Music festivals in Calgary are reporting strong ticket sales despite an economic slowdown.

The Calgary Folk Festival, which kicks off on Thursday night, is selling about 10 to 15 per cent more tickets than last year.

Artistic director Kerry Clarke watched this spring as some American festivals lowered prices and even offered complicated layaway tickets, but said the folk festival decided to keep prices the same as last year.

The four-day event draws an average of about 50,000 people. Organizers are gearing up for this year's opening night.

"It's like someone's stepping on a gas pedal," said Clarke. "The beginning of the year, you're going 10 km/h, and then all of a sudden, you're going 140, and there's no turning back."

The Sled Island music festival attracted 25,000 people over five days in June, with a 53 per cent increase in sales of full passes over the year before, said festival director Zak Pashak.

No one at the Calgary International Blues Festival is singing the blues this year. Producer Cindy McLeod doesn't have exact numbers yet but said Friday that sales for the Aug. 3-9 festival are already higher than last year.

"I think people are staying home this year, looking at the great talent that surrounds them here," she said.

McLeod said the festival decided to "do the opposite of what a lot of people are doing, which is rolling back."

"We're actually growing a little bit, and it seems to be paying off," she said. "We have great enthusiasm and support this year."