The Calgary Stampede, referred to as the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” starts on Friday. The 10-day event is $25 a day for admission onto the grounds, which, for the most part, doesn’t cover extras, like certain musical acts, food, drinks, and parking. (Although, access to some of the concert stages are included in the price of admission).

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Tickets to see bigger artists performing at the Stampede, like Miranda Lambert, Motley Crue and the Jonas Brothers, can range in price. For example, one ticket to the the Jonas Brothers could come with a price tag upwards of $500.

Day passes to take public transit cost an adult $8.50 whereas parking near the venue is $30 a day.

The rising cost of festivals has been affecting Canadians, especially in the wake of the pandemic. In May, the government said in a statement that $31 million over two years would be given to the Canada Arts Presentation Fund “to mitigate the impacts of inflation, help stabilize the recovery of the live presentation sector and bring our communities together to celebrate talented Canadians.”

The new funding is expected to be used for events like the circus festival La TOHU, currently underway in Montreal, and the Vancouver Fringe Festival in September, music publication Billboard reported.

A report by Casino.org calculated the average cost of going to a music festival for one day across the country. It found that the Calgary Stampede was the most expensive if attendees included a concert in their itinerary. They calculated the price of a ticket to be $330 per day on average.

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Other festivals included in the report, which were considered pricy for Canadians, were the Veld Music Festival in Toronto and Osheaga Music and Arts Festival in Montreal. Both start on August 2.

Concert-goers who wish to attend one day at Veld will have to spend at least $223.19 on a ticket, per its website. Meanwhile, those heading to Montreal for Osheaga will be spending a little less for one day — at least $165.

Some users on X, formerly Twitter, joked about needing recommendations for free meals after spending money on Osheaga tickets.

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Another person said they were trying to sell their musical instrument in order to afford tickets.

“The tickets for even one day at Osheaga are so expensive, currently trying to sell my ukelele (sic) just to get a little closer to being able to afford the trip,” wrote the person on X.

Some festivals with a lower price tag is the Ottawa Bluesfest, which started on Thursday and goes for 10 days. The cheapest general admissions day pass is on sale for $75. However, one user on X, formerly Twitter, was still disappointed with the cost. He sarcastically quoted what he imagined the Bluesfest creators discussed when they put together the festival, insisting that they opted for the “worst lineup in years while also massively increasing prices.”

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However, not all festivals will cost Canadians their monthly salary.

The Celebration of Light Festival is more affordable to attend. A ticket to the Vancouver event that takes place on July 20, July 24 and July 27 starts at $67.84.

Another event, which appears to be the least costly (free festivals excluded), is Winnipeg’s Folklorama, with tickets on sale for $7.50.

There are also many free street and music festivals scheduled this summer, for those hoping to save more.

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