The NXNE Festival

Date(s): June 13 to 17, 2023
Location: Toronto

Short for North by Northeast, NXNE is a music festival focused on emerging artists that will be the next generation of headliners. Since its founding in 1995, NXNE has had a special emphasis on Canadian bands. It is currently produced with Canadian music and culture magazine NEXT Magazine and the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

Each June, hundreds of thousands of Torontonians and visitors fill music venues and public spaces across Toronto to see bands like Feist, The Lumineers, Lizzo, and The Weekend before they were topping the charts. 

Shows have taken place at expected locations like Toronto Island, and in less predictable settings like the airport or a streetcar. In addition to cutting-edge music in past years, NXNE has also featured eSports, standup comedy, cinema, thought leadership, and even a flea market. The festival packs in thousands of performances into five days, making June one of the most exciting months in the city.

This year fans and musicians are welcome at NX HQ, festival headquarters, located at It’s OK (468 Queen Street West). 

2023 NXNE Highlights 

Things to do at NXNE include:

• Concerts
• Panels
• Band merch