Three popular Vancouver Island music festivals are expected to draw tens of thousands of fans this weekend, which could result in traffic jams beginning tonight.
Rock the Shores, the Victoria Ska Festival and the Vancouver Island Music Festival are taking placing Saturday and Sunday.
Combined attendance at the three events could top 25,000 over the two days, organizers say.
The sold-out Rock the Shores festival is expected to draw 10,000 people to Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre in Colwood on both Saturday and Sunday.
Gates at the concert open at 1 p.m. both days, which could affect drivers heading to and from the West Shore.
Atomique Productions, which organizes the concert, sent letters to residents living near the site, alerting them to the potential for traffic headaches.
The festival has a curfew of 10 p.m. both days.
The production company has also been in contact with the City of Colwood and West Shore RCMP, and has struck an agreement with B.C. Transit for additional bus service before and after the concert, said festival co-producer Nick Blasko.
“We’ve done everything possible to alleviate traffic problems,” he said.
The Vancouver Island Music Festival is being held in Courtenay, adding traffic to the Malahat, which is already dealing with delays due to construction.
The sold-out event is expected to attract 10,000 fans each day to the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds, beginning tonight and ending Sunday night.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Transportation sent out an advisory warning that heavier than usual traffic combined with reduced speed limits through the Malahat construction zones were expected to result in traffic delays throughout the weekend.
In Victoria, the Ska Festival is expected to draw thousands of people to its final concert Saturday night, when rapper Mos Def appears at Ship Point in the Inner Harbour.
Parking in the area — already a busy tourist destination — is expected to be extremely difficult to find, said Ska Fest producer Dane Roberts.
A large crowd is also expected for the Pacific Tattoo, featuring marching bands, being staged on Saturday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
For information on bus routes, fares and schedules, go to bctransit.com/regions/vic.
