TORONTO — It just goes to show how few people are afraid of SARS when weighed against seeing their favourite stars.

All 70,000 tickets for a June 21 concert featuring Avril Lavigne, the Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan sold out in just three hours Thursday.

The Concert for Toronto was organized to kick off the summer tourism season at a time when many are avoiding the city because of the SARS scare. Ticketmaster said its outlets, call centre and online system were busy after tickets went on sale at noon.

"Demand far outweighed the supply of tickets," said spokeswoman Patti Babin. "The response proves that the ticket-buying public is confident in Toronto as the place to be."

Ticket prices for the all-Canadian show - which also features the Tragically Hip, Our Lady Peace, Sum 41, Swollen Members, Remy Shand and Glenn Lewis - were dirt cheap at $29.50 and $19.50, compared with other summer concerts that tend to run over $50.

The six-hour show will take place simultaneously at two downtown venues, the SkyDome and the Air Canada Centre, with acts alternating between the two. That means fans at the SkyDome will watch acts at the Air Canada Centre via a video feed and vice versa.

Organizers have said more acts will be added. It's rumoured Shania Twain and Neil Young are being courted to perform and Mike Myers and Jim Carrey to act as hosts.