Library of Articles

  • Library: Articles

Mitchell Boosts Festival Revenue Print-ready version

Winnipeg Free Press
August 5, 1994

EDMONTON - A rare concert appearance by Joni Mitchell yesterday has helped boost ticket sales at this year's Edmonton Folk Music festival, organizers say. "We are set to take in $500,000," says Terry Wickham, producer of the 15-year-old festival. "We've never broken $400,000 before, it'll be the largest box office of any arts festival in the history of Alberta." With competition last year from a country music festival and a controversial bill, the folk festival failed to increase its audience for the first time since 1985 and barely broke even. This year, Wickham went after more headline acts to draw the uninitiated to Gallagher Park. "Obviously, Joni Mitchell has been a big factor as far as publicity goes. Last year we made her the exact same offer and she turned it down. This year we got lucky. Taj Mahal, Blue Rodeo, Richard Thompson, Ruth Brown - these acts were all bonuses. "I remember thinking last year the music has to get better and I think it has."

Copyright protected material on this website is used in accordance with 'Fair Use', for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis, and will be removed at the request of the copyright owner(s). Please read Notice and Procedure for Making Claims of Copyright Infringement.

Added to Library on August 19, 2010. (4989)

Comments:

Log in to make a comment