Showcase selections to celebrate, with Saskatchewan artists announced!
Departure 2026 in Toronto, ON, May 4-10
Saskatchewan artist LOV will be attending to perform a showcase at the Departure Festival + Conference 2026, happening from May 4-10, 2026. The conference will reach audiences across Toronto with festival and concert venues located across the city.
- LOV showcase page
- Wednesday, May 6, 8:00 pm (Burdock Music Hall)
Sask artists programmed for Departure were selected by the event organizers through their own selection process. SaskMusic does not select artists who perform at Departure and is not a sponsor of the event.
The Great Escape Festival & Conference (TGE) in Brighton UK, May 14-17, 2026
- Greenwing showcase page
- Thursday, May 14, 1:35 pm (Green Door Store)
- Saturday, May 16, 8:30 pm (Waterbear Music Bar)
- Bitterfly showcase page
- Saturday, May 16, 2:15 pm (Green Door Store)
- Saturday, May 16, 9:15 pm (Green Door Store)
19 Canadian artists were selected for official showcases this year. SaskMusic is a Canada House partner this year.
The Great Escape is the festival for new music, showcasing 450 emerging artists from all over the world in 30+ walkable venues across the city and a pop-up festival site on Brighton Beach. It’s the first place to discover your new favourite artist and see them in an intimate setting before they go on to headline major festival stages. TGE is also attended by music industry who are on the hunt for the next big thing. They run a conference alongside the gigs featuring insightful panels, topical debates, keynote speeches and networking opportunities in abundance. The Alternative Escape, Spotlight Shows, secret gigs, club nights and spontaneous collaborations all add to the festivities and make this weekend in Brighton one not to miss.
Canadian Music Showcase London, in London UK, May 12, 2026
12 artists from across Canada will be performing on two stages at the Strongroom Bar, including Bitterfly and Greenwing. This is a great opportunity for industry members to see Canadian acts prior to TGE. The Canadian Music Showcase London features round table meetings and a networking reception.
- Bitterfly: 7:30 pm; Room 1
- Greenwing: 10:00 pm; Room 2
How were the Sask. artists chosen?
The Great Escape posts an official call for artists each year. CIMA also posts a call for submissions for Canada House at TGE, and programs artists for the Canadian Music Showcase London drawing mainly from Canada House artists. SaskMusic is a presenting partner of Canada House, which secures placement for Saskatchewan artists, but does not run either of these intakes nor do we select the artists. That selection is done by the respective event organizers.
As partners in Canada House, we provide pre-event coaching and look to build additional opportunities around the event for the Sask. artists attending. SaskMusic thanks Creative Saskatchewan and The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR), the Government of Canada, and Canada's private radio broadcasters for their support of our participation in this event.
Focus Wales in Wrexham Wales, May 7-9, 2026
- Bitterfly showcase page
Performing
Thursday May 7, 2026 8:15 pm at The Rockin' Chair Room 1
Friday May 8, 2026 12:00 pm at Glyndwr TV
Saturday May 9, 2026 7:45 pm at The Parish
- Dream Creeps showcase page
Performing
Thursday May 7, 2026 11:00 am at Glyndwr TV
Thursday May 7, 2026 8:55 pm at Wynnstay Hotel
Friday May 8, 2026 5:00 pm at Ty Pawb Flexible Space
35 Canadian artists were selected for official showcases this year.
FOCUS Wales was established to provide the annual new music showcase event for the Welsh Music Industry. Their core work centres around the delivery of their international multi-venue showcase festival taking place in Wrexham each year, which places the music industry spotlight firmly on the emerging talent that Wales has to offer the world, alongside a selection of the best new acts from across the globe. FOCUS Wales 2026 will mark the festival’s 16th year, and will welcome over 25,000 people to Wrexham, building upon 2025′s record attendance across a jam-packed weekend of events. There’s no place like Wrexham during FOCUS Wales, as they showcase 250+ artists from across the world, fill out a variety of spaces and music venues, using 20 stages, and hosting a full schedule of interactive industry sessions, arts events, and film screenings, throughout the festival.
Sask artists programmed for Focus Wales 2026 were selected by the event organizers through their own selection process. SaskMusic did not select artists to perform and is not a sponsor of the event this year.
Crossroads 2026 in Hamburg, Germany, May 19, 2026
SaskMusic is proud to be sponsoring Dream Creeps for the Crossroads showcase, May 19, 2026 in Hamburg, Germany. This showcase presents an opportunity for artists to meet and network alongside the performances and is an initiative of Victory Pool (a label and management company). Artists are offered opportunities for one-on-one meetings and networking alongside the showcase.
How were the Sask. artists chosen?
Artists were selected by Victory Pool, and SaskMusic was approached to present their selected Sask artist.
SaskMusic thanks Creative Saskatchewan for their support of our participation in this event.
NXNE in Toronto, ON, June 10-14, 2026
Over 300 artists will perform across 30 venues from June 10-14, 2026 in this year's NXNE festival. NXNE works with Toronto's remarkable music venues to showcase top emerging Canadian talent and international acts throughout Festival Week. In addition to unforgettable music programming, NXNE features educational panels each year for industry, artists, and fans to enjoy and connect.
- Ghostform showcase page
- Saturday, June 13, 8:00 pm (Handlebar)
- Halle Ponton showcase page
- Saturday, June 13, 9:00 pm (Burdock)
- Merv xx Gotti showcase page
- Thursday, June 11, 9:00 pm (Drake Underground)
- Rooky Kamiz showcase page
- Wednesday, June 10, 10:00 pm (Poetry Jazz Cafe)
Sask artists programmed for NXNE were selected by the event organizers through their own selection process. SaskMusic does not select artists who perform at NXNE and is not a sponsor of the event.
Beyond events that we do sponsor, SaskMusic offers pre-event coaching and export preparation sessions for any Sask artist selected for international and domestic showcases. If you have received a showcase invitation or have questions about which events might be good fits for you, please reach out to Export Manager Kaelen Klypak.
