It's now official: Firefly Music Festival will shrink to three days in 2019, snapping a five-year streak of four-day fests, officials revealed to The News Journal Thursday morning.

Even though they are dropping the festival's Thursday opening night, Patrick Confrey, festival publicist, says Firefly's eighth year will have as many (or even more) acts than the 90-plus band lineup that rocked Dover in June.

"Our No. 1 priority is not losing anything," says Confrey, adding that the move was made due to fan feedback.

"It's tough when you're talking about a four-day experience and coming a day early and leaving a day late. Asking people to take five or six days off work is a little aggressive."

Firefly will take over The Woodlands June 21-23, returning to the three-day model that it used both in its 2012 debut with Jack White and the Black Keys and in 2013, which featured the late Tom Petty and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Early entry for campers will be allowed Thursday, June 20 – not the Wednesday before the festival as it had been in recent years.

Festival officials also announced a new Firefly Loyalty Program.

If you've ever purchased or registered a festival pass, you will receive an email in the coming days with a code allowing access to a loyalty program presale, which will happen Nov. 16.

For a 24-hour period, both general admission and VIP passes will be available at a discount, which officials would not disclose Thursday.

Firefly's website will be updated with a new look and updated 2019 information on Thursday afternoon.

The announcements come four months after Chicago's Red Frog Events sold Firefly to global entertainment company AEG Presents, which also runs California's Coachella festival.

AEG and its subsidiary, Coachella founder Goldenvoice, first partnered with Red Frog in 2014 to help produce and promote Firefly.

This year's festival, which was headlined by Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Arctic Monkeys and The Killers, drew a strong crowd, bouncing back from a soft 2017. At its height, the festival drew 90,000 fans to the fields near Dover International Speedway.

Confrey says more details on the 2019 festival, including the artist lineup, upgraded camping, expanded glamping and new hotel packages, will be released soon.

Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).