Toronto

It’s no secret that Canadian festivals have been facing hard times.

The post-lockdown years have seen high-profile festivals filing for creditor protection, like Montreal’s comedy behemoth Just for Laughs; scrambling to reorganize or downsize programming, like Toronto Jazz Festival and Calgary’s JazzYYC, after TD withdrew sponsorship; or cancelling editions altogether, like Toronto food and culture festival Taste of the Danforth.

Of course, major festivals closed before the pandemic, too, for a range of reasons. And many festivals wind down naturally, through generational or leadership shifts. But Erin Benjamin of the Canadian Live Music Association agrees that festivals are facing a difficult landscape in the years after 2020.

“COVID ripped up the playbook,” she tells Billboard Canada.

“The cost of goods and services and labour and talent is extremely high,” Benjamin adds. “And it continues to go up.”

Audience habits have shifted, too. She notes that festival-goers are definitely buying tickets later, leaving event planners with cash flow troubles.

In its 2025 Hear and Now report, the Canadian Live Music Association states that in 2024, the problem stretched beyond Canada. “Cancelled tours and festivals due to lower ticket sales, rising costs, and environmental impacts has led to overall industry decline,” the authors write. “High prices for top acts are exhausting fan budgets leaving less for mid-range artists.”

International mega-music festivals aren’t immune. After slow ticket sales in 2024, more than half of Coachella’s 2025 general admission attendees bought tickets through payment plans.

When festivals shut down, people lose a connection to local history and a chance to meet their neighbours. Benjamin adds that arts workers lose livelihoods, while local communities lose economic impact.

If the live industry is facing hurdles, it’s also true that music tourism is still a popular vacation choice. “We’ve got to capitalize on that music tourism piece here in Canada,” Benjamin says. “We have incredible infrastructure already. We need to take care of our infrastructure, need to continue to create opportunities for artists.”

Benjamin adds that each level of government — municipal, provincial and federal — has a role to play in harnessing that potential.

Every festival faces its own particular set of circumstances that help secure or shut down the next edition. But it’s clear that conditions across the industry are putting pressure on festivals, from Newfoundland to British Columbia. 

For a list of festivals that have closed or called for support, head here. – Rosie Long Decter

Craig “Big C” Mannix Joins CMRRA as Industry Relations Consultant – Community Engagement

The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) is making a key hire to reflect the diversity of Canadian music.

Craig “Big C” Mannix has joined the CMRRA as industry relations consultant – community engagement.

An influential figure in the Canadian music industry, Mannix has served as vp of Black music at Universal Music Canada; held roles at Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music Canada and Virgin Records Canada; and had a founding role with ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective. He has also played a key role in developing the careers of major Canadian names like Kardinal Offishall, K-os and Pressa.

The CMRRA is one of the leading reproduction royalty distribution agencies in Canada. It distributed $96 million in royalties in 2024, a 23% increase from 2023. That growth was significantly driven by music on TikTok, where royalties increased by 126%. Mannix looks to continue working with creators moving forward.

The CMRRA also reported a 50% increase in international revenues, highlighting the importance of global potential in the current Canadian music landscape. Mannix’s role specifically focuses on community engagement and deepening relationships with underrepresented music communities.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with CMRRA. My love for music and art is what brought me into this business over 35 years ago — and it’s what’s kept me in it,” says Mannix about his latest career chapter. “I’ve always focused on driving culture with integrity, passion, and decency. I’m looking forward to connecting with more creators and communities through this new role.”

CMRRA is turning 50 this year. In a special industry newsletter, president Paul Shaver celebrated the organization’s growth.

“We have over 7,000 clients worldwide and a well-earned reputation across the industry for being efficient, technology-forward, client-focused, and trustworthy,” Shaver wrote in the newsletter. “Many of these clients represent hundreds or thousands of songwriters, further amplifying our global reach and impact.”

As global reach improves, it’s also important to focus on the communities that exist within the country. Royalty distribution is an important sector of the country’s music industry, and CMRRA is making strides to open it up to the full diversity of Canadian musicians. – Stefano Rebuli

Toronto Music Experience to Open a Permanent Museum by 2029

Toronto’s music scene is getting its own museum.

The Toronto Music Experience (TME) has unveiled plans to launch a permanent cultural home by 2029, commemorating the city’s worldwide impact through music.

The TME announced plans for its expansion on Monday (May 5) at a private event at Live Nation’s The Lounge in Toronto featuring artists including Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Jully Black and Lorraine Segato.

The organization announced that it has been granted charitable status, which means it can go ahead with fundraising, partnerships and community engagement as part of its five-year plan towards its permanent home.

TME’s goal is to highlight Toronto’s musical past, present, and future through immersive exhibits, pop-up activations, live performances and education initiatives. It aims for a storytelling approach, highlighting the achievements that have shaped the city’s music scene, from its historical Indigenous roots to the global impact of superstars like Drake, The Weeknd and Rush.

The museum fulfills the city’s need for a hallmark representation of its impactful musical legacy that is currently missing.

“We don’t have a museum devoted to what is arguably Toronto’s biggest cultural phenomenon, its biggest international export,” TME board director and longtime music journalist Nicholas Jennings told Billboard Canada in November 2024. “This is an untapped area for the city, and there is a need for it, because we’re losing some of these stories.”

TME has been actively telling these stories through a number of exhibitions in partnership with Friar’s Music Museum, located in a Shopper’s Drug Mart at Yonge and Dundas, the former home of the Friar’s Tavern music venue. TME hosted its first-ever live show experience with the Sound of Rhythms & Resistance concert at TD Hall in November 2024, serving as an extension of its “Rhythms & Resistance” exhibit in 2021.

“The success of the two exhibits that we’ve held at Friar’s has shown us that there’s an appetite and a market for something more permanent,” Jennings said.

TME wants to incorporate a mix of production, retail and café spaces as well as pop-up exhibits, pairing music education alongside interactive experiences featuring memorabilia.

“Our mission is to build an experiential space where artifacts meet immersive experiences in tribute to the artists, communities, and cultures that make our city sing,” says Denise Donlon, a music industry and broadcast executive and member of TME’s advisory board. “It’s a powerful way to celebrate our past and inspire the next generation of creators.” – SR