Frank Productions, the producer of Freakfest, has sold more tickets for admission to downtown Madison’s 2012 Halloween party than it did last year at this time, a company representative said at a press conference Tuesday.
With rap star Mac Miller and electronica collective Big Gigantic headlining the main stages at this year’s event, Charlie Goldstone from Frank Productions said more tickets have been sold before the event than were purchased ahead of time last year.
“We’ve gotten a really good response from community on that talent,” Goldstone said.
Tickets cost $8 if purchased in advance from businesses on State Street, or $12 if purchased from ticket booths in the area Saturday. Anyone who wishes to enter State Street after 7 p.m., whether to patronize a restaurant or to watch the concerts, will need a ticket.
Goldstone estimated around 40,000-45,000 people will be in attendance at the event at any given time. Frank Productions, which has hosted Freakfest for six years now, limits the number of tickets sold to the higher end of that estimate.
Last year, Frank Productions reported selling between 25,000-30,000 tickets, which had been fewer than the two previous years.
Madison Police Department Lt. Dave McCaw said behavior at Freakfest has changed since the company took control of the event and people could no longer bring alcohol onto State Street, resulting in a decrease in the number of alcohol-related offenses.
“It’s not the State Street of old where they can walk up and down the street and continue to consume [alcohol],” McCaw said.
