Saskatchewan Jazz Festival moves to Victoria Park
The SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is on the move.
After more than two decades at the Bessborough Gardens, the festival is moving to Victoria Park from June 30 through July 9.
Executive director Shannon Josdal said the move was necessary to keep the festival running for years to come.
"It's time for some change," she said. "We've got some very strategic goals that we're looking to achieve, and some huge shifts that we're seeing in the live music and the festival industry."
Josdal is excited about what's to come at Victoria Park. While she says she'll miss the iconic scenery of the Bessborough Hotel and its beautiful gardens that have become a pilgrimage of sorts for festival goers, she says the new site will allow them to do so much more.
"With that comes a much larger free program and an expanded festival day pass, so folks will get to see more for their money on that pass under the new model," Josdal said.
Finances and keeping the festival viable have become an issue in recent years, not just for Saskatchewan. The Vancouver Folk Festival decided not to hold a festival this summer, and may never again because of escalating production costs.
Josdal said to avoid the same fate, the Sask. Jazz Fest had to find an alternate location. If the festival didn't make any changes or find another location, they would have had no choice but to close.
"It is a very different economy, a very different landscape. And the feasibility and costs associated with moving to Victoria Park are much more sustainable for our organization. We are a nonprofit. We don't exist to make huge amounts of money," Josdal said.
Running the festival can cost up to $2 million, according to Josdal. With the industry decimated by COVID-19, staying at the Bessborough simply wasn't an option.
She says the new location isn't only more affordable, but much larger than the restrictive space behind the Bessborough.
Larger beer gardens, better viewing-areas, an artisan market and a family fun zone are just some of the benefits of moving. Another major component of moving is still being able to attract international talent.
"That's another reason to amalgamate and streamline our operation is to continue with the quality of programming," she said.
Josdal isn't seeing the move away from the Bessborough as a problem, but as an opportunity.
"To say that that is the only iconic spot would be an unfortunate view to take. We've got a lot of wonderful spots, and this is a new one," she said.
Lineup and sale dates will be announced in the spring.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.