The Government of Canada is supporting the Grey Cup Festival to the tune of up to $2-million. Minister Responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, Daniel Vandal, made the announcement in Regina today alongside Festival organizers. The funding comes from the government’s Major Festivals and Events Support Initiative. Specifically the funding is for events focused on youth and technology and promoting the Festival across Canada. Vandal says Major events like the Grey Cup are a huge boost to the economy and adds that the investment is to help organizers of the Festival recover from the impacts of the pandemic, and enhance their offerings to drive growth and long-term sustainability.

The three new events to be funded are a $50,000 Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Esports tournament, Youth Football programming which will include skills competitions, and Digital Zone, which is an interactive area which includes video games, sports experiences and virtual and augmented reality exhibits. Festival tickets are expected to go on sale in the early fall.

An extremely limited number of tickets for the 109th Grey Cup are still available. Visit the Grey Cup Festival website for more information.