Category Archives: festivals

Vote Now to Shape This Year’s Gussapolooza Lineup!

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While we’re on the topic of exciting, community-based August music festivals, we’ll also be taking our third trip up to Ontario for Gussapolooza, the three-day extravaganza featuring some of the best up-and-coming talent from across Canada — and the globe!

Our friends up there have received so many submissions this year that they need a little bit of help sorting through them. That’s where you come in!

Introducing Sound Check, a chance to discover new artists and help shape the Gussapolooza 2026 lineup. Every few days, they will be unveiling a new genre category with a fresh batch of artists from around the world. Your job is to head over here, listen, and vote for the artists that you want to see perform at Gussapolooza. The artists with the most fan support move forward in the selection process.

Want your vote to go even further? You can access 3x voting power by purchasing a Gussapolooza Insider Pass. The Insider Pass costs only $25 CAD, lasts throughout the 2026 Gussapolooza season, and includes even more perks, including giveaways, exclusives, and more.

It’s all in the name of creativity and community, as Gussapolooza comes our way August 21-23 at the Georgian Bay Steam Show Grounds in Cookstown, Ontario. Get those tickets here!

ACT FAST: Musikfest Music Industry Conference Early Bird Rates Expire April 1

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As we excitedly announced months ago, we’re returning to our original home of Bethlehem, PA this August for the Musikfest Music Industry Conference, a three-day meeting of the industry minds set to occur in the middle of the nation’s largest free, non-gated music festival.

If you want to get in on the action for the lowest rate possible, you’d better hurry: Early Bird badge rates expire this Wednesday, April 1.

The Musikfest Music Industry Conference (MIC for short) will take place from August 2-4 inside of the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks brings together artists, educators, producers, industry professionals, and students for three days of conversations, workshops, mentoring, and performances focused on the real world of music today. (Also, rumor has it that someone you may know is a featured presenter once again this year…)

View conference badge options and get yours here. While you’re in town, don’t forget to enjoy the entire Musikfest experience, taking place throughout Bethlehem from July 31-August 9 (with the popular Preview Night taking place on the South Side on Thursday, July 30).

SAVE THE DATE: NOLA MusiCon Returns to New Orleans Oct. 28-30

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For the past two years, we’ve concluded October — and the year’s tour schedule — by taking a trip to New Orleans for NOLA MusiCon, a platform for artists and industry professionals to connect, learn, and inspire during three days of informative panels, inspiring interviews, and unparalleled networking.

This October 28-30, we’ll make it three in a row. NOLA MusiCon is BACK for 2026!

We hope you’ll join us once again in The Big Easy, and we’re excited to be a part of this incredible community once again. Details on conference and live music programming are sure to come in the weeks and months ahead. In the meantime, keep an eye out, because early bird badges will soon be made available for just $99 until July 1.

Want an inside look at our experience at NOLA MusiCon 2025? Relive the magic with our official vlogumentary, produced by our friends and fellow UnderDogs at NuRenaissance.

Want to Play Gussapolooza 2026? It’s Your Last Chance!

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Pictured: You, possibly.

You already know that we’re planning to make a return trip to the beautiful Canadian province of Ontario for this year’s Gussapolooza. Canada’s premier indie music festival will take place this year August 21-23 at the Georgian Bay Steam Show Grounds in Cookstown, just an hour or so north of Toronto. Three days of camping, community, arts, culture, and incredible live music will ensue.

About that “incredible live music” part: you still have a chance to be a part of this year’s Gussapolooza lineup — but only if you apply by this Saturday, January 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

After that, submissions will be closed, and the festival braintrust will begin crafting this year’s lineup. If you want to be a part of the magic with us and the whole Gussapolooza family, we encourage you to apply here!

Gussapolooza 2025: Day 3

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Note: This episode is released in loving memory of our original ProFX12 mixer, which perished during the making of this episode after 11 loyal years of Quinn Spinn service. Unfortunately, these technical issues mean that a couple of AWESOME interviews were compromised beyond reasonable repair and did not make this episode, while parts of others may be missing. We look forward to re-doing those at the next available opportunity!

Here it is — the long-awaited conclusion to our trilogy from Gussapolooza 2025!

This episode — coming to you from the final day of this year’s festival — touches on the creative journey, and the lessons it teaches us as we embark and continue on the path. We sit down withCo from Barrie Millennials, Jade Hilton, Sean William Dawson, & Francesca Panetta, giving you a full view of Ontario’s creative landscape.

Follow The Quinn Spinn: ⁠https://umcworldwide.com/thequinnspinn⁠

Apply to These 2026 Festivals & Conferences

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After last week’s epic trip to New Orleans for NOLA MusiCon — and a year that saw UMC everywhere, from Austin to London — we’re already dreaming of more travels in 2026.

Fortunately, new adventures are always on the horizon, for both artist and educator alike. In fact, some of our favorite haunts from the past couple years have open submission processes ongoing right now. So, if you’ve been bitten by the travel bug — and want to scratch the itch by doing your thing in new markets — we’ve compiled information on a few of our favorites right here.

