Now in its 16th year, The North by Northeast Music & Film Festival and Conference (NXNE) is Canada’s #1 showcase for the best new music and music-related films. For seven days and nights this June, NXNE takes over Toronto with the best entertainment, the freshest music-related ideas, and a brand-new interactive digital media conference — all within a few km of each other. Last year, over 250,000 fans, artists, and industry pros experienced NXNE, generating an economic impact on Toronto of over $34 million.
The music festival gives over 650 local, national and international artists the chance to showcase for thousands of fans, agents, talent buyers, media, promoters, labels and management companies at a variety of essential downtown venues. While many NXNE performers have hit the fest’s 40 + club stages on their way to major international breakthroughs, other high-profile acts join the fray to helping make NXNE essential, fresh and eclectic.
Festival alumni include: Black Lips // Matt and Kim // Broken Social Scene // GZA // No Age // The Cool Kids // HEALTH // Crystal Antlers // The Sonics // King Khan & The Shrines // Feist // Swervedriver // Monotonix // MC5 // Television // Kid Cudi // Dinosaur Jr. // Soundtrack of Our Lives // New York Dolls // DFA 1979 // Buzzcocks //Sufjan Stevens // The Dears // Dillinger Four // Mika Miko // Pere Ubu // Evan Dando // Black Rebel Motorcycle Club // My Morning Jacket // Peaches // Golden Triangle // These are Powers // Japanther // The Death Set // Ninjasonik // Ted Leo & The Pharmacists // Youth Brigade // Redd Kross // The Duke Spirit // We Are Wolves // The Homosexuals // Experimental Dental School // Tyvek // Pterodactyl // Aids Wolf // The Stills // Blue Rodeo // Great Lake Swimmers // Fake Blood // Hidden Cameras // Hercules & Love Affair // Ron Sexsmith // Mooney Zuzuki // Apostle of Hustle // Sloan // Peanut Butter Wolf // Money Mark // Bran Van 3000 // Sheek Louch // Brant Bjork // Alejandro Escovedo // Silversun Pickups // Lightspeed Champion // Mr Lif // K OS // Wintersleep // Xavier Rudd // K’naan // Kathleen Edwards // Rock Plaza Central // Freeway
… plus thousands & thousands more.
The NXNE Conference attracts over 2,300 delegates for celebrity interviews and music-biz panels that ask tough questions and dish out straight answers. Our demo-listening and mentoring sessions tell you what you need to know to keep your career going deep into the 21st century. Past guests include Police drummer Stewart Copeland, head Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten, guerrilla songwriters Steve Earle and Bruce Cockburn, Peaches, Patti Smith, Thomas Dolby and Stones’ ex-guru Andrew Loog Oldham.
At the same time, the NXNE Film Festival screens a tight program of hand-selected music movies, from concert classics to the latest indie docs from Rio to Rwanda.
All the buzz bounces back to the rest of the world via correspondents from taste-making sites, blogs, and international media like the BBC, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times, who join Canadian journalists at prime festival showcases. Over 600 accredited media covered last year’s NXNE festival.
Testimonials:
“The NXNE experience was one of the most magical events for The Soundtrack of our lives… Toronto is always the place to be when it comes to interesting entertainment. And the people are almost as beautiful as the Swedes…”
- Ebbot, The Soundtrack of our Lives
“NXNE is an exciting combination of indie music and a film lover’s gourmet feast. We had a great time and we would love to come back.”
- Stewart Copeland
“You guys ruled! Thanks for all the love. NXNE is the jumpoff fa sho!”
- Heathcliff Berru, manager, GZA
“It was perfect”
- Melissa Auf Der Maur
“It was great to be able to participate in NXNE, as a performer and as the celebrity interview.”
- Bruce Cockburn
“Thousands of artists showcased by NXNE directly to key music and film executives. This is where you bring your entertainment vehicle if you want serious industry attention.”
- Rob Halford, Judas Priest
“Toronto’s multicultural mix provides the perfect backdrop for NXNE’s eclectic choice of music films.”
- Don Letts, director, Rock it to Rio
“North by Northeast is one of the best gatherings on music and music people I’ve ever attended.”
- Danny Goldberg, former manager of Nirvana, Hole, the Beastie Boys
Press:
“the best in new music and film from the indie scene”
- BBC Radio 2 (UK)
“…simply too much cool stuff going on…”
- the Toronto Star
“ (a) bar-hopping bonanza”
- the Toronto Sun
“A musical smorgasbord of cutting edge music washed down with Bloody Caesar cocktails. Sound fun? You better believe it is!”
- Fused Magazine (UK)
“Music did take over.”
- The Austinist
