Opinion: BC government needs to take action to save events and festivals

Khatsahlano Street Party on West 4th Avenue in Vancouver. (Khatsahlano)

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Without urgent and adequate financial relief measures, the 2023 event season in British Columbia, particularly in the Metro Vancouver region, could look quite bleak.

There have been much rumblings within the event planning industry in recent weeks and months: Many more event cancellation announcements could be just around the corner — and if the triggers are actually pulled, some are likely to come as a major surprise to the public.

Last month’s cancellation announcement of the Vancouver Folk Festival could be just the beginning of a wave of event and festival cancellations, based on how dire the situation is with organizers repeatedly crunching their numbers and trying to make their financial models viable.

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In general, costs for labour and equipment have escalated exorbitantly, and for larger mass gatherings there have also been major cost increases on necessary municipal services such as policing, traffic management, engineering, and sanitation.

Some events and festivals are facing total organizing cost increases of as much as between 40% and 90% this year compared to 2019, before they went on their pandemic hiatus.

In its cancellation announcement, for instance, the Vancouver Folk Fest shared it would need an additional estimated $500,000 upfront every year moving forward in order to be able to execute its event.

The first two years of COVID-restriction related cancellations caused the event industry to drastically change. Long-time suppliers went out of businesses, and those remaining now require payment up front, which may or may not be possible with the limited cash flow of events.

For 2023, organizers of the Vancouver Folk Fest say they struggled to find grants or sufficient private sponsorship, especially in the current economic climate.

Compared to other major Canadian markets, Metro Vancouver historically has had a particularly weak sponsorship market; businesses and organizations in this region simply aren’t as engaged in supporting their community’s beloved events and festivals, and within the current climate this showing has never been weaker.

The obstacles are seemingly so insurmountable that the Vancouver Folk Fest even initially decided to schedule a vote to dissolve the non-profit society that oversees the festival each year — a move to permanently cancel the event after 45 years. But after an outpouring of public support in recent weeks, including a virtual town hall in early February that saw nearly 300 public attendees, the dissolution vote was cancelled.

During the town hall, the need for government to provide event organizers with a real boost was one of the most frequently suggested courses of action.

Shortly after the Vancouver Folk Fest’s announcement, organizers of the Squamish Constellation Festival made public they are in a similar predicament for their 2023 festival.

Squamish Constellation Festival notes it saw decreased attendance in 2022 upon its pandemic-time return, along with escalating operational costs, and upfront payments and deposits — all needed without start-up resources after challenging years. This makes it “next to impossible” to bring back this year’s music festival.

As of January 17, organizers indicated they only have a number of weeks to determine whether the Squamish Constellation Festival can go ahead in 2023.

Vancouver Folk Fest organizers also made note that their 2022 event, the first under pandemic-time, was able to happen only because of special COVID-relief grants offered by governments.

To this end, the Government of British Columbia needs to renew its Fairs, Festivals and Events Recovery Fund grant for a second round of intake. This was an application-based, one-time grant for events and festivals scheduled between July 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022, with the provincial government allocating a combined total of $30 million to 681 events across BC.

The millions of people who attended the Lower Mainland’s largest and most high-profile events and festivals in 2022 were likely unaware that such events were saved by the provincial government. This was a significant investment, and a strong show of support that events, festival, and tourism deeply matter. Much gratitude is well deserved for this previous course of action taken by the BC Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport.

For instance, the Honda Celebration of Light, Vancouver Sun Run, BMO Vancouver Marathon, RBC GranFondo Whistler, Abbotsford International Air Show, Just For Laughs Northwest, Vancouver International Wine Festival, Push Festival, TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and Squamish Constellation Festival each received $250,000 — the highest level of grant funding offered, of which 29 events received.

Other major recipients in Vancouver include Concord Dragon Boat Festival, PNE Fair, and Vancouver International Film Festival each with $200,000, Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival with $183,000, Deighton Cup with $172,000, Vancouver Craft Beer Week with $171,000, Vancouver Mural Festival $167,500, Vancouver Mural Festival’s Winter Arts Festival with $158,000, Vancouver Half Marathon with $150,000, Contact Festival with $100,000, Carnavel del Sol with $78,000, and Khatsahlano Street Party with $60,000. The Vancouver Folk Fest received $100,000.

Every major Surrey event stayed afloat in 2022 with the help of the province’s grant, with FVDED in the Park Musical Festival receiving $100,000, Party for the Planet with $50,000, Surrey Canada Day with $120,000, Surrey Fusion Festival with $190,000, and Surrey Tree Lighting Festival with $60,000.

The economic impact these events generate is absolutely immense.

But without a greater or at the very least a similar renewed level of financial aid for 2023/2024, the forthcoming event season is at risk of being a quiet one here in BC from cancelled events — some possibly permanent — and significantly downsized programming for events that do proceed.

Timing is also crucial, given the months-long lead up needed to ramp up planning, and secure contractors and suppliers.

Just like the Vancouver Folk Fest, many events and festivals are also driven by non-profit societies, led by volunteers. Many of these volunteers, who pour countless hours each year, are now facing complete burnout after years of fighting the good fight to maintain and grow the benefits their events and festivals bring to their community. But now, an increasing number are ready to throw in the white towel.

Both for-profit and non-profit events are facing the same issues, but it is particularly important to show BC’s volunteer-driven, non-profit events that they are greatly appreciated, and not to be taken for granted.

Big Vancouver events that didn’t happen in 2022 after restrictions were lifted:

– Canada Day fireworks
– Formula E
– Santa Clause Parade
– Best Buy Christmas drone show
– NYE fireworks

4/5 due in part to costs.

Many other events downsized. #vanpoli https://t.co/KzhGqOcqXo

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) January 2, 2023

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