Here’s what’s happening now

We're back! Ben Harper And Relentless7 plus Our Lady Peace rock Virgin Festival BC!

• Twelve stellar acts announced for Virgin Festival's return to British Columbia

It’s official! Virgin Festival is bringing the heat back to BC. Canada’s hottest summer music festival announced today that it will take over DEER LAKE PARK on JULY 25 & 26, 2009, to an expected throng of more than 20,000 music lovers. The excitement kicks off with the announcement that Canadian rockers OUR LADY PEACE will perform on day one and Grammy Award-winning songwriter and guitar legend BEN HARPER AND RELNTLESS7 will headline day two.

Other exciting acts joining OUR LADY PEACE on day one will be Grammy Award-winning electrorockers MUTE MATH, Canadian hip hop artist K-OS, punk rockers SPINNERETTE and Montréal based indie rockers PLANTS AND ANIMALS. Taking the stage with BEN HARPER AND RELENTLESS7 on day two will be legendary alt-rockers SONIC YOUTH, JARVIS COCKER of Britpop group Pulp fame, hip-hop trio DE LA SOUL, English indie rockers GOMEZ, garage rockers AWESOME COLOR and Welsh alt-rockers FUTURE OF THE LEFT. More hot talent will be announced as summer starts to shine.

“We’re thrilled to bring Virgin Festival back to BC,” announced Richard Branson, Chairman of the Virgin Group. “Just like last time, the Festival will deliver an unforgettable weekend jam packed with incredible talent. With heavyweight acts like Ben Harper and Relentless7 along with Our Lady Peace we’re going to show BC a weekend to remember.”

“Deer Lake Park is the perfect venue for Virgin Festival BC and we can’t wait to move into our new Festival home,” said Andrew Bridge, Director of Virgin Festivals. “It’s unique, beautiful and has great transport access. Recently Deer Lake Park has hosted some amazing events that have caught our eye. They came to us with some great ideas on how to make the space an incredible part of the one-of-a-kind Virgin Festival experience. We couldn’t resist bringing the Festival there this year.”

Keep an eye on www.virginfestival.ca for the latest breaking news and line-up announcements for all Canadian Virgin Festivals. Fans can also keep up to date with Virgin Festival on Twitter at www.twitter.com/virginmobilecan and on the Virgin Festival Canada Facebook® fan page.

Virgin Festival Facts

• Five festivals in five provinces! This year Virgin Festival is going National with festivals in Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Ontario! Each Festival will deliver everything that Virgin Festival is known for: A-list superstar headliners, a genre-busting mix of musical styles and hot up-and-coming local talent, all at ticket prices that won’t break the bank. For news on all the Canadian Virgin Festivals head to www.virginfestival.ca.
• 300,000 screaming fans! By the end of the summer Virgin Festival Canada is expected to be the fastest growing music festival in Canada with over 300,000 fans since it first came to Canada in 2006.
• Virgin Radio number one groupies! This year, Virgin Festival is partnering with its sister brand Virgin Radio and Astral Media to help grow the Virgin Festival buzz and spread the love with exclusive Festival news, the latest breaking artist info, and hot ticket offers.
• Virgin Festival is way more than a concert! While music takes centre stage at Virgin Festival, there’s much more happening than just that. The Festival creates an on-site experience like no other – from interactive displays and contests, a vendor village, beer gardens, special perks for Virgin Mobile customers, and way more – there is always something to keep everyone going while they’re waiting for their fave artist to take the stage.
• Raising funds for Virgin Unite! Virgin Festival also works to raise funds for Virgin Unite – the charitable arm of the Virgin Group that focuses on creating grass roots change and sustainable businesses to make a real difference for people around the world who need it most.
• Keeping the festival green! Another crucial focus for the festival is taking care of the environment. On the path to becoming as carbon-neutral as possible, Virgin Festival will provide recycling on-site, use biodegradable food and drink containers and leverage green energy sources, where possible, to power the music festival.

Ticket News

General ticket sales for two-day, one-day and VIP Weekend tickets begin Monday, June 8th at 12 p.m. in person at all Ticketmaster outlets, select Future Shop locations, online at www.ticketmaster.ca, or www.futureshop.ca and by calling (604) 280-4444. Ticket information is also available at www.virginfestival.ca. Two-day tickets are $135.00 plus $5 facility fee, and a $2 donation to Virgin Unite (includes all sales taxes). One-day tickets are $72.50 plus $2.50 facility fee, and a $1 donation to Virgin Unite (includes all sales taxes).

As always, when you’re with Virgin Mobile you move to the front of the line. Virgin Mobile customers can get their hands on Early Bird tickets before anyone else.

Want to put some VIP into your Virgin Festival experience? Kick it up a notch and party like a rock star in the Louder Lounge. This exclusive VIP area is stuffed with comfy lounge chairs, cabanas, drinks and food to keep you relaxed and fueled up. Plus, you never know who you might rub shoulders with. VIPs also get a front of the line entrance to the Festival, shorter washroom line ups and a Festival merchandise discount. Get all the details at virginfestival.ca. VIP Weekend tickets can be yours for $300.00 plus $5 facility fee, and a $2 donation to Virgin Unite (includes all sales taxes). Convenience fees apply.

About Virgin Mobile

The Virgin Mobile group of companies has attracted more than 12 million customers worldwide. As the No.1 mobile youth network, Virgin Mobile Canada's mission is to be Canada’s most loved mobile company. Its simpler, better deals offer customers control, flexibility and choice to design mobile packages that truly works for them. J.D. Power and Associates ranked Virgin Mobile highest in customer satisfaction with prepaid wireless service for four years in a row  and 91% of customers would recommend Virgin Mobile to a friend.

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 www.virginmobile.ca or by calling 1-888-999-2321.

For more information on Virgin Festival please contact:

Erica Faltous, Hill & Knowlton Canada, 1-416-413-4695/ erica.faltous@hillandknowlton.ca