Rain greets Vancouver's first Virgin Music Festival

Vancouver's first Virgin Music Festival proceeded despite heavy rain as several thousand music fans stood in their wet clothing to hear acts like My Chemical Romance and The Killers.

Organizers expect a total of 20,000 people to attend the two-day event that finishes Monday andfeatures several dozen acts at the open-air Thunderbird Stadium. VFest, as it's often referred to, has been a mainstay in Britain for a decade, attracting big-name acts.It's sponsored by Virgin Mobile.

The first one in North America was held at Toronto Island Park last September, with a slew of international and local acts such as Broken Social Scene, The Flaming Lips, The Dears, Gnarls Barkley and Buck 65.

The Vancouver stadium had one main performance stage, a second smaller stage, a DJ tent and dozens of booths featuring food, clothing and other items.

"There's lots of amazing bands playing and it's a fun place to be," said 15-year-old Samatha Gov of North Vancouver.

Other bands playing at Vancouver's VFest include Billy Talent, Muse, AFI and Victoria's own Hot Hot Heat.

The festival has been hailed for its environmental message, with hybrid cars on display and a recycling area for food. As well, concertgoers are encouraged to take bottles and cans and cash them in for prizes such as skateboard decks and iPod speakers.

"I think music festivals around the world are looking at that kind of thing because the artists themselves are very focused on that issue," said Virgin spokesperson Nathan Rosenberg.

Toronto's VFest will take place Sept. 8 and 9 at the same location and will feature the reunited Smashing Pumpkins, Bjork and Amy Winehouse.