Capital Daily for Thursday, June 11

For the past 18 years, Rifflandia Festival brought big-name artists and local musicians to Victoria in late August or early September. Co-founders and spouses Nick Blasko and Casey Austin say that until a few weeks ago, a 2026 edition was still being considered — but the festival's future has become financially untenable, even despite a promised $90,000 funding boost from the BC government this year.

"Access to a venue of the right size and scope in downtown Victoria has always been challenging, and this year it finally became unattainable," Austin and Blasko said in a written statement. "The rising costs of infrastructure, as well as accessing artists at fees that maintain a palatable ticket price? Same."

The founders say Rifflandia was always a labour of love rather than a money-making venture. "Rifflandia Festival doesn't, and has never, sold enough tickets to cover its costs," they wrote. "It has operated at a loss since the very first edition in 2008."

Despite the losses, Austin and Blasko described the festival as a "healthy economic driver" for Victoria, creating jobs and boosting tourism over its nearly two-decade run.

An online poll commissioned by the Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) found that among residents who don't often visit downtown, 77% cited parking as the top reason, 70% said driving to and around downtown is a hassle, and 61% pointed to safety concerns. The results align with what residents have been saying publicly for some time about the city's downtown.

Among frequent downtown visitors, satisfaction was high for walkability (91%), variety of restaurants, cafes, bars, and pubs (89%), and cultural activities (77%). However, fewer than half of all respondents — just 48% — said they were satisfied with how safe they feel downtown, and one-third of infrequent visitors named safety as their number one reason for staying away.

"Our member businesses have been raising the issues of safety and transportation for several years," said DVBA CEO Jeff Bray. "The city has taken strong steps to address safety issues, but equally important is the need to ensure people from the region can easily drive to and around downtown."

The online survey polled 1,168 adults in Greater Victoria between April 17 and April 29, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.