The Virgin Fest, known as the Virgin Mobile FreeFest in the United States, was a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK. In North America the Virgin name, and more recently the Virgin Mobile USA brand, were used in full to increase brand association, compared with the UK and Australian festivals, where association is simply implied through the use of the letter V.
Like the other variants of the V Festival, the events were sponsored by Virgin Mobile, in this case, either the U.S. or Canadian versions.
On June 30, 2006, Virgin Group chief Richard Branson announced the inaugural shows. The first, which took place in 2006 on September 9 and 10 at Toronto Islands Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, featured over 40 artists. A single-day show also took place in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, on September 23, 2006, at the Pimlico Race Course with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Who.
Virgin Festival 2007 took place in Vancouver on May 20 and 21, as well as a return to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for an expanded two-day event on August 4 and 5 and Toronto on September 8 and 9. On October 16, 2007, an event was announced to take place in Calgary, Alberta, on June 21 and 22, 2008. The festival also returned to Baltimore on August 9 and 10, 2008.
The shows in Baltimore were put on by Seth Hurwitz's I.M.P. Productions, owner and operator of the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and the former producer of the HFStival.
In 2007, Richard Branson was encouraged by Daryl Hannah to green the Baltimore festival by bringing in zero waste event producers The Spitfire Agency.
The 2009 Virgin Mobile Festival, dubbed the Virgin Mobile FreeFest, was held on August 30, 2009 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The festival returned to Merriweather on Saturday, September 25, 2010, and was once again a free event. The Virgin Mobile FreeFest also returned to Merriweather Post Pavilion on September 10, 2011. The tickets were reported to have "freed out" in just over five minutes after being available. The headliners for the 2011 Virgin Mobile FreeFest were Deadmau5 (house), Cee Lo Green (hip-hop/pop), and the Black Keys (indie).
2013 lineup Virgin Mobile FreeFest (Saturday, September 21st)
Pavilion Stage The Knocks Little Green Cars Black Joe Lewis City and Colour MGMT The Avett Brothers Vampire Weekend
West Stage Sky Ferreira Chvrches Icona Pop Kaskade Robin Thicke Pretty Lights
Dance Forest Ghost Beach Washed Out Manufactured Superstars Congorock TJR Gareth Emery Madeon
2012 lineup Virgin Mobile FreeFest (Saturday, October 6th) Source:
Pavilion Stage Justin Jones Allen Stone Trampled by Turtles Ben Folds Five Alabama Shakes ZZ Top Jack White
West Stage Das Racist (cancelled due to illness/breakup) Future Islands Portugal. The Man The Dismemberment Plan Santigold Nas M83 Skrillex
Dance Forest Volta Bureau Penguin Prison Alvin Risk Nervo Thomas Gold Porter Robinson & Zedd Above & Beyond
2011 lineup Virgin Mobile FreeFest (Saturday, September 10th) Source:
Pavilion Stage Bombay Bicycle Club Okkervil River Grace Potter & the Nocturnals Patti Smith TV on the Radio returning for a second time (2007) The Black Keys returning for a second time (2008)
West Stage Alberta Cross Two Door Cinema Club Big Sean Cut Copy Cee Lo Green returning for a second time (2006 as Gnarls Barkley) Empire of the Sun Deadmau5 returning for a second time (2008)
Dance Forest Eclectic Method Porter Robinson Calvin Harris !!! James Murphy returning for a second time (2010 as LCD Soundsystem) Teddybears Ghostland Observatory
2010 lineup Virgin Mobile FreeFest (September 25th) The Virgin Mobile Freefest line-up was announced at 11AM on July 20, 2010.
Pavilion Stage Brite Lite Brite Jimmy Eat World Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros High tea toast with Jeremiah Weed Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Matt and Kim Pavement LCD Soundsystem
West Stage The Temper Trap Trombone Shorty Yeasayer Thievery Corporation Ludacris Bindlestiff Family Cirkus M.I.A. Fire show by Therm
Dance Forest Will Eastman Wolfgang Gartner Neon Indian Maximum Balloon Chromeo Sleigh Bells Modeselektor Sharam
Artist T.I. canceled his performance due to ongoing legal issues.
