The Victoria International Buskers Festival will be more pedestrian-friendly this year.
The festival, from July 19 to 28, has received municipal approval to expand its car-free zone on Government Street. The pedestrian zone will extend from Fort Street to Yates Street from 5:30 p.m. daily. This is a one-block expansion over 2012.
The City of Victoria has also allowed the festival to close the street on July 21 at noon.
The buskers’ festival will host a stage on Government Street with hourly performances. As well, festival director John Vickers said there will be performances on Langley Street — also to be closed to traffic.
“With both parallel streets closed to traffic and hosting world-class shows, the entire zone really does become our very own theatre district — particularly when combined with the music stage in lower Bastion Square,” Vickers said in a statement.
The festival anticipates audiences totalling 200,000 this year. The non-profit buskers event, in its third year, will host hundreds of free shows with 75 performers appearing on outdoor stages and streets downtown.
