REGINA — If organizers have their way, the 2010 Craven Country Jamboree will sell out by Christmas.
If successful, the event will be a complete sellout — 23,500 tickets — seven months prior to the first artist taking the stage on July 15. The 2009 Jamboree sold out on May 20, six weeks earlier than the 2008 event sold out.
So is goal of a sellout by Christmas realistic?
“It’s never been done before but we’re hoping so,” said Troy Vollhoffer, president and CEO of Premiere Global Production, at a media conference this morning to announce the 2010 lineup. “Regardless, we have a shot and we’ll see what happens. Our lineup is strong enough to draw the last-minute buyers into it with the Christmas present thing.”
To date organizers have sold 16,500 tickets for the 2010 festival, leaving 7,000 tickets available for $179. A sellout by Christmas is well within the realm of possibililty and organizers have decided to capitalize on ticket momentum to assist the Regina & District Food Bank. A donation of $5 will be made to the charity for each of the remaining tickets sold by Christmas.
“We asked ourselves, ‘What charity in Regina do we feel real strong about?’ We feel strong about all of them but at Christmas time people need food and we can contribute in that fashion,” said Vollhoffer. “Along with the ticket buyers, we can help make this a reality.”
Heading into Wednesday’s media conference, the only confirmed act for the 2010 event was Sunday night headliner Kenny Chesney. Winner of the Academy of Country Music’s entertainer-of-the-year award for the past four years, Chesney was announced as the 2010 closing act during the final day of this year’s festival with a limited number of tickets going on sale that day.
The remainder of the 2010 lineup, with the exception of two artists, was announced Wednesday with Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Charley Pride and Kevin Costner topping the roster.
Lambert, who captured the 2008 ACM award for album-of-the-year with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, is slated to be the early headliner on Friday night. Lambert will be making her second appearance at the festival after performing at the 2008 event.