SXSW London

Dates: June 1-6, 2026
Location: London, UK
Deadlines: November 24 (Performer), December 7 (Speaker)
Notes: The European edition of SXSW — now in its second year — has an open application process for those looking to make their mark overseas in 2026. Both emerging and established artists, as well as organizers of forward-thinking lineups, are encouraged to submit for performance consideration. That deadline is coming up quick, but you still have time. If you’re a speaker, you have a couple extra weeks to get your proposal together!
Link to apply: SXSW London 2026 | Public Submissions Now Open

Musikfest

Dates: July 31-Aug. 9 (Festival); Aug. 2-4 (Conference)
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Deadlines: November 15, 2025 (Conference), February 28, 2026 (Festival)
Notes: Musikfest itself is entering its 43rd year in 2026, and is the nation’s largest free, non-gated music festival, bringing nearly 1.5 million people to downtown Bethlehem in 2025. The Musikfest Industry Conference — now in its second year — aims to put world-class ideas and music industry knowledge (like yours) in front of the artists who comprise this growing, talent-rich regional arts hub (and UMC’s original hometown).
Links to apply: Festival | Conference

Gussapolooza

Dates: Aug. 21-23
Location: Cookstown, ON, Canada
Deadline: January 31, 2026
Notes: Our favorite weekend getaway is on for next August! This all-independent, three-day festival — nestled just an hour or so north of Toronto — brings some of the most notable rising acts from across North America together in the name of music, art, and community. Gussapolooza also invites vendors and artisans across the creative landscape to get involved. In that spirit, we’ll include the vendor application below, as well.
Links to apply: Festival | Vendor

Which events should we know about? Did we miss any? Let us know, and we’ll add them to the list!

The Quinn Spinn: Live from Gussapolooza 2025 Day 1!

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In August, we traveled all the way up to Cookstown, Ontario, Canada to once again take part in Gussapolooza, one of Canada’s premier independent music festivals. We took it upon ourselves to bring the ol’ 12-channel mixer and invite attendees to chat with us throughout the weekend — whether artist, industry supporter, volunteer, vendor, patron, or any combination thereof.

On Day 1, we sat down with singer-songwriter John Peterkin, punk rocker (and 2025 Gussapolooza Battle of the Bands winner) Feura, Jake and Mike from Bad Music Club, and LA-based genre-bending artist Edi Callier.

Opening theme: REVEL 9 – All I’ve Become

Follow The Quinn Spinn: https://umcworldwide.com/thequinnspinn
Gussapolooza: https://gussapolooza.com
The Peterkin Project: https://instagram.com/the_peterkin_project
Feura: https://instagram.com/feura.mp3
Bad Music Club: https://instagram.com/badclubmedia
Edi Callier: https://instagram.com/edicallier

Gussapolooza 2025 Countdown: Visit the UMC Media Booth!

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The excitement is building toward this weekend, as we get set to make the trip up to Cookstown, Ontario for our return to Gussapolooza!

Of course, you can tune into our YouTube and Instagram channels for updates throughout the weekend, and you can expect recap galleries to make their way onto The Blog the following week. However, we felt this year was a perfect time to kick things up a notch…

Enter the UMC Media Booth!

We’ll be onsite all weekend, welcoming artists, organizers, vendors, and guests to join us at the UMC Media Booth. There, we’ll have our 12-channel mixer at the ready to record short interviews and acoustic performances our Official Podcast, The Quinn Spinn. Swing by throughout the weekend and schedule a time to chat with us!

In addition, we’ll have information available on UMC and our UnderDogs Across Borders campaign, and a couple of special, this-weekend-only deals on select UMC merch and fall BRANDCAMP enrollment. It’s an opportunity for all those in attendance to tap in with us, as we develop a creator-centric music industry throughout the rest of 2025 and beyond!

Still need your weekend passes for Gussapolooza? Find ’em here!

Getting Ready for Gussapolooza? Here’s the Official Playlist!

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Pictured: “Sorry” from The Manic Boys and Girls Club

We are counting down the days — it’s four, as of this post — until the start of Gussapolooza 2025, all the way up in Cookstown, Ontario, Canada! We’re super excited to rejoin the Gussapolooza family this year, and they’ve just released something to get us even more pumped…

The Official Gussapolooza 2025 Playlist is here!

Below, you’ll find nearly 30 videos from this year’s lineup of Gussapolooza artists, giving you just a small taste of what’s in store when things kick off North of the Border later this week. From returning favorites to new friends, we know you’ll find something you love.

The best part? Later this week, we all get to enjoy these songs together! For now, your mission is to make sure you know them by heart in time for this weekend!

ONE WEEK AWAY: Gussapolooza 2025 Kicks Off Aug. 22

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The countdown is on! In just seven days, the Georgian Bay Steam Show Grounds will come alive with the sound of guitars, drums, and thousands of happy festivalgoers as Gussapolooza Music and Arts Festival kicks off August 22–24.

This year’s lineup features powerhouse performances from Bleeker and Kasador, plus local Alliston fan favourite Grant Boyer, alongside dozens of emerging artists ready to make their mark. Add industry workshops, camping under the stars, mouthwatering food trucks, and activities for the whole family — and you’ve got one unforgettable weekend.

Festival Director Valerie Robson says, “Gussapolooza is where music and community come together. The energy is electric, the connections are real, and the vibe is absolutely unmatched. Whether you’re here to discover new talent, support your friends, or just soak up the atmosphere, you’ll leave feeling like part of the family.”

Tickets are going fast, so grab yours now and be part of one of Ontario’s most unique summer weekends.

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