According to officials, more than 700 performances take place at the festival from May to October, attracting more than 500,000 attendees every year.

By 2050, superbugs are expected to kill more people than cancer. One possible solution is a century-old treatment called phage therapy. A B.C. man is now hoping to become the first to receive phage therapy in Canada.

The Spirit of the Tent launched Monday with a $10-million gift from one of its co-chairs, longtime festival supporter Ophelia Lazaridis, to mark the occasion.