About Us
Olio Festival is a multi-media arts festival locally curated and self-financed by promoters & lovers of Independent Music, Comedy, Film & Art within the city of Vancouver. Originally drawing inspiration from successful festivals such as Pop Montreal, SXSW, Calgary's Sled Island, Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party & local festival Music Waste, Olio experienced an unquestionably successful debut in 2009. Now in its second year, Olio is another step closer to being among the best of Vancouver's definitive cultural destinations and a bona fide force in the festival circuit.
Second Annual Olio Festival Returns With All New Line-Up
Vancouver, British Columbia/July 25, 2010 -- After creating an event The Georgia Straight called “a revelation”, organizers of the Olio Festival are knee deep in preparations for Olio 2010. The festival, set to run September 23-26 of this year, enjoyed an incredibly successful debut in August 2009 and plans to build on that success with a new line-up of international indie musicians and events which will further promote and celebrate diversity within Vancouver's arts communities.
Spread across 4 nights throughout the cities' diverse neighbourhoods and venues, Olio features a heavy dose of Vancouver's best and brightest musicians (including Black Wizard, Babe Rainbow, Makeout Videotape, Nu Sensae, the Racoons, No Gold, Myths, Terror Bird + many more), DJs, comedians, filmmakers & visual artists. Playing alongside homegrown talent are headliners from around the globe that include musicians Chad VanGaalen (CAL), The Very Best (UK), Tanlines (NYC), Shout Out Out Out Out (EDM), & Toy Selectah (MEX) among others.
Gavin McInnes (Co-Founder of Vice Magazine/Street Boners/NYC) & Derrick Beckles (TV Carnage/NYC) and Graham Clark's "Laugh Gallery" headline the Comedy portion, while Film highlights include the Vancouver debut of Blaine Thurier's (of the New Pornographers) feature film "A Gun To The Head". Also featured are Corey Adams' skateboard fantasy "Macho Taildrop" (fresh off the international film festival circuit) and a screening of Harmony Korine's "Trash Humpers" along with local music documentary "No Fun City". BC's own pioneering psychedelic artist Bob Masse headlines the Art portion along with a who's who of local art galleries, artists & curators.
Guiding the attendee throughout the weekend is the Olio Guide: a free full-color, full-sized magazine containing all of the essential information about the 2010 Olio Festival: event schedules, artist biographies, venue information, and neighbourhood maps. This year, there are 10,000 Guides being distributed to carefully selected, high-traffic record shops, clothing stores, salons, art galleries, restaurants and live music venues across Vancouver, Seattle, Victoria, Kelowna, Calgary and Edmonton.
This year's sponsors, many of whom are members of the local community, are vital contributors to the festival, donating money, equipment, volunteers & community reach. They include: CBC Radio 3, Red Bull, Exclaim! Magazine, The Georgia Straight & Phillips Brewery.
"The buzz event of the weekend" - Global Television (on Olio 2009)
Tickets and wristbands go on sale Monday, August 9th at Zulu, Scratch, Red Cat, Audiopile, UBC’s Outpost or at the festival website. Single day passes are $25 for Thursday and Friday and $20 for Saturday with full festival passes going for $60.
Olio has set out to be Vancouver’s first and only festival dedicated to showcasing emerging and established musical, artistic, comedic and film talent from Vancouver and around the world, with a continuing mission to highlight local talent by showcasing local artists of all disciplines alongside their internationally recognized peers. It's a festival about art built by people who love art, who celebrate art, and who make art in all its disciplines. Expecting another year of meaningful success and growth, there's little doubt that Olio's future promises excitement for years to come.