Canadian Musician - November/December 2017 | Page 17

NXNE Returns to
Yonge-Dundas Square,
Ditches the Port Lands
North by Northeast (NXNE) has announced
that its 2018 edition will be held June 8-17.
Now in its 24 th year, the festival returns
to downtown Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas
Square, with free outdoor programming
from June 15-17. NXNE will turn Yonge
Street into a festival village throughout the
weekend to host free concerts, NXNE talk
sessions, and comedy shows.
Notable this year is the absence of the
Port Lands festival site, with which NXNE
experimented the past two years. The Port
Lands location, which is removed from
the downtown core and more difficult to
access by transit, received a lot of criticism
on social media for its poor attendance and
lack of festival atmosphere.
In 2018, the festival will expand the Club
Land – Curator Series throughout the week.
Organizers say leading Canadian musicians
will host and curate showcases across the
city at dozens of venues and clubs.
For more information as it becomes
available, go to www.nxne.com.
Billy Talent playing in Yonge-Dundas Square during NXNE
… The Western Canadian Music
Alliance (WCMA) has announced
that next year’s edition of
BreakOut West will take place
in Kelowna, BC. The 16 th annual
conference, showcase festival,
and Western Canadian Music
Awards will bring together art-
ists, industry professionals, and
fans for four days of live perfor-
mances, business opportunities,
and career development from
Oct. 10-14, 2018. Submissions for
the BreakOut West Festival and
Western Canadian Music Awards
will open in January 2018.
www.breakoutwest.ca.
W W W. C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N . CO M
C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N • 17