North by Northeast (or NXNE) is an annual music and arts festival held each June in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The festival's main focus is live music, particularly emerging talent. Acts that have had break out appearances at NXNE at small venues early in their careers include: Lizzo (2014, 2017), Daniel Caesar (2016), Run the Jewels (2014), Lumineers (2012), Grimes (2011), Gary Clark Jr. (2007), The Arkells (2007), Feist (2004), Billy Talent (1999) and thousands more. In its return post-COVID, the festival embraced its roots as a discovery event, programming exclusively in Toronto's live music venues, presenting over 200 of the world's best emerging acts bands in 20 venues over five nights from June 14–18, 2022. Festival passes were low priced and bands were not charged a fee to apply. The 2023 Festival takes place June 13–17. Complete festival passes cost $25, all shows are $15 at the door without a pass.
Previously the festival has also featured an eSports gaming tournament, comedy, a conversations series, a flea market and more. In addition to full-time staff, the festival also has about 1,000 volunteers in festival operations. NEXT Magazine is the festival's main print and online media partner at nextmag.ca. The alternative weekly newspaper Now previously was a major sponsor, and Now co-founder Michael Hollett owns NXNE in partnership with SXSW. Hollett sold NOW in 2016 before starting NEXT in 2020.
History
NXNE began in 1995, patterned on the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. It was co-founded by Michael Hollett.[1][2] The SXSW organization is a minority ownership partner in NXNE.[3] At that time it was a three-day festival with about 300 bands,[4] mainly local, unsigned, independent artists. Over the years the festival expanded its attendance and began to feature well-known performers. The festival events took place in a number of venues, and participants purchased wristbands for entry into the events. In 2003, NXNE became the first promoters to produce live music in Toronto's Yonge Dundas Square. Gord Downie headlined NXNE's first Yonge Dundas Square show performing from new solo work. Downie's band The Tragically Hip played a 'secret show" at NXNE in 1997. Massive free concerts at Yonge Dundas Square and on Yonge Street stopped when COVID arrived. The festival again makes the club shows its priority post-COVID.
In 2013, NXNE added comedy as a fourth stream, formally recognizing the growing number of standup, sketch, and improvisatory comics taking part in the festival since 2010. NXNE also added art as its fifth stream that year. including exhibits, projections, installations, performances and an art fair.
In 2014, NXNE marked its 20th consecutive year with over 1,000 music performers and an overall attendance of 350,000.[7] The 2015 edition of NXNE ran for five days, June 17–21.
In 2016, under the direction of Michael Hollett, the festival organizers changed the format, concentrating more highly attended performances in a large venue in the Port Lands area, at 51 Commissioners St.[8] The festival also added a video gaming component, and gaming was among the topics discussed at the one day Interactive conference at Ryerson University. As well as live music. Yonge Dundas Square provided festival-goers the chance to play on a giant screen and to compete against each other with live play-by-play commentary.
There was no festival in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic caused its cancellation. The festival returned in 2022, embracing the original, discovery festival format.
