Who is behind Prepare the Ground?
The team behind PtG is quite small. The festival was founded by Denholm Whale (Transmit Presents, Odonis Odonis) & KW Campol (Mythos Management, Perpetual Flame Ministries, Vile Creature). They had discussed the concept as far back as 2020 together but starting planning and preparing for it in earnest in early 2023. Both wanted to utilize their experiences on both sides of the music industry, as musicians & behind the scenes workers, to provide a comfortable platform for heavy artists to share their creations & for festival goers to have as great of a weekend as possible.
Where did the name Prepare the Ground come from?
Prepare the Ground is the title of the first song on Yob’s 2011 masterpiece Atma. We could go on about how this band, this album, and this song have inspired us musically and personally, but we will let you take a listen if you haven’t yet, or revisit if you have, and meditate on how it’s mantra can inspire the ethos of a music festival.
Loosen the noose, release the bonds.
Breathe in the power held in this moment.
Prepare the Ground.
Where & when will Prepare the Ground take place?
Our first annual festival is taking place May 31 - June 2, 2024 in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada across 5 venues: Phoenix Concert Theatre, Lee’s Palace, the Garrison, the Baby G, & Bar Orwell.
Are the venues used accessible?
Bar Orwell has a step up at the entrance and the washrooms are located downstairs.
The Baby G has both an accessible entrance & washrooms.
The Garrison has both an accessible entrance & washrooms.
Lee’s Palace has an accessible entrance, the washrooms are located up two flights of stairs.
Phoenix Concert Theatre has both an accessible entrance & washrooms.
How do I buy tickets?
Early bird tickets are available from 14 November until our second announcement in December, at which point the price will rise. Single day tickets will be released with our third announcement in January. Our tickets are available exclusively through the dice.fm app, you can view and purchase them by clicking the TICKETS link in the menu at the top of the page.
How do I pick up my passes / tickets at the festival?
Prepare the Ground will feature a central hub where attendees can pick up their three day passes & single day tickets as well as purchase festival merch, peruse vendors & view an art show starting the Thursday before the fest and going until Sunday. Times & the location of the hub will be announced closer to the festival.
Am I guaranteed to get into every show I want to go to?
In short, no. We are doing our best to offer a schedule that has something for everyone, but we are at the mercy of legal capacities in venues. If there is an act you absolutely HAVE to see, we recommend checking out that show an act or two early so you can save your spot. If you don’t make it in to see someone, we hope you’ll go and check out on of the other amazing acts playing in a similar time frame… we are confident you will find a new favourite artist in the process. We can confirm that we are selling the festival to just shy of ALL venue’s capacities, so you will be able to get into A show at any time without question.
Can I submit my band to play the festival this or in future years?
We take pride in our curation of this festival in all aspects, and that includes paying attention to what is new & exciting in many different genres of music. With that, we ask that you don’t e-mail us about playing, we promise we are listening and will do our best to find you for future editions.
Can I volunteer for the festival?
Yes! We will have a number of volunteer positions and will start fielding out for them in early 2024, ranging from runners to ticketing to merch to venue staff. Stay tuned here for more info.