Fans want to save the iconic Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Supporters of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival are organizing to save the annual event. Hundreds of people have joined an online Facebook group dedicated to step up to help the ailing gathering in Vancouver’s West Side that has been held since the late 1970s.

Many people reacted with shock and confusion this week when it was announced that the Vancouver Folk Music Festival will not be returning to the city in 2023, as the changing event landscape and rising production costs leaves the long-term future of the event hanging in the balance.

It has featured many artists over the years committed to peace and social justice, and is an integral part of Vancouver environmental and progressive social movements, as well as the arts community.   

Billy Bragg describes one famous performance in 1989 at the Folk Festival with Pete Seeger rewriting the words to The Internationale.

The Save the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Facebook group states:

Our beloved VFMF has cancelled the 2023 festival and unfortunately, the challenges appear to be the “new normal” going forward. To proceed with an annual festival, an additional $500,000 (estimated) would be needed up-front every year. The Board has determined that there is not enough grant or sponsorship funding available to support this budget increase, nor could the community sustain the increase in ticket prices that would be necessary to close the gap.

In light of these difficult realities, the Board will be asking the members to approve a resolution to dissolve the Society at the upcoming AGM on February 1, 2023.

We have to explore every possible option to keep this from happening. The volunteer board has done all they believe they can do. We the fans need to step up.

Save the Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2426458294174991

(Cover: Photo by Jessie Johnston Via Facebook)