What: Victoria International Buskers Festival
When: July 18, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. July 19-26, noon to 10 p.m. July 27, noon to 5 p.m.
Where: Various locations (see map)
Cost: Free
As the Victoria International Buskers Festival enters its fourth year, it may seem early to dub it an “all-star season.”
But organizer John Vickers isn’t concerned.
“Each year we have the festival, there’s always those in the community who inquire if so-and-so will come back,” Vickers said.
“We thought it would be fun to bring back the most popular acts from the first three years.”
About 80 per cent of the performers at this year’s festival, which runs from Friday until July 27, will be returning acts. Among them are Reuben Dot Dot Dot and Victor Rubilar, who won the audience favourite awards in 2013, as well as 2012 and 2011, respectively.
But there’s always room for a few newbies, Vickers said. New acts this year, selected from about 400 YouTube applications, include Australian-British “strong lady” Charmaine and four-piece circus troupe Quatuor Stomp.
“You always try to find something that’s got a bit of an edge to it. When you say ‘busker’ it can mean a whole swatch of humanity,” he said.
Vickers looks for performers who will appeal to everyone from toddlers to grandparents.
Victoria’s festival is already making a name for itself in the busking community, according to some of those returning.
Rubilar — who juggles soccer balls — said Victoria’s festival is larger than most this early in the game.
“Normally, festivals start little and they keep on going. I think in the case of Victoria, it became a really, really big festival really quickly. I consider it to be one of the best in Canada already,” he said.
Rubilar is an Argentinian performer now based in Barcelona.
He said his favourite Canadian festival is the Halifax International Busker Festival. Although its shorter, at only six days, it has built a loyal fan base in its 28-year history.
“You have more of a following there,” he said. “I think Victoria, because it’s a new festival, it hasn’t gotten there yet.”
Winnipeg-based Daniel Craig, who performs as one half of The Street Circus with his wife Kimberly Craig, said the setting of the Inner Harbour is what makes Victoria’s festival special.
“The Inner Harbour already has a culture of street performance, so the general public already embraces and expects it down there,” he said.
The Craigs spend between nine and 12 months each year on the road, performing at 20 to 25 buskers festivals each year. Daniel’s favourite is the World Buskers Festival in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“We’ve also performed at many street performance festivals in Japan that are just so unique and have a charm all their own.”
The Victoria buskers festival will feature seven stages around the Inner Harbour and downtown core, with a new location on the Royal B.C. Museum’s grounds, as well as in the Enterprise parking lot across from Red Fish Blue Fish.
“I always say festivals can breathe new life, where there wasn’t life before,” Vickers said.
This year, the Fairmont Empress Hotel lawn will only be used for the final performance on July 27 at 5 p.m., Vickers said.
About 25 acts will rotate around those seven “circle” stages, while another 50 performers will be at the “busk stops” along Government Street. Busk stops are for performers who need less space, like musicians.
While the number of performers remained the same this year, the buskers festival budget has grown to about $500,000. About $260,000 of that represents in-kind donations, like the hotel rooms that sponsor the Hotel Association of Greater Victoria is providing the performers, Vickers said.
The remainder, about $240,000 (an increase from last year’s $165,000), includes federal, provincial and regional grants, corporate sponsorship, merchandise sales and donations. Artists who come to perform have their hotels covered, as well as the majority of their airfare costs, Vickers said.
All tips and donations collected during their performances go back to the performers.
Programs are available for download at victoriabuskers.com.