Virgin Festival
Virgin Mobile Fest | |
---|---|
Virgin Mobile Fest logo | |
Genre | Rock, Pop |
Location(s) | United States, Canada |
Years active | 2006 - 2013 |
Website | |
www |
The Virgin Fest, known as the Virgin Mobile FreeFest in the United States, is a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK. In North America the Virgin name, and recently the Virgin Mobile brand, is used in full to increase brand association, compared with the UK and Australian festivals, where association is simply implied through the use of the V.
Like the other variants of the V Festival, the events are sponsored by Virgin Mobile, in this case, either the US or Canadian versions.
On June 30, 2006, Virgin Group chief Richard Branson announced the inaugural shows. The first, which took place September 9 and 10, 2006 at Toronto Islands Park, Toronto, Canada, featured over 40 artists. A single-day show also took place in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on September 23, 2006, at the Pimlico Race Course with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Who.
Virgin Festival 2007 took place in Vancouver on May 20 and 21, as well as a return to Baltimore for an expanded two-day event on August 4 and 5 and Toronto on September 8 and 9. On October 16, 2007, an event was announced to take place in Calgary, Alberta on June 21 and 22, 2008. The festival also returned to Baltimore on August 9 and 10, 2008.
The shows in Baltimore have been put on by Seth Hurwitz's I.M.P. Productions, owner/operator of the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. and the former producer of the HFStival.
In 2007, Richard Branson was encouraged by Daryl Hannah to green the Baltimore festival by bringing in zero waste event producers The Spitfire Agency.
The 2009 Virgin Mobile Festival, dubbed the Virgin Mobile FreeFest, was held on August 30, 2009 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The festival returned to Merriweather on Saturday, September 25, 2010,[1] and was once again a free event.[2] The Virgin Mobile FreeFest is also returning to Merriweather Post Pavilion on September 10, 2011. The tickets were reported to have "Freed out" in just over five minutes after being available. The Headliners for the 2011 Virgin Mobile FreeFest were Deadmau5 (House), Cee Lo Green (Hip-Hop/Pop), and The Black Keys (Indie).
2013 Line Up
Virgin Mobile FreeFest (Saturday September 21st)
Pavilion Stage |
West Stage |
Dance Forest |
2012 Line Up
Virgin Mobile FreeFest (Saturday October 6th)
Acts Start at 12 p.m.
Pavilion Stage |
West Stage
|
Dance Forest |
2011 line-up
Virgin Mobile FreeFest (Saturday September 10th)
Acts Start at 11A.M.
Pavilion Stage
|
West Stage
|
Dance Forest
|
2010 line-up
Virgin Mobile FreeFest (September 25th)
The Virgin Mobile Freefest line-up was announced at 11AM on July 20, 2010.[6]
Pavilion Stage
|
West Stage |
Dance Forest |
Artist T.I. canceled his performance due to ongoing legal issues.[7]
2009 line-up
Virgin Mobile FREEFEST (August 30th)
As per official site.
The Virgin Mobile FREEFEST was held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. In an official statement released by Virgin Mobile, it was stated that due to the current economic status, admission to the festival would be free of charge for all concert goers. The sponsor hoped that concert goers would donate $5 to youth homelessness through its charitable initiative known as "The ReGeneration". Concert goers could also purchase special packages that came with a T-shirt, as well as tickets and the donation.[8][9]
Sunday, August 30
Virgin Festival Montreal (June 19 & 20)
As per official site.
Friday, June 19
Saturday, June 20
- New Kids on the Block
- Akon
- David Usher
- Live
- Karl Wolf
- Jesse McCartney
- Lights
- Divine Brown
- Jonathan Roy
- JabbaWockeeZ
- 2AM Club
Virgin Festival Nova Scotia (July 4)
As per official site.
The venue is the Citadel Hill concert site, adjacent to the Halifax Common.
Saturday, July 4
Tragically Hip cancelled due to family medical issues and the concert is being provided free of charge, ticket-holders get their money refunded and concert capacity is now limited only by space, Citadel Hill above the concert site allows for viewing in case the site fills up.
