This fall, the student government is charging students to attend Redfest for the first time since the 2003-2004 school year.

The extra Redfest fee was added to maximize the amount of programming the student government can put on throughout the year and is not related to last year’s administration going over-budget by $66,000 for The Grand Kerfuffle, said Kyle Hansen, presenter’s office chairman.

Tickets will cost between $6 and $8 per show, but the final price has not yet been determined. Non-students will pay $17 per show or $25 for both.

“By charging a little for the concerts, we can do more programming and better programming in the future,” said Jake Kirkham, student body president.

Hansen said the Associated Students of the University of Utah does not plan or intend to make a profit from the concerts.

“Honestly, we wish we could provide programming on this scale for free, but it is just not fiscally feasible if we want to stay under budget,” Hansen said. “However, by charging a discounted rate, we will be able to maximize our budget and provide programming that is still cheaper than most other venues and concert promoters in Utah.”

The annual festival, scheduled for Sept. 21 and 22, will feature Irish punk band Flogging Molly, Bedouin Soundclash, Zox, the Ataris and two local bands-The Contingency Plan and The Brobecks.

Kirkham said he believes the bands are popular enough to draw students, regardless of the price.

Former student body president Alex Lowe took away the Redfest fee in 2004, saying it was a double tax on students who already pay more than $20 in fees to ASUU each semester.

The student government puts on a major music festival each semester.

To make sure to stay within budget, Hansen and his staff have created an itemized budget for Redfest.

The bands will perform in the free speech area outside the Union. Tickets can be purchased beginning Aug. 5 at the front desk of the Union. The number of tickets a student can purchase is expected to be two per concert, but the details are still being worked out with Smith’sTix.

photo courtesy Ink Tank

Celtic-rock band Flogging Molly will be headlining Redfest 2006 along with Bedouin Soundclash and Zox on Sept. 21 and 22 in the Union Free Speech Area.

Lennie Mahler

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs was one band that played during April’s The Grand Kerfuffle, which drew in large crowds of students as well as other, non-student fans.