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!
A New Year has begun, and with it, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to connect with the music industry (and the creative world at large) throughout 2026.
We have seen first-hand that venturing out into the world and exploring the greater creative landscape can be transformative, leading to new ideas, partnerships, and collaborations that will elevate not only your creative platform, but those of the people around you. Not to mention, traveling gives you an opportunity to see new places, meet new people, and create unforgettable experiences.
With that, we’re here to give you a list of some of our favorite music industry conferences and festivals that will be well worth your time to check out in 2026.
You know about this one, right? Going strong since 1987, SXSW is the crossroads where creatives from all over the world come together to push creativity, technology, and society forward. Music is still very much a core component of the annual conference and festival.
The networking opportunities at SXSW — and all throughout Austin that week — are second to none. In our travels last year, we connected with so many new friends and collaborators whom either led to or enhanced our involvement in some of the other events on this list. If you’re looking for a tone-setter to kick your year into overdrive, this is the one!
A brand-new conference from the folks at Jump Global, Hits Home bills itself as “your space to reconnect — with the music, the mission, and the community that makes it all possible.” While speakers and schedule details are still forthcoming, the conference promises an alternative approach, pledging to“feature people and perspectives instead of topic-specific panels” alongside surprise moments peppered throughout the experience. Color us intrigued!
This also fills an important need in the Nashville landscape. With Music Biz migrating to Atlanta last year (and with other planned locations in the works), Nashville was left without a music conference that isn’t genre-specific. Hits Home has the potential to become Music City’s signature industry event.
Now in its second year as the re-imagined Canadian Music Week, Departure presents an opportunity to learn everything there is to know about the music industry North of the Border. The conference’s programming continues to expand, with seven planned conference tracks spanning music, technology, marketing, and more. Speakers at last year’s conference included Bryan Adams, Shaggy, Lindsay Ell, Chantal Kreviazuk, and many more.
In similar fashion to its U.S.-based cousin, SXSW London provides a global stage for the creators driving society forward. Based in Shoreditch in the heart of East London, this event (and the city in which its based) provides you and your music a gateway to the other side of Planet Earth, as well as an opportunity to discover new artists and iconic venues.
Musikfest (Bethlehem, PA) July 31-August 9 (Conference Aug. 2-4)
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the nation’s largest free, non-gated music festival (and the pride and joy of our original hometown)!
Now in its 43rd year, Musikfest features close to 500 free performances by independent artists from over the world, as well as a full slate of renowned headliners every year. This year also marks the return of the Musikfest Music Industry Conference, a three-day opportunity to network, learn, and connect within the music industry. (Did we mention that we’re already planning to be involved?)
Heading a bit further into Ontario, this three-day, all-indie festival has become a staple of our year. A community-grown effort started by Russ and Valerie Robson, Gussapolooza features three stages, a vendor and artisan village, educational opportunities, on-site camping, and plenty of opportunities to connect before, during, and after festival hours. Not to mention, the lineup always provides a healthy sampling of North America’s hungriest, most talented independent artists. Our summer simply wouldn’t be complete without this one!
The Queen City is alive with arts and culture, and Confluence does an excellent job bringing the region’s top creative minds together to explore the many gems Charlotte has to offer. Of course, this occurs within the greater context of music industry education, with Charlotte’s reputation as a financial powerhouse playing a key role in helping independent artists and other changemakers move toward building sustainable careers.
NOLA MusiCon (New Orleans, LA) Dates TBD (Late October)
For the past two years, NOLA MusiCon has served as our grand tour finale. You can bet that we’ll be back again for the third consecutive year!
NOLA MusiCon brings professionals from across the musical world to the Big Easy. Attendees have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the city’s unique culture while learning from some of the best and brightest the industry has to offer. Overall, NOLA MusiCon combines New Orleans’ rich cultural heritage with the latest industry knowledge, all while advocating for a richer and more diverse music ecosystem.
Previous speakers include Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Dawn Richard, Samantha Fish, Todd Rundgren, and many more.
Without question, 2025 has been a year for the ages. In fact, we’ve proclaimed it the best year of UMC’s life (so far), and we’re in a mood to celebrate.
Whether you’re near or far, we’re going to keep things festive around here until the ball drops to ring in 2026. And, to show you how epic this year has been, we have an entire backlog of content captured throughout the year that we haven’t even rolled out yet!
We’ve got some catching up to do — and it gives us the opportunity to relive some of the year’s most magical moments with a series we call 2025’s Greatest Hits.
We have festival photos from Canada to New Orleans. We have special insights to share on the moments and lessons that made 2025 special. Throughout December, we’ll be popping in to give you a few last glimpses of this incredible year, while also providing a taste of what’s to come.
Stay tuned, because we’ll begin dropping these Greatest Hits later this week. We invite you to sit back, reflect, and appreciate the year that was!
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.
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 and Pierce are back for Day 2 of Gussapolooza 2025 after an exciting Day 1! We sat down with more of the artists and supporters who make Ontario’s music scene special for some exclusive conversations about the festival, their creative platforms, and the landscape of art, music, and creativity in 2025.
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.
Previously, on The Quinn Spinn: Scotty Rock and L were about to head to the System of a Down and Korn concert at MetLife Stadium. Little did they know that the concert they’d attend would go down in history, thanks to the… um, antics of a gentleman in the front row of the upper deck!
We also share our thoughts on the current state of WWE, after the announcement that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In the middle of it all, we preview our forthcoming episode series recorded at Gussapolooza 2025. The Quinn and Pierce sit down with John Peterkin of Ontario-based band The Peterkin Project, whose new single, “Power of Life,” carries a touching tribute to a relative lost to cancer.
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!
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!