2009 lineup Virgin Mobile FreeFest (August 30th) The Virgin Mobile FreeFest was held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. In an official statement released by Virgin Mobile, it was stated that due to the current economic conditions, admission to the festival would be free of charge for all concertgoers. The sponsor hoped that concertgoers would donate $5 to youth homelessness through its charitable initiative known as the RE*Generation. Concertgoers could also purchase special packages that came with a T-shirt, as well as tickets and the donation.
Sunday, August 30
Virgin Festival Montreal (June 19 & 20) Source:
Friday, June 19
Saturday, June 20
Virgin Festival Nova Scotia (July 4) Source:
The venue was the Citadel Hill concert site, adjacent to the Halifax Common.
Saturday, July 4
Tragically Hip cancelled due to family medical issues.
Virgin Festival British Columbia (July 25 & July 26) Source:
Saturday, July 25
Sunday, July 26
Virgin Festival Alberta (August 8th & 9th) Source:
Saturday, August 8
Sunday, August 9
Virgin Festival Ontario (August 29th & 30th) Source:
Saturday, August 29
Virgin Mobile Stage Ben Harper & Relentless7 The Pixies Franz Ferdinand Paolo Nutini Sloan Grizzly Bear Lights Mates of State
Virgin Radio Stage Daniel Merriweather Pitbull Down With Webster Thunderheist Anjulie Candy Coated Killahz
Boardwalk Stage The Rural Alberta Advantage Iglu and Hartly The Superstitions
Sunday, August 30
Virgin Mobile Stage Nine Inch Nails Pet Shop Boys Our Lady Peace N.E.R.D. Cold War Kids Mutemath Mew Datarock Cœur de pirate
Virgin Radio Stage Sean Kingston The New Cities Melanie Fiona Hyper Crush Fritz Helder & The Phantoms Trouble Andrew
Boardwalk Stage Plants and Animals The Von Bondies The D'Urbervilles Silver Starling
2008 line-up Virgin Festival Calgary (June 21 & 22)
Saturday, June 21
Virgin Mobile Stage Kilbourne (band) The Fratellis Face to Face Corb Lund Three Days Grace The Flaming Lips Stone Temple Pilots
TD Music Stage The Fast Romantics Michael Bernard Fitzgerald Secret Broadcast Carolina Liar Crash Parallel Hey Ocean The Dudes Grand Theft Bus
Sunday, June 22
Virgin Mobile Stage Chixdiggit Attack in Black Constantines Stars City and Colour Matthew Good The Tragically Hip
TD Music Stage The Summerlad Said The Whale The Whitsundays (band) The Spades Ten Second Epic Ladyhawk Cadence Weapon The New Pornographers
Virgin Mobile Festival Baltimore Day 1 (August 9)
South Stage KT Tunstall Gogol Bordello Lupe Fiasco Bloc Party The Offspring Chuck Berry and the Silver Beats Foo Fighters
North Stage Cat Power Duffy The Swell Season Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings Rodrigo y Gabriela Citizen Cope Wilco Jack Johnson
Dance TentJDH & Dave P Erol Alkan DJ Dan & Donald Glaude Soulwax Steve Lawler Ferry Corsten Underworld
Virgin Mobile Festival Baltimore Day 2 (August 10)South StageHollywood Undead The Go! Team Andrew Bird She & Him Lil Wayne The Black Keys Bob Dylan Kanye WestNorth StageBlack Rebel Motorcycle Club Shudder to Think Paramore Taking Back Sunday Iggy and the Stooges Stone Temple Pilots Nine Inch NailsDance TentChromeo Rabbit in the Moon Deadmau5 Richie Hawtin Moby (DJ set) Armin Van Buuren
Virgin Festival Toronto Day 1 (September 6)Virgin Mobile StageFoo Fighters Bloc Party Against Me! MGMT Constantines Tito Santana The Airborne Toxic Event Mark RobertsonTD Music StageThe Kooks Wintersleep The Fratellis Spiritualized Shudder to Think The Midway State MardeenOh Henry! StageThe Waking Eyes Bad Flirt Lights Flash Lightnin The Saint Aliva Cartel We Are the TakeBacardi B-Live StageMSTRKRFT (special, un-announced guest) Flosstradamus Thunderheist Lets Go to War Drop the Lime Mario J Nasty Nav
Switch and SebastiAn were replaced by MSTRKRFT due to delayed flights.
