Rock the Shores will expand from two to three days for its upcoming summer edition, becoming one of the biggest events on Vancouver Island in the process.
Now in its third year, the Colwood music festival will cover the dates July 11-13. Acts and tickets prices have not yet been announced, but producer Nick Blasko of Atomique Productions, which stages the event, says fans of previous editions will be pleased at the artistic offerings.
“Rock the Shores will again be focused on rock,” he said, suggesting that some susbtantial U.S. acts have been asked to appear.
“It will continue to be Vancouver Island’s biggest rock event.”
Last year, the festival set attendance records in the Capital Region, drawing upwards of 12,000 fans during each of its two days, the largest single-day audience for an outdoor festival in the area. The previous record of 10,500 was set in 2012 during the inaugural one-day edition of Rock the Shores, which was headlined by the Tragically Hip.
The Juan De Fuca Recreation Centre Lower Fields will again be the host site for the event, which organizers say will be bolstered to accommodate the crowd traffic going to and from the site.
Last year, sizable delays due to gridlock at the entrance gates caused some attendees to miss performances. Line-ups notwithstanding, the event proved incredibly popular with audiences. “It’s an incredibly positive event for the Westshore,” said West Shore Parks and Recreation Society administrator Linda Barnes.
“It has been very well received as a one-day, two-day and now three-day event. We are very much looking forward to it.”
The number of acts tripled from four to 12 for its second edition, with increased audience totals to match. The festival’s roster of acts, which last year included City and Colour, Weezer, Matthew Good, Sam Roberts Band, and Mother Mother, among others, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Barnes said Rock the Shores is becoming something that families are marking on their calendars in advance, regardless of the acts appearing.
For many, it is one of the summer’s must-see events, she added. “People have been waiting for this kind of community event. It is much more than a music festival. It’s a community happening, a place to come.”
Visit rocktheshores.com for more information.
