Watch above: There are changes at this year’s Sask. Jazz Festival, one in particular that may not sit well with parents. Meaghan Craig finds out why the decision to charge the full main stage ticket price to children was made.
SASKATOON – On June 25, the first act of this year’s SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival will take centre stage. Organizers are tooting their own horn because this year’s festival is the biggest yet with more than 170 shows at 24 venues over 11 days.
“We have headliners such as Erykah Badu, The New Pornographers, Wyclef Jean from the Fugees, Matt Andersen, Michael Franti,” said Kevin Tobin, manager & artistic Director df the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, and the list goes on and on.
READ MORE: Lineup set for biggest Saskatchewan Jazz Festival to date
What’s also different this year is you may see fewer parents at the festival with their children in tow. A policy change has been made by organizers to charge children.
“The policy last year was that children under the age of 13 were able to be admitted free into Bessborough Garden events, this year that policy has changed to two and under,” said Tobin.
Organizers say the decision to make the change was a difficult one, children two and under will be free with a paying adult otherwise parents will have to fork out anywhere from $39 to $69 per child at the festival’s marquee venue.
“It came down to partly because of capacity for the number of shows that we’re selling out at the Bessborough Gardens we can’t gauge the number of kids that are going to be showing up at every festival so we have to adjust the capacity to at least accommodate what we think are going to be the children.”
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In other words, tickets were being held back for children that may attend the show so capacity wasn’t an issue.
“The capacity right now that we’ve been given is 3,500 for this particular venue.”
Organizers say 150 tickets were reserved for children at most shows but for a sold-out show at a high-price point, that’s more than$10,000 in lost revenue.
News of the change didn’t sit well with Saskatonians when we hit the streets to find out what they thought of the latest adjustment to festival policy.
“I think it’s a bit disappointing because I think less parents are going to be bringing their children now because of the cost and it is nice to go there and see a lot of kids there and enjoy it as a family. Our little guy is too small so we haven’t taken him this is our first year but it would be nice to have that option in the future.”
“If they want to make it a family event that kinda prevents them from making it a family event so that could be really hard for some families.”
“Maybe it makes sense for a certain ages like seven or older to be charged but for children as young as three or four when they’re easily sitting on their parents laps or being held by their parents the entire time then no it does not make sense.”
“If you have to start charging then I guess that’s what you have to do but I love the idea that it’s a family affair.”
Festival organizers say it’s still really important for young families and children to be engaged in Jazz Fest but they also want to be able to offer opportunities to people who otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to see some of the sold-out shows because of capacity issues.
“The feedback that we receive from the community, whether good or bad, we take all that feedback, we learn from that and we make adjustments accordingly,” added Tobin “So we’ll be reviewing that policy after this year’s festival.”
That review will take place as organizers prepare for 2016 and the festival’s 30th anniversary.
Tobin also stresses that despite this policy there are still lots of things for children to see and do including during this year’s Jazz Fest including the free stage.
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