Overview
- Organizers announced on Wednesday that Rifflandia will end after 18 years, saying they could not stage a final September festival because producing it was no longer feasible.
- Founders said the event repeatedly ran at a loss and that higher mandated security requirements and rising operational costs pushed the budget beyond what ticket sales could cover.
- Rifflandia grew from a 2008 start to one of Victoria’s largest music events, drawing tens of thousands of attendees and circulating millions of dollars in the local economy each year.
- The parent company will continue other projects, including an international show called Beyond the Streets in Paris and smaller local events such as Canada Day celebrations and block parties.
- Vendors and city officials say the closure highlights a wider problem: few large venues in Victoria and higher event costs could shrink the region’s live-event calendar and hurt local suppliers and crews.