The Vancouver Folk Music Festival will once again be hosting a Gate Lottery on-site for first access to the festival grounds. Participation in the Gate Lottery is purely voluntary. The lottery is designed to allow those patrons who wish to secure their seating in the Main Stage field early a safe, and fair process to do so. This procedure replaced the past process of the morning “race”.
Patrons wishing to participate must arrive during the designated lottery times, and will receive one lottery ballot per person. Each ballot will apply to one person and one tarp only.
Lottery location: Jericho Beach Park sign at East Gate of the Festival (4th Ave) / Accessibility Gate (for those patrons who benefit from support of the Accessibility Gate)
Please arrive no earlier than 1pm on Friday, and 8am on Saturday/Sunday. Early arrival does not better your chances in the lottery, and overnight camping will not be permitted.
2023 Lottery Times:
Friday
Ballot Entry: 2pm – 2:30pm
Lottery draw: 2:30pm
General Admission Gates: 3pm
Saturday/Sunday
Ballot Entry: 9am-9:30am
Lottery draw: 9:30am
General Admission Gates: 10am
Procedure:
At the start of the lottery-window ballots will be issued and entered for all patrons present and wishing to participate in the lottery. Patrons must have their ticket or wristband for entry. The ticket lottery does not exempt you from standard gate procedures, and those without a ticket/wristband will not be admitted into the Festival.
Sharply at the close of the lottery-window the draw will begin.
Lottery winners will be drawn one by one and admitted to the Festival. Once admitted you may proceed safely to the Main Stage area. Pushing, shoving, and generally unruly behaviour will not be accepted and may result in disqualification of the lottery or non-admittance to the Festival. Ballots will be drawn continuously for early admission to the Festival until general entry begins.
After all lottery winners have been drawn and admitted, remaining participants will be invited to form a line and enter the Festival once the gates open for General Admission.
Thank you for your co-operation and have a great Festival!