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Sunfest 2024 Survival Guide

Just a couple days remain until the biggest country music fesival on the Island kicks the barn doors open and welcomes you all back to Laketown Ranch!

This year is poised to be one of the biggest and best editions of Sunfest ever with an amazing lineup of artists, and numerous exciting improvements & additions to the property.

Read on for some useful tips and a guide to help you enjoy your weekend to its fullest!

Arrive On Time And Prepared!

Please have all your documents ready once you arrive, so that our ingress team can get you swiftly through the gates and into your camp spot. This includes ID, printed tickets, e-tickets, vouchers, etc. If you are joining us for early entry camping, it’s very important that you do not arrive before your booked time. We can only load in a certain number of campers per hour, so please show up on time for your booking!

Please note that there will be roadblocks in and out of Sunfest all weekend. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.

Lower Camping Area

It’s expansive, and organized into different sections & street names. Looking up Main Street from the parking area, you have your streets on the left of Main, and your roads to the right. They’re all named after musicians, to better help you remember where you and your gang have all set up camp. Meet your neighbours! Go for walk through the lanes and check out all the dressed up campsites and activities.

Laketown Flats

Up at the top of Lower Camping, before the main stage bowl, is the Laketown Flats. You’ll want to head to this area for ticket upgrades, guest services, lost & found, food, drink, flush toilets, showers, to use as an easy meetup point, or just for some general shady respite.

The Flats stage is playing host to some amazing local talent throughout the weekend, as well as the BC Country Music Association showcase Friday-Sunday, starting at 2:30pm.

Also, our newly aquired liquor primary license (the first of its kind in BC) allows us to offer some of the cheapest festival drink and food specials in the country! Join us for HAPPY HOUR from 3-6pm, Friday through Sunday!

Be sure to check the schedule, or better yet, keep the schedule in your pocket and set reminders by downloading our app HERE!

Have a question? Need a hat? Hungry? Out of cash? Get a sliver? First aid, merchadise, food vendors, ATMs, festival information, as well as security and the RCMP office are all found in & around the Flats area.

Festival Bowl & Main Stage

A lot of action going on in the bowl! Hungry? Thirsty? Gotta pee? You’ll find food vendors, a bar, water, accesible washrooms, and smoking sections along the west side of the festival bowl. Is your favourite artist playing and you want to get closer to it all? VIP and Stage Pit ticket upgrades are available in the upper centre of the Hillside. This is also a great place to grab some merch to wear once you get up to the front! Merchardise booths are found in this area as well, along with ATMs. Want to take a break and watch from above? Head on over to the top of the Hillside on the east side of the bowl to take in the sights and sounds from the knoll. The Family Zone is also on the Hillside. So is the zipline!

Lookout Lounge

The Lookout Lounge sits above the crowd on the east side of the Stage Pit area in the concert bowl. Here you can enjoy immaculate views of the mainstage, while sitting (or standing) at your own table under shade structures. With dedicated flush toilets, complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres, access to the Lawn & Hillside areas, souvenir lanyard & more, the Lookout Lounge is a highly sought after place to be! Upgrade your ticket by visiting the box office.

Lakenight Stage

Up at the tippy top of the bowl area, you’ll find the Lakenight Stage. You’ll be coming back here later. Once the main stage closes for the day, the party continues under the saddle tent! Check the schedule, set some alarms, and watch your watch! There’s also food, water, washrooms, all the amenities you need up here too.

Upper Camping

You staying up in the top of the property? Then you need to know your way around! Dissimilarly to the U2 song, here the streets do in fact have names. Remember to remember which streetname you’re on, and check out the maps to find your way home! You’ll also find the Hilltop Hub in upper camping, which provides you with flush toilets, hot showers, & delicious water to fill your bottles!

Also up at the top of the property are a web of different hiking and biking trail routes. The vistas at the top of the plateau are amazing, so why not go for a little walk during the day? You’ll be happy you did!

Shuttles

There is shuttle service available to and from Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan, as well as Lake Cowichan & Youbou. Check out the Getting Here page on our website for schedules: sunfestconcerts.com/getting-here

Find all shuttles at GATE 1

Private Shuttles and Hotel Pickups:

Private shuttle service to and from Youbou, Lake Cowichan & Honeymoon Bay provided in part by MyGo Tours and Transportation, Trips For Trips, This Rides for You, & Social Coast Action Bus. Shuttles from Langford provided by Cascadia Tours & Wilson’s Transport. Shuttles from Victoria & Sidney offered by Freedom Adventure Bus Society. Reservations are recommended.

For more information, visit:

MYGO TOURS AND TRANSPORTATION mygo.ca or cheerscowichan.com Or call 250-732-1120

This Rides 4 You (Accessible) Call 250-709-7772

Freedom Adventure Bus Society (Accessible, operating from South Island) Call 250-508-1808

Cascadia Tours (Operating from Langford) Call 250-818-7521

Duncan Taxi Call 250-746-4444

Trips For Tips Call 250-210-0518

**Please note that traffic/road conditions may affect shuttle schedule.

Quick But Important Notes

  • DRINK WATER!
  • WEAR SUNGLASSES!
  • SUNSCREEN TOO! (Please use RIVER SAFE SUNSCREEN. Follow Lake Cowichan’s Tube Shack’s tips for protecting Lake Cowichan HERE)
  • USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM!
  • KIDS LOVE EARPLUGS!
  • NO READMISSION TO THE CONCERT BOWL AFTER 8PM!
  • KNOW YOUR LIMITS, STAY WITHIN THEM!
  • DON’T LITTER!
  • WATCH YOUR FOOTING!
  • BE NICE!
  • MAKE NEW FRIENDS!
  • HAVE FUN!
  • YEE HAW!

The property is home to all sorts of wildlife. Remember that we are guests here, and we all need to respect that this is their home. Pick up your trash, don’t put ciggy butts on the ground, and do not approach the wildlife.

Early Bird Camping Early bird load in starts at 1pm on Wednesday and runs from 1pm - 9pm on Thursday. Show up on time to your slot! This doesn’t mean early! It’s important to not come before your selected entry time, as you won’t be granted access until your load in time, and parking on the highway is not permitted!

Schedule & App

Plan your day accordingly so you don’t miss your favourite artists! Keep eyes on the schedule! There are Info Hubs sprinkled around the site that include the schedule, maps, and key info. More conveniently, download the new Sunfest Country app! Within it, you’ll find personalizable schedules, important festival information, an interactive map, a friend finder, chat channels, and much more!

Download the app HERE

HAVE FUN

Sunfest is for YOU. Thank you so much for supporting live music on Vancouver Island! This place and these events wouldn’t be possible without YOU!

Have the best time, make amazing memories & new friends, and be respectful of the Ranch and each other.

Yee Haw, see you on Thursday!