Virgin Festival British Columbia (July 25 & July 26)
As per official site.
Saturday, July 25
Sunday, July 26
Virgin Festival Alberta (August 8th & 9th)
As per official site.
Saturday, August 8
Sunday, August 9
- Billy Talent
- Metric
- Tokyo Police Club
- White Lies
- Secret Broadcast
- Shout Out Out Out Out
Virgin Festival Ontario (August 29th & 30th)
As per official site.
Saturday, August 29
Virgin Mobile Stage |
Virgin Radio Stage |
Boardwalk Stage
|
Sunday, August 30
Virgin Mobile Stage |
Virgin Radio Stage
|
Boardwalk Stage
|
2008 line-up
Virgin Festival Calgary (June 21 & 22)
Saturday, June 21
Virgin Mobile Stage |
TD Music Stage
|
Sunday, June 22
Virgin Mobile Stage |
TD Music Stage |
Virgin Mobile Festival Baltimore Day 1 (August 9)
South Stage
|
North Stage
|
Dance Tent' |
Virgin Mobile Festival Baltimore Day 2 (August 10)
South Stage |
North Stage |
Dance Tent |
Virgin Festival Toronto Day 1 (September 6)
Virgin Mobile Stage |
TD Music Stage |
Oh Henry! Stage
|
Bacardi B-Live Stage
|
Switch and SebastiAn were replaced by MSTRKRFT due to delayed flights.
Virgin Festival Toronto Day 2 (September 7)
Virgin Mobile Stage |
TD Music Stage |
Oh Henry! Stage
|
Bacardi B-Live Stage
|
2007 line-up
Virgin Festival (Vancouver) Day 1
- My Chemical Romance
- Billy Talent
- Rise Against (replaced Muse on the bill)
- Mutemath
- Stars of Track and Field
- Jets Overhead
- Enter Shikari
- Pride Tiger
- The Junction
- TV Heart Attack
- The Bled
- Hernan Cattaneo
- Luke Fair
- Kevin Shiu
- Chloe Harris
- Andrew Pacey
- Jesse James
- Veer
- The Look
- Neurosonic
- Crowned Kings
Virgin Festival (Vancouver) Day 2
Virgin Festival (Baltimore) Day 1
North (Main) Stage |
South (Side) Stage |
Dance Tent |
Virgin Festival (Baltimore) Day 2
North (Main) Stage |
South (Side) Stage |
Dance Tent |
Virgin Festival (Toronto) Day 1
Virgin Mobile Stage |
Future Shop Stage
|
Budweiser Stage
|
B-Live Stage
|
Virgin Festival (Toronto) Day 2
Virgin Mobile Stage |
Future Shop Stage |
Budweiser Stage
|
B-Live Stage
|
2006 line-up
Virgin Festival (Toronto) Day 1
Virgin Festival (Toronto) Day 2
- Broken Social Scene replaced Massive Attack
- The Raconteurs
- The Strokes
- Sam Roberts Band
- Wolfmother
- Lupe Fiasco
- Thrice
- Zero 7
- K'Naan
- Matt Mays & El Torpedo
- The Diableros
- José González
- We Are Wolves
- Mickey Avalon
- MSTRKRFT
- The Mooney Suzuki
- Born Ruffians
- Champion & His G-Strings
Massive Attack were originally scheduled to headline but three days before the concert, it was announced that they had to postpone the first four concerts of their North American tour, including the Virgin Festival appearance, due to delays in receiving U.S. visas. They were replaced by Broken Social Scene.
Virgin Festival (Baltimore)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- The Who
- The Flaming Lips
- Gnarls Barkley
- The Raconteurs
- Keane (CANCELLED)
- The Killers
- Scissor Sisters
- Wolfmother
- Kasabian
- The New Pornographers
- Drive-By Truckers
- Thievery Corporation
- Brazilian Girls
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- Digweed
- Carl Cox
- RJD2
- 2 Many DJs
- Tiësto (CANCELLED)
- James Holden
See also
References
External links
- Virgin Festival Official Canadian site