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Second annual Virgin Festival Toronto a "smashing" success!
TORONTO (ONTARIO) September 14, 2008
Toronto (ONTARIO) September 14 – The dust has settled and the results are officially in: the second annual Virgin Festival Toronto by Virgin Mobile was a smashing success. On September 8th and 9th, 40,000 music lovers experienced a genre-spanning line-up, A-list headliners, and a host of green initiatives to deliver the most dynamic music experience yet.
“This year we promised to deliver a music festival in Toronto that would blow people away,” said Nathan Rosenberg, Chief Marketing Officer, Virgin Mobile Canada, “And today’s news confirming 40,000 festival-goers means we’ve firmly established Virgin Festival Toronto as the ultimate Canadian summer music festival.”
Andrew Bridge, Director of Virgin Festivals, Virgin Mobile Canada, adds: “Whether it was 100 fans dancing onstage with M.I.A., lasers projecting on trees during Björk’s out-of-this-world set, or The Smashing Pumpkins reunion, the festival delivered unexpected surprises and unforgettable performances. That kind of live musical experience is simply unbeatable.”
The total experience of the festival reaches far beyond just music. More than $50,000 was raised for Virgin Unite – Virgin’s global charity that works to create grassroots change and make a real difference for people around the world that need it most. Another huge priority was making sure the Island was left in tip-top shape after the Festival – on-site recycling and composting, biodegradable cups and containers, and bio-diesel powered generators were just some of the steps taken to keep the festival green.
From the Motorola celeb photo booth to the Virgin Mobile sponsored Ultimate Thumb Fighting Championship, the festival weekend buzzed with fun and games whenever festival-goers weren’t taking in one of the acts. Plus, looking over them (and handing out free iTunes download cards) was the squad of Virgin Mobile Angels – volunteers who ensured that everyone was safe, happy, and knew how to find their way around.
Some Numbers to Remember
We’ve crunched the numbers! Here are some key stats about how Virgin Festival Toronto 2007 went down:
|
Description
|
Number
|
|---|---|
|
The number of music lovers that headed to Toronto Island during the two-day festival. |
40,000
|
|
The artists that performed on the 4 different stages. |
62
|
|
The number of ferry rides to get everyone back and forth. |
250
|
|
The number of tractor-trailers and RVs that were ferried to the island to get the festival set up. |
48
|
|
The number of Virgin Angels helping make sure everyone got what they needed. |
100
|
|
The number of Porta-Potties. No explanation needed. |
400
|
|
The number of Media that came to cover all the excitement. |
194
|
|
The number of drinks that were responsibly enjoyed. |
150,000
|
Music to your ears
For fans looking to relive the craziness of the weekend, Virgin Festival is bringing the music to masses with a special Virgin Festival 2007 compilation. Available exclusively on iTunes from Tuesday, September 25th, the compilation features music from some of the top artists from this year’s festival, including Stars, Paolo Nutini, Tokyo Police Club and Louis XIV. Fans who purchase the compilation will also receive exclusive video clips from the festival, courtesy of MuchMusic.
Take Virgin Festival to go!
Relive Virgin Festival Toronto every time your mobile phone rings! Virgin Mobile customers can download ringtones from their fave Virgin Festival artists. Try out Metric’s “Monster Hospital” when you’re feeling feisty or check out Paolo Nutini’s “Autumn” to complement your mellow side. Virgin Mobile customers can purchase ringtones on VXL from their mobile phone or online at www.virginmobile.ca.
Plus those who just can’t get enough of Virgin Festival Toronto can go online to muchmusic.com/vfest and catch interviews, performances, and way more from the hottest acts like Arctic Monkeys, Interpol, and Stars.
About Virgin Mobile Canada
Launched in 2005, Virgin Mobile is Canada’s first wireless service created for and defined by youth. The country's first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Virgin Mobile has a portfolio that includes monthly price plans, a full range of phones and a broad array of messaging, music and mobile content offerings. J.D. Power and Associates has recognized Virgin Mobile as ranking the highest in customer satisfaction with prepaid wireless service for two years in a row.
The Virgin Mobile group of companies has attracted more than 10 million customers worldwide. Virgin Mobile phones are available at more than 4,000 locations with top-up cards available at more than 10,000 locations nationally. Virgin Mobile products can also be purchased online at http://www.virginmobile.ca or by calling 877-662-2824.
About Emerge Entertainment
Emerge Entertainment has produced over 800 concerts since 1997 with a wide spectrum of artists ranging from Björk to James Blunt to The Killers and festivals such as Virgin Festival & Marc Ecko’s “Getting Up” Festival. Emerge strives to deliver the best and most unique concert experiences to both ticket buyers and artists. Emerge has also worked with corporations such as General Motors, Levi’s, Bluenotes in integrating music and musicians with their brands. Emerge has been nominated for and won several national and regional awards.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Erica Faltous,
Hill & Knowlton Canada
416-655-8221
erica.faltous@hillandknowlton.ca
Chris Baines,
Virgin Mobile Canada
647-378-8859
chris.baines@virginmobile.ca
Rebecca Teal,
Emerge Entertainment
416-602-7059
Get in touch
If you're a media professional and need to get in touch with us, email our Press Team at media@virginplus.ca.
