BreakOut West is a music industry showcase, conference, and festival, designed to match export-ready artists based in Western Canada with industry professionals. The 2026 showcase and festival will occur in Victoria, B.C., from September 30 – October 2, 2026. Artists are now invited to submit festival showcase submissions until February 4, 2026.
Each selected artist at BreakOut West receives a series of benefits as part of their performance, including:
- Two performance opportunities at the BreakOut West Festival.
- One delegate package per performing member of the selected group or ensemble. This package includes a festival wristband with access to all showcases and a delegate pass for the BreakOut West Industry Conference, featuring workshops, panels, networking receptions, one-on-one meetings and more.
Artists are primarily juried on the following criteria:
- Submission materials: quality of music, performance video, bio, and other artist materials.
- Conference goals: specificity, detail, attainability, and relevance to the BreakOut West Conference’s goals.
- Artist’s history: detail, breadth of experience, growth trajectory, and market development.