Wednesday May 20, 2020 ~ LANGFORD, BC
A pop music concert and summer kickoff party that was announced March 12 to take place at Westhills Stadium mid-June was launched as a hopeful celebration of reemergence into summer after the pandemic.
As well, the June 13 event would have been a financial reboot for the organizers, partners and performers after a few months of low revenues as the economy headed into uncharted territory.
But that was before anyone had any idea how the infectious COVID-19 pandemic was going to impact individuals, communities and all economic sectors. Very shortly after that (March 16), a Provincial Health Officer’s order prohibited crowd gatherings to be no larger than 50 people.
Concert cancellation came May 4:
Holding on for a while to see how the pandemic would roll out, eventually on May 4 the Crown of Sound concert was cancelled, in light of the physical distancing orders which continue now even into Phase 3 of the Restart BC pandemic economic recovery plan.
Phase 3 of Restart BC presently covers June through September 2020, during which time hotels, resorts and parks can start opening up (in June), the film industry can get rolling again (June/July), as well as select entertainment such as movies and symphony, but not large concerts. Post-secondary and K-12 are presently in the plan to be operating again in September (though with a combination of in-class and remote learning).
No online concert but looking to 2021:
Concert organizer KeyCorp Sports & Entertainment gave no indication of the event being offered remotely with online technologies.
“It is likely no surprise to anyone that Crown of Sound 2020 will not be happening,” it was stated in an email May 4 to ticket holders from wrote concert coordinator David Michaud, president, KeyCorp Sports & Entertainment.
But he added: “We are working with artists and city stakeholders to plan for 2021”. That indicates the importance of the concert being an in-person crowd event in order to satisfy business commitments and goals associated with the performers and the stadium as well as food trucks & beverages from local breweries, and on-site games such as cornhole, bocce, jumbo jenga, and spikeball.
Ticket refunds available:
Calling this a “time of uncertainty”, Keycorp wants “to do right by ticket buyers… by presenting you with an opportunity to keep your ticket in place for next year, or receive a ticket refund.”
“We fully intend to produce events when it’s safe to do so, but ultimately there is no show without you, our ticket buyers,” said Michaud to ticket holders in his email message.
Early bird tickets sold for $39, with other tiers at $49, $59 and $69 per person.
“By making this difficult decision, we are hopeful that you will attend and support us in the future when the show eventually goes on.”
Refunds can be requested by email by writing to music@keycorp.ca
Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate these exceptional times. We look forward to bringing you a new show at Westhills Stadium as soon as we are able.
Multi-genre music festival:
The ‘Crown of Sound Music Festival’ was to be a summer kick-off party for all ages. Organizers called it a “multi-genre music festival featuring highly sought-after musical acts” including Bishop Briggs, Allan Rayman and local favourites Jesse Roper and Carmanah, with more local artists that were to be announced.
Westhills Stadium, located at Langford’s City Centre Park, is a world-class facility that has recently received significant upgrades to 6,000 seats with additional washrooms and concession areas, and is home to the Pacific FC, Rugby Canada and the Westshore Rebels.
In March, Mayor Stew Young said about the event: “We are always looking for ways to support arts and culture in Langford, to enhance the vibrancy of our community, and to allow people to connect over a common interest. It has been a pleasure working with the Keycorp group and we are excited to see the community embrace this event.”