21^st ANNUAL FESTIVAL, CONFERENCE AND
WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS TAKING PLACE OCTOBER 11 – 15 IN KELOWNA, BC

KELOWNA, BC – October 5, 2023 – BreakOut West 2023 kicks off next Wednesday (October 11) in Kelowna, BC! Now in its 21^st year, the annual event will once again celebrate and showcase the exciting talent coming out of the western Canadian music industry, through its outstanding lineup of festival performers, top-tier international industry speakers, and the reveal of this year’s Western Canadian Music Award winners.
 
Events officially get underway on October 11^th, with the BOW Opening Reception taking place at Metro Hub in the heart of the Cultural District in Downtown Kelowna. The Reception will also play host to the reveal of the Western Canadian Music Artistic Award winners. The winners of the 2023 WCMA Industry Awards will be revealed at the Industry Awards Brunch on Saturday, October 14 at the BOW host hotel – Delta Grand Okanagan – at 10:00 a.m. PT. A full list of 2023 WCMA nominees, in both the artistic and industry categories, can be found here.
 
BreakOut West’s five-day career development conference will run from October 11-15. The conference is a landmark event for both artists and industry alike, looking to gain insight into the everchanging musical landscape and make invaluable connections, offering immersive content, workshops, international market deep dives, networking opportunities, one-on-one mentor meetings, and more. This year, BOW is thrilled to welcome international delegates from across Europe, the U.S.A., Mexico, and Hong Kong, who will be speaking on panels including global strategies for press, live music, syncs and more, as well as market deep dives for Hong Kong, Mexico and the Pacific Northwest. Find a full conference schedule here.
 
The three-night music festival kicks off on Thursday, October 12^th and will see artists take to stages in venues throughout Kelowna’s downtown core. Over 60 acts are set to perform, including artists from across western Canada, as well as two eastern Canadian friends and nine guests from overseas. International performers are Black Belt Eagle Scout (U.S.A.), Aasma (Sweden), katie phelan (Ireland), COSMIC DOG FOG, Gillie and Skunkadelic from Wales, and Charming Way, Clage and The Hertz from Hong Kong. BOW’s annual mini festival – Kinderfest – will also place on Saturday, October 14 Blackbox, giving the youngest of concertgoers (and their parents!) a taste of the outstanding children’s music coming out of western Canada.
 
The full lineup of BOW festival performers can be found here and the three-night schedule can be viewed here. Festival wristbands are available for $20 each and can be purchased here while supplies last.  
 
“It’s hard to believe Breakout West is already next week,” remarks BreakOut West Executive Director, Michael Dawson. “We cannot wait for the event to return to Kelowna. Our festival and our conference schedules are both live on the app with an incredible roster of artists and industry delegates so be sure to plan ahead. You’re not going to want to miss a thing.”

The health and safety of all BreakOut West’s audiences, artists, members, delegates, speakers, volunteers, fans, staff, and their families is of top priority. BOW is committed to following public health recommendations, for the safety of all who will be attending in 2023, the continuity of the event’s planning, and the long-term sustainability of the music industry. 
 
Kelowna is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the syilx/Okanagan people who have resided here since time immemorial.

BREAKOUT WEST 2023 AT A GLANCE:
Dates: Wednesday, October 11 – Sunday, October 15
Host City: Kelowna, British Columbia
Host Hotel: Delta Grand Okanagan
Access: Conference REGISTRATION | Festival WRISTBANDS
Conference: Wednesday, October 11 – Sunday, October 15 | SPEAKERS |SCHEDULE
Festival: Thursday, September 29 – Saturday, October 1 | LINEUP | SCHEDULE
Kinderfest: Saturday, October 14 | REGISTRATION
For more information: breakoutwest.ca
 
2023 Western Canadian Music Awards
Artistic Awards: revealing Wednesday, October 11 at 7:00 p.m. PT
*Follow BreakOut West’s socials for the announcement
 
Industry Awards: revealing Saturday, October 14 at the Industry Awards Brunch
Location: Delta Grand Okanagan
Doors: 10:00 a.m.
Awards Presentation: 10:30 a.m.
*Ticketed event for registered attendees only

About the Western Canadian Music Alliance / BreakOut West:
The Western Canadian Music Alliance is a pan western organization created by the Alliance Member Music Industry Associations (MIA’s) of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, The Northwest Territories, the Yukon Territory, and in partnership with Nunavut, to promote and celebrate western Canadian music. WCMA, with the financial support of each provincial and territorial government partner, FACTOR, the Government of Canada and of Canada's private radio broadcasters, WCMA annually hosts their core artist and industry development event, BreakOut West. The event is held in a different western Canadian city on a rotational basis and is the prime music industry event in western Canada. BreakOut West 2023 will be held October 11 – 15 in Kelowna, BC, and includes a five-day music conference, three-night multi-genre music festival and special events. The 2023 Western Canadian Music Artistic Awards and Industry Awards will be announced in October 2023.
            
WCMA’s head office is in Winnipeg. We recognize the ancestral lands, from Treaty One Territory, the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.