Virgin Festival Toronto Day 2 (September 7)Virgin Mobile StageOasis Paul Weller Stereophonics Silversun Pickups The Weakerthans Danko Jones Spiral BeachTD Music StageThe Pigeon Detectives Sons and Daughters Yoav Matt Costa Sebastien Grainger and The Mountains Paper LionsOh Henry! StageSecret Broadcast (band) Shad Rock Plaza Central Arkells OPOPO Winter GlovesBacardi B-Live StageMoby (DJ set) Deadmau5 Lee Burridge Sydney Blu Doman and Pettigrew Evan G Harmonik Rage
2007 line-up
Virgin Festival (Vancouver) Day 1
Virgin Festival (Vancouver) Day 2
Virgin Festival (Baltimore) Day 1North (Main) Stage Fountains of Wayne Cheap Trick Amy Winehouse Incubus Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals Beastie Boys The PoliceSouth (Side) Stage Fiction Plane The Fratellis Paulo Nutini Peter Bjorn and John LCD Soundsystem TV on the Radio Modest MouseDance Tent Shout Out Out Out Out Miguel Migs Booka Shade Felix Da Housecat Danny Tenaglia Sasha & John Digweed Sander Van Doorn
Virgin Festival (Baltimore) Day 2North (Main) StageCSS Regina Spektor Spoon Panic! at the Disco Yeah Yeah Yeahs Interpol The Smashing PumpkinsSouth (Side) StageAiden Matisyahu Explosions in the Sky Bad Brains Wu-Tang Clan Velvet Revolver 311Dance TentDan Deacon Girl Talk Dieselboy and Andy C James Zabiela Infected Mushroom The Crystal Method (DJ Set), Deep Dish M.I.A.
Virgin Festival (Toronto) Day 1Virgin Mobile Stage Björk Interpol Arctic Monkeys Kid Koala M.I.A. K-OS Paolo Nutini The Vincent Black ShadowFuture Shop Stage Mutemath Voxtrot Matt Costa Enter Shikari The Most Serene Republic The Wildbirds Dragonette Jon Levine BandBudweiser Stage Spectrum, feat. Sonic Boom, Spacemen 3 & E.A.R Hayley Sales The Reason Sybris Birds of Wales Clothes Make the Man (band) Bang Camaro Crowned King Noah's ArkweldB-Live Stage Souljazz Orchestra DJ Dopey Tommie Sunshine Princess Superstar Kevin Shiu Robbi K Eric McCabe Tony Pantages
Virgin Festival (Toronto) Day 2Virgin Mobile Stage Smashing Pumpkins The Killers Metric Stars Tokyo Police Club Jamie T Louis XIV Earl GreyhoundFuture Shop Stage Editors Explosions in the Sky Constantines Blonde Redhead The Clientele Biffy Clyro Honeycut Justin NozukaBudweiser Stage The Cinematics The Heights The Red Romance The Carps Museum Pieces Closedown (band) DD/MM/YYYY The Postage Stamps (band)B-Live Stage' Jelo Dirty Vegas M.A.N.D.Y. Tony Pantages Steve Porter Sean Miller (DJ) Souljazz Orchestra Evan G
2006 line-up
Virgin Festival (Toronto) Day 1
Virgin Festival (Toronto) Day 2
Massive Attack were originally scheduled to headline but three days before the concert, it was announced that they had to postpone the first four concerts of their North American tour, including the Virgin Festival appearance, due to delays in receiving U.S. visas. They were replaced by Broken Social Scene.
Virgin Festival (Baltimore)
See also Olympic Island Festival
References
External links Virgin Festival Official Canadian site