Anyone buying a Bluesfest ticket after June 1 will pay an extra $2 to cover OC Transpo service, the music festival said Tuesday.



Bluesfest and Transpo struck a deal last week after the transit agency pursued an annual $200,000 transit charge against the festival to offset the costs of providing extra buses.



The two sides settled on $100,000 annually for five years, with the fee increasing at the same rate as the transit levy on urban tax bills.



Ticketholders will get free transit service for three hours before gates open and until two hours after the final act leaves the stage each day.



The transit costs this year will only trickle down to people who wait until June 1 or later to get tickets.



Anyone who has a ticket before June 1 won’t have to worry about paying the transit surcharge. However, those tickeholders can still ride for free during the eligible times.



The festival begins July 7 on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum.



Bluesfest is singing a different tune about paying a transit fee to the city after the two sides negotiated the deal. In December, the festival wasn’t impressed the city wanted a transit fee each year.



Now festival director Mark Monahan is calling it “great news” for people coming to the event since they’ll pay little for transit service for the entire duration of Bluesfest.



Bluesfest says about 40 per cent of festival-goers ride buses for the event.



Building a transit fee into the ticket is the same model used at TD Place for large events.



jwilling@postmedia.com



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