Yukon's Frostbite festival cancelled for 2017
The Frostbite music festival in Whitehorse has been cancelled again.
The festival has 38 years of history in Yukon but has floundered in recent years. The festival was also cancelled in 2014 and 2015.
Patrick Singh, the Frostbite Music Society's president, says that the issue comes down to cost, estimating that the total cost of hosting — including artists, travel and venue rental for a larger weekend festival — would likely add up to between $60,000 to $80,000.
In the past, Frostbite has relied on government sources and sponsorships to help cover its bills, but Singh says that "a complication with funding" meant that the festival wasn't able to be put together in time this year.
"Just didn't get together in time," he said. "Not enough came through."
The festival was tentatively scheduled for February 17 to 19 in Whitehorse. At its peak, it was a multi-stage event, featuring Canadian acts like Sarah McLachlan and k.d. lang.
"It is sad that we can't do this festival," said Singh. "We really had high hopes. But I think, in the end, it's better to not put something on that is only going to be a shadow of what it could be.
"The best thing for us to do is to regroup."
'Frostbite' name might still appear
However, that doesn't mean that there won't be any performances held this year under the Frostbite banner. The festival board is considering a one-day concert to keep the name "Frostbite" alive.
Doug Robertson, a member of society's board, and says that Yukoners should expect several fundraisers in the next twelve months.
"Hopefully a couple of big dances, a couple of smaller music-centred activities, and then we're going to be spending the year getting our money together and getting a few big bands and getting everything really for the big festival in 2018," he says.
