When is the festival?

The Dawson City Music Festival takes place the third weekend of July each year. The next Festival will take place from July 17th to 19st, 2020.  We hope to see you there!

I bought my ticket, now what?

Simply download your electronic ticket to your smartphone, or print out the PDF version of your ticket and bring it with you. Visit our Info Booth on the festival grounds at Minto Park, and the wonderful volunteer crew will magically turn your e-ticket into Festival wristbands.

The Info Booth opens at 10 AM on Friday the 17th at Minto Park, and is open throughout the festival weekend.

Does my ticket guarantee access to everything?

Our weekend pass guarantees admission to all of our programming, subject to legal capacity. Come early to ensure you get a good seat! Venues requiring a weekend pass include the Mainstage Tent in Minto Park, the Palace Grand Theatre, St. Paul’s Anglican Church, and various other venues.

Venues that do not require a weekend pass include the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre, the Emerging Artist Stage in Minto Park, and the Music Crawl.

All of our venues and events are within a few minutes’ walking distance from each other.

What if I bought a ticket but I want to sell it/it’s a gift for a friend?

You may transfer your ticket to another person by following the link provided in your confirmation of purchase email, sent by Eventbrite. You must change the name and email address associated to the person you are transferring your pass to. Change fees may apply. Please note that once you change the assigned email address, the new ticket holder will receive an email confirmation and you no longer have possession of the ticket.

How do I get to the festival site once I’m in Dawson City?

The festival takes place at multiple venues in Dawson City. All of our venues are in easy walking distance of one another and are conveniently very close to Dawson’s many hotels, B&Bs, campgrounds, RV Parks, restaurants, shops, tourist attractions, and other amenities. Our Mainstage, beer gardens, and vendors area are located at Minto Park on 5th Avenue.

How does volunteering work?

Volunteers are the priceless lifeblood of the DCMF! Please check out our Volunteer page for more information and to sign up. Thank you in advance!

In order to receive a weekend pass, volunteers must work a minimum of 15 hours. For 5 hours of work, volunteers receive a pass for Friday OR Sunday, and for 10 hours worked, passes for Friday AND Sunday are received.

While many of our volunteers need to be 19+, youth ages 12-18 are encouraged to volunteer as well!

What is the schedule of events?

It’s a busy, fast-paced, whirlwind of a weekend! Good thing you can pick up a festival program at the Info Booth in Minto Park while getting your wristbands! Closer to the festival, the schedule will also be published here on our website, so stay tuned.

The festival kicks off with a free concert at the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre on Friday afternoon. Following that, the action heads to the Mainstage Tent which offers concerts in the evenings as well as workshops and concerts in the afternoons.

Daytime programming and evening concerts are on offer at the Palace Grand Theatre, he Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre, KIAC Ballroom, St. Paul’s Church and more.  Our Emerging Artist Stage features emerging local acts on Saturday and Sunday in the early evening.

And of course, we offer free Saturday programming at the Mainstage Tent including KidsFest and our annual Yukon Girls Rock Camp Showcase.

Are there specific activities for kids?

For many families, DCMF’s KidsFest is the highlight of the weekend! It features world-renowned children’s performers, craft workshops, instrument-making, face-painting, and more! A weekend pass is not required for KidsFest as it’s free to the public.

There is also a playground located right beside the Minto Park festival grounds, and we’re proud to offer a Family Tent on the festival grounds as a resource, which offers a convenient spot for diaper changes, some basic supplies, and a place to meet other tiny festival-goers!

All of DCMF’s daytime programming is very family-friendly. Technically all the evening programming is as well, but the festival site a little busy and noisier in the evenings. Feel free to borrow a pair of our noise-reducing headphones for children and toddlers from the Info Booth at Minto Park.

Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge to all festival venues, provided they are accompanied and supervised by a weekend pass holder. The entire main festival grounds is licensed, and this allows parents to enjoy a beverage and a meal from our top notch vendors while enjoying a performance with kids in tow!

Can I buy food/drinks at the festival?

A variety of culinary delights will be on offer from fabulous food vendors on the festival grounds in Minto Park. A wide variety of carnivorous and vegetarian/vegan fare will be available throughout the weekend, along with coffee to perk you up after those late festival nights and other refreshing beverages to keep you going. (And don’t forget, there’s also a variety of great local restaurants located just a few blocks from the festival grounds!)

Feel free to bring your own food and water bottle to fill up at our free water station, but please remember that no outside alcohol is permitted on site. Bags and backpacks will be checked upon entry to festival grounds.

You must be 19+ to purchase alcohol.

Can I bring my dog?

Sorry, but pets of any kind are not allowed on the festival grounds, with the exception of service animals. For reasons of health and safety, we also ask that you do not tie up your dog anywhere in Minto Park during festival weekend. Keep your furry friends safe at home, out of the heat, and well-watered!

Are there any ATM’s on the festival site?

No, but the nearest ATM is just steps away! Located at the corner of 2nd & Queen, the CIBC bank offers a 24 hour ATM, and there are also several machines within the surrounding businesses. The DCMF merch booth accepts credit and debit cards, but our beer gardens are cash only. Some vendors may accept credit and debit, but bringing cash is always a good idea.

Can I take photos and video?

Festival patrons are welcome to take photos, however if you are disrupting other patrons, you will be asked to stop.

It is important that you respect other audience members and the artists by using discretion while shooting photos or video.

Photos must be for personal use only. If an artist has requested that no photos be taken of them, security volunteers may alert you.

We have a media policy in place for professional media. Patrons who appear to be taking photos for commercial use may be asked to cease by festival staff if they are not previously approved and accredited media personnel.

ABOUT DAWSON CITY

How do I get to Dawson City?

By Air:
Air North offers service to Dawson City from Whitehorse, Inuvik, and Old Crow, plus direct flights to Whitehorse from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa. Air Canada also offers direct flights to Whitehorse from Vancouver.

By Road:
There are three different routes to Dawson City: the Klondike Highway (from Whitehorse), the Dempster Highway (from Inuvik, NWT), and the Top of the World Highway (from Tok, Alaska). Bring a camera and a spare tire or two…

By Husky Bus: The Husky Bus operates during the summer and offers regular trips back and forth between Dawson and Whitehorse.

By River: Every year, a handful of adventurous festival-goers make their way to Dawson City by paddling the Yukon River. We’re proud to offer canoe packages with Up North Adventures that include your festival weekend pass .

Where can I stay?

Accommodations in Dawson City are often at capacity during the festival weekend. People wishing to rent rooms in hotels and B&Bs should do so well in advance.

There are also a number of commercial and government campgrounds located both in and around Dawson City that offer space for tents, campers, and recreational vehicles.

Please see our Accommodations page for more information.

Where can I park?

We encourage festival-goers to leave their cars wherever they’re staying for the weekend and walk or bike between venues and around town. We recommend locking up bikes at all times when not in use.

There is no designated parking area at the main festival site in Minto Park, but there is parking available at various places across town. There are no parking meters in Dawson.