BreakOut West is set to return to Winnipeg next week for its 23rd iteration. A music conference will run during the day at the Fairmont Hotel from Sept. 24-28, and at night, various venues in the city will host concerts to celebrate musicians in western Canada.
Michael Dawson, the executive director of BreakOut West, explained the concept of the festival. “They’re 30-minute performances, and they’re staggered on the hour and a half hour from venue to venue. You buy a single wristband, and that wristband gives you access to all these shows, and you can make your way around all these venues.”
This year, concertgoers can expect to see local talents such as Jade Turner, Alpha Toshineza and Virgo Rising in addition to performers from other provinces. The lineup even features Mared and Papaya Noon, who are musicians from faraway Wales.
“[The lineup] runs the gamut from R&B and Afrobeats through to hardcore [and] indie rock. [It is] a little bit of everything and [there is] certainly something for everyone,” said Dawson. “We want to do our best to try to be a fair representation of the incredible artists coming out of the west and out of northern Canada.”
Complementing these performances, the daytime conference will entail panels, sessions with professionals in the music industry and opportunities for artists to connect with each other.
“A lot of these artists who are performing as part of the festival will end up doing business with folks who are attending the conference. And so we [often see] people leaving having secured a tour in Germany or a festival in Amsterdam or whatever directly out of the event,” Dawson added.
BreakOut West travels to a different city each year, with past festivals taking place in locations such as Saskatoon, Calgary and Victoria. The festival was meant to take place in Winnipeg in both 2020 and 2021, but it was moved online due to the pandemic.
Dawson commented that Winnipeg’s music scene punches above its weight, and he is excited to bring the festival back to the city.
“I think Winnipeg has always just been such a vibrant city […] The artists that come out of there working in across all platforms, not just music, are just so incredible,” he said. “[Winnipeg] has so many, for lack of better words, iconic and notable music venues […] from Times Change(d) to The Handsome Daughter to Public Domain, the Park Theatre [and] Sidestage.”
The size of Winnipeg and western Canada’s music scene may not exactly rival Los Angeles or Nashville, but Dawson is certain that there are still plenty of artists and bands here to discover.
“We’re just so excited for audiences to come out and see some artists that they’re familiar with, but also fairly confident [they will discover] some new favourite bands as well,” he said.
“What we hope is that folks come out and see some new music and take a chance on things and [leave] inspired and excited about what’s happening here in western Canada.”
Visit breakoutwest.ca for tickets and more information.
