Departure Expands Programming
Loft Entertainment and Oak View Group (OVG) today announced its second wave of artists and speakers joining the inaugural Departure Festival + Conference. Participants announced include artists Dallas Green (City and Colour), Shad, Shaggy, Jully Black, top music industry commentator Bob Lefsetz and CEO of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Merck Mercuriadis will come together for a special fireside chat, among others who will be part of the Conference portion of the event. Joining this year’s Festival lineup are How Did This Get Made? – Live and comedy stars Trevor Wallace, Pete Holmes and Harland Williams. Departure will run May 6-11 in Toronto.
“The Departure lineup reflects the depth and diversity of creatives and industry leaders shaping today’s cultural landscape,” said Kevin Barton, Executive Producer at Loft Entertainment. “With top industry decision-makers in the room, our event is where careers will be launched and the next generation of talent gets discovered. We’re excited to roll out a showcase lineup featuring over 100 incredible artists, making Departure a true launch pad for emerging talent and a hub for meaningful connections. These collaborations will define the future of music while delivering world-class entertainment to the city.”
Hotel X Toronto will serve as the central hub for Departure’s Conference activities, while the Festival will span 40+ venues across the city and showcase 100+ emerging and established artists — with more to be announced.
Priority and Conference Passes are on sale now at departureto.com.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMMING:
The latest wave of speakers and artists joining Departure’s Conference brings together an extraordinary lineup of musical creatives including Dallas Green (City and Colour / Alexisonfire / You+Me) and Shad. In a candid conversation, they’ll reflect on the 20-year journey of Sometimes, the album that launched Dallas’ solo career, and its impact as an independent success story through Dine Alone Records. Award-winning reggae legend Shaggy; Canada's Queen of R&B Jully Black; multi-award-winning reggae DJ SPEXDABOSS; and visionary artist Justin Bua, best known for his paintings of musicians and DJs, also join the Conference lineup.
Offering invaluable insights into the evolving music market Departure’s Conference will also bring top music industry commentator Bob Lefsetz and CEO of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Merck Mercuriadis will come together for a special fireside chat; Wasserman Music Executive Tom Windish in conversation with Co-founder & CEO of ROSTR, Mark Williamson; renowned music executive and former SVP of Island Def Jam Music Group Johnnie Walker; EVP of Urban Catalogue at Universal Enterprises Katina Bynum; and Live Nation’s Head of Industry Relations Joey Vendetta.
Continuing to expand its footprint in the creative sector, Departure’s Conference will welcome renowned futurist and WAYE founder Sinead Bovell; the entertainment podcast Click and Tell hosts Sangita Patel and Carlos Bustamante; and social media powerhouse and Indigenous rights advocate Notorious Cree. Also, Rhiannon Rosalind, visionary Founder & CEO of Conscious Economics, and Aseel El-Baba, in-house Financial Therapist, will bring their bold approach to wealth and the new economy by leading an empowering interactive session featuring various artists.
Also joining the lineup of speakers is NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert host Bobby Carter as part of the Radiodays North America programming previously announced here.
FESTIVAL MUSIC PROGRAMMING:
Departure announces 100+ showcase artists across 40+ venues for this year’s Festival and debuts an exciting lineup of emerging artists. All Departure pass holders will have access to these showcases. The Music Pass is currently available at an early bird rate of $60 until April 1.
As part of the Artist Showcase, Departure will present the Canada’s Walk Of Fame RBC Emerging Musician Program Winner Showcase on May 7 at Rivoli, spotlighting rising talents Gabriel Fredette, Dallas, Mint Simon, Jackie Art, and Tiger Balme.
In addition, Departure has announced several premium events to join their roster including Noeline Hoffman, Sadboi, Planet Giza, Bobby Bazini, Koven Wei, PACKS, and Adam Melchor.
The SiriusXM Spotlight Series at Lee's Palace, celebrating its 40th anniversary, brings prominent Canadian artists including Death from Above 1979, Noeline Hofmann, Planet Giza, Rural Alberta Advantage, and Papooz to the iconic venue.
FESTIVAL COMEDY PROGRAMMING:
Departure’s laugh-out-loud comedy lineup will feature an impressive slate including How Did This Get Made? – Live, the award-winning podcast that celebrates bad movies with co-host comedians and actors Paul Scheer (The League), Jason Mantzoukas (Big Mouth), and June Diane Raphael (Grace & Frankie); viral stand-up comedian Trevor Wallace; stand-up comedian and actor Pete Holmes (Crashing); and beloved Canadian actor Harland Williams (Dumb and Dumber, RocketMan).
The Festival will place a specific focus on exceptional homegrown talents with two Canadian Comedy Industry Showcases, hosted by Ali Hassan and Rebecca Reeds that highlight some of the best Canadian comics, as well as the Canadian Headliner Series at Comedy Bar, which will welcome some of Canada’s most celebrated comics including acclaimed actress and comedian Caroline Rhea, stand-up powerhouse Mark Forward performing The New Show (where every performance is completely new), Juno Award-winning comedian Ivan Decker, and Indian-immigrant-turned-stand-up comedian Ashwyn Singh, among others, plus American comedian, actress, and writer Leslie Liao.
Departure will also bring Don’t Tell Comedy, the #1 global discovery platform for stand-up comedy, with two special tapings at a secret location featuring 12 of the best Canadian comedians from across the country.
Continuing to spotlight Canadian comedians, Departure will present New Arrivals: A Departure Solo Sketch Showcase. Created in partnership with The Second City, which has played an important role in developing new sketch comedy talent, this show will feature The Second City's top emerging performers alongside some of Toronto’s best sketch comedians, showcasing their finest solo comedy sketches. Expect a night of fresh, bold voices shaping the future of comedy.
In addition, Canadian comedy veterans Jean-Paul & Jay Martin will host the Trinidad vs. Jamaica Comedy Clash, where top Jamaican and Trinidadian comedians, including Team Jamaica: Julie Mango, Kathy Grant, and Fancy Cat, and Team Trinidad: Jr. Lee, Ro 'Dey, and a surprise special guest go head-to-head in a clean comedy showdown.
Website: www.departureto.com
About Loft Entertainment
Loft Entertainment invests in culture-defining talent and creative partners to tell their stories. Founded by industry veteran Randy Lennox in Summer 2023, Loft offers the world’s leading artists creative, strategic and business services across all artistic and commercial touchpoints in the music, film and media.
Website: loftent.com.
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class-owned venues and a client roster of arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents.
Website: www.oakviewgroup.com/