Everyone knows that music festivals are big business, with tens of millions made (ticket sales, beer vending, corporate sponsorship) and lost (artist fees, production costs) every summer. But what happens when big business decides to throw it’s own festival? You get Virgin Free Fest. Run as a multi-city paid festival in 2006 and 2007, the mobile phone company’s attempt at playing with big dogs like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonarroo never seemed to hit it’s stride—perhaps due to it’s location in Maryland. Then last year, super rich bad-ass mofo Richard Branson decided to make the whole shebang free, and called upon Blink-182, Weezer and Jet to bring in the masses. This year, he’s banking on a cooler selection, including Thievery Corporation, M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem and Temper Trap to do the same.
Of course, there’s also Ludacris, T.I. and even Joan Jett and Jimmy Eat World on the bill, making this a far cry from Pitchfork Festival. But as far as mobile phone-sponsored free concert events, Virgin Free Fest is unparalleled. The show takes place at Annimal Collective’s favorite spot, the Merriweather Post Pavilion, on Sept 24th. Tickets become available on July 24th at www.ticketfly.com.
[...] with tears in our eyes. Following M.I.A.’s canceled HARD LA event, and the announcement of Virgin Free Fest with M.I.A. in September in Maryland, it seems like suddenly the East Coast has got us beat hands [...]