Departure Festival Settles Lawsuit with Canadian Music Week Founder Neill Dixon After Legal Dispute Over Unpaid Sale Fees

Departure Festival has resolved its dispute with Canadian Music Week (CMW) founder Neill Dixon.

Dixon sold CMW to Oak View Group and Canadian music company Loft Entertainment last year and announced his retirement, but subsequently filed a lawsuit for breach of contract and unpaid sale fees.

In a notice of action filed with the Ontario Court of Justice in March that was later expanded, he claimed that the new owners of Departure (who changed the name from CMW) had neglected to pay the full agreed upon $2 million and blocked him from working with a non-compete and non-solicitation clauses.

Now, Dixon has shared that the situation has been rectified. He declined to comment on the status of the lawsuit, but confirmed that the situation was resolved.

“I wanted to share some news with you that I feel is important to clarify that there was clear miscommunication on my part with my colleagues at Loft and OVG and as a result things escalated quickly,” he wrote in a statement provided to Billboard Canada and posted on his personal Facebook page.

Dixon previously posted about his surprise at seeing his name included in a press release about the Departure Honour event advertising his previously announced lifetime achievement award and suggested he would not be attending. However, he now says he plans to accept the honour next Wednesday (May 7) at Hotel X. Other honourees include Dallas Green, Jessie Reyez, chef and actor Matty Matheson, iHeartRadio's Sarah Cummings and SOCAN.

“I won’t get into all the details but the situation has been fully resolved and I plan to attend the Departure honours event and I look forward to receiving my Lifetime Achievement Award,” he wrote. “I wish the teams at Loft and OVG a very successful festival and conference as I know how much hard work goes into it. I hope we can put all of this behind us now and focus on the music and artists that we are all so passionate about.”

Dixon’s earlier Facebook posts about the dispute received widespread support from the Canadian music industry, including some sponsors and labels that had previously worked with CMW.

A spokesperson from Departure says both sides are now moving forward with the transition of the business.

“Neill Dixon and Departure are in complete agreement on the sale and transition of the business,” they said in a statement to Billboard Canada. “All parties agree that what matters is the amicable solution that we have collectively arrived at.”

The resolution comes less than a week before Departure starts on May 6, the first edition under the conference’s new name and identity.