The article about the Virgin Mobile Festival incorrectly stated the reason for the event's move from Pimlico Race Course to Merriweather Post Pavilion. It is moving because it is cheaper to stage a free festival at Merriweather, not because of Pimlico's financial difficulties, according to the event's producer and promoter, Seth Hurwitz.
Virgin Fest, in Its 4th Year, Is Moving to Merriweather; Tickets Will Be Free
"We wanted to throw a fantastic party . . . on us," Virgin chief Richard Branson said.
(Andrew H. Walker - Getty Images)
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Virgin Mobile Festival has a new home -- and a new, recession-proof ticket price.
The region's leading pop-music festival is moving from Baltimore's beleaguered Pimlico Race Course to Merriweather Post Pavilion, with Blink-182, Weezer, Public Enemy, the National, Wale and at least 10 additional acts set to perform Aug. 30 at the Columbia amphitheater.
Tickets will be free. Yes, free. F-R-E-E.
All 35,000 of them.
Virgin Mobile customers and previous V-Fest ticket-buyers will get first crack at the tickets, beginning tomorrow. Tickets to the event, dubbed FreeFest, will be made available to the general public beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday on http:/
Ticketmaster is even waiving its "convenience charges," so long as the tickets are picked up in person at Merriweather or at the 9:30 club.
"In a time of economic challenges and daily sacrifices, we wanted to throw a fantastic party so people could let loose and have a great time -- on us," Virgin Group President Richard Branson said in a statement.
Said festival promoter Seth Hurwitz: "When Virgin Mobile first suggested to me that we throw this year's festival for free, I was like: 'Um, okay.' I thought they were crazy. But then again, Virgin's always done things a little differently."
The pop-music bacchanalia, which has been held annually at Pimlico since its launch in 2006, is moving to Merriweather because of the racetrack's uncertain future. The home of the Preakness is in financial straits: Its Canadian-based owner, Magna Entertainment, filed for bankruptcy in March and put Pimlico and its other Maryland assets up for auction.
Merriweather features a single stage, but a second stage and dance tent will be set up on the amphitheater's 40 wooded acres to accommodate all the rock bands, rappers and knob-twiddlers. The lineup includes Franz Ferdinand, Girl Talk, the Bravery, the Hold Steady, St. Vincent and Taking Back Sunday.
Previous V-Fest headliners included the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Who (2006), the Police and the Beastie Boys (2007), and Kanye West and the Foo Fighters (2008). The past two festivals were two-day affairs; FreeFest will be confined to a single day. Stop grousing -- you get what you pay for.
Although tickets will be free, festival attendees will be asked to donate money to homeless-youth agencies. Ticket-holders who complete 13 hours of community service at designated youth shelters will be given access to a VIP seating section.
"Instead of focusing on layoffs or the state of the economy, we want to focus on concrete ways to provide assistance to those in need," said Dan Schulman, chief executive of Virgin Mobile USA.
Ticketing information and the complete lineup will be available at http:/
