Fire Aid for Fort McMurray ticket sales 'on track,' organizers say

Organizers of a benefit concert for Fort McMurray residents say they expect last minute walk-up buyers to boost final ticket sales.

"We should be over 30,000 tickets sold by the time of the concert (Wednesday), which is near capacity for our stage configuration at Commonwealth," said Tim Shipton, spokesperson for the Oilers Entertainment Group, one of the concert organizers.

The weather in Edmonton is forecast to be mainly sunny with a high of 26 C, which Shipton said should convince some people to make last-minute decisions to attend the outdoor concert.

"The goal is to put as much money into Fort McMurray as possible," Shipton said.

Fifteen artists or bands are lined up to play, including Blue Rodeo, Nickelback and City and Colour.

Everybody has been stepping up, Shipton said, from artists who have waived their appearance fees to suppliers involved in setting up for the show.

"Most likely, at some point during the concert, we'll make an announcement as to what we hope to put to the United Way in Fort McMurray," he said.

Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster, with prices ranging from $35 to $100.

Concert to be seen live in Fort McMurray

The benefit concert will not be televised, though there will be a closed-circuit feed to Shell Place in Fort McMurray, so residents there can watch it live.

As well, Sirius XM offered to broadcast the show on channel 173, free of charge, he said.

The doors at Commonwealth Stadium open at 4 p.m. The music starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 11 p.m.

All money raised will go to the United Way in Fort McMurray, which will distribute it to organizations working directly with people in that city.

The need will be great, first to get organizations up and running, then to help people, Diane Shannon, executive director of the United Way in Fort McMurray, said last week.

"The concert is one way that we'll be able to raise a significant amount of money, so that we're prepared, that we have the money there so we can respond immediately," Shannon said.

Social agencies in Fort McMurray have set July 4 as the date to reopen their doors to offer services and programs to the community.