Yesterday, Hershey Canada made an announcement that’s sure to be music to the ears of struggling Canadian bands.
The ‘Road to Virgin Festival’ contest aims to give one up-and-coming band the opportunity of joining more famous performers on stage at this year’s Virgin Festival in Toronto in September. And even non-winners can raise their profiles by posting music and videos to a new microsite where visitors can vote on who deserves to take the stage in the festival’s second year. The top 20 bands, as determined by fan votes, will be reviewed by industry experts – including Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson – who will select the top five artists. Canadians will then vote again to select the ultimate winner.
‘Shining the light on hot up-and-coming acts has always been a huge part of Virgin Festival,’ explains Branson. ‘Giving new artists the chance to show us their stuff with the ‘Road to Virgin Festival’ is another great way to make that happen. I’ve heard some amazing Canadian talent since Virgin Festival launched here in 2006, and I can’t wait to hear what these new bands have in store for us.’
