With pandemic public health restrictions in place prohibiting live concerts with an in-person audience, Contact Winter Music Festival has come up with something cool and novel. On Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. PT, local dance/EDM acts will perform on the 204-foot high rooftop of Vancouver's BC Place to support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, which assists about 8500 individuals and families a month.
Produced by Blueprint, Live Nation Canada, Monstercat, and BC Place, fans worldwide will be able access the free-to-stream broadcast on Monstercat’s Twitch channel. Performing artists include Vanic, Tails B2B Juelz, Nostalgix, and Poni. And while the show is free to watch, specially designed Contact hoodies for $55 will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Merchandise is available at contact-festival.com and store.thisisblueprint.com.
The Greater Vancouver Food Bank, which was originally set up as a temporary relief to the hunger crisis in 1983, does not receive ongoing government funding and exists solely through the support of the public, industry partners, and grants. According to its web site, recipients of their aid are 24 percent children and youth, 58 percent adults and 18 percent seniors; they also have "specialized nutrition programs" for children up to 12 years old.
"We also provide food support to over 90 community agencies throughout these communities, such as housing agencies, women and children’s shelters and after school programs, who in turn provide hot meals and snacks to thousands of people each week including those struggling with homelessness," it reads. "We reach and support a broad spectrum of people in need through our agency partners."
Due to COVID-19, the organization has new food distribution locations that adhere to provincial health protocol. The locations, schedule and health guidelines can be found here.
Contact is one of Canada’s largest indoor music festivals, hosting more than 34,000 guests annually and featuring state-of-the-art production, pyro, and lighting across two stages. BC Place has hosted Contact Winter Music Festival since 2013.