The festival and conference focused on music from Northern and Western Canada is bringing its latest edition to Victoria, British Columbia from Oct. 1-3.
The lineup for BreakOut West 2026 continues to take shape.
The Western Canadian festival and conference has announced the third wave of acts who will perform during its 2026 edition, taking place in Victoria, British Columbia from Oct. 1-3. The talented additions span a wide variety of styles, bringing along bubbling Canadian acts like country singer Julia Vos, indie-folk artist Edwin Raphael, plus German post-hardcore band Fjørt. As part of its continued artist exchange program with Focus Wales, Jamaican-Welsh rapper Mace the Great is also set to perform at BreakOut West 2026, just months after five Canadian artists represented the festival in Wales back in May.
advertisement
Going on its 24th edition, BreakOut West continues to be a liaison for rising artists to connect with industry personnel and career opportunities. The four-and-a-half day festival doubles as a conference, hosting a number of artist showcases as well as discussion panels and events, welcoming international buyers, labels and executives from across the globe.
This year, the event is extending its recognition by partnering with and hosting the awarding of the first-ever Meridian Prize, ''an annual, stand alone award recognizing an album of exceptional artistic achievement from Western and Northern Canada.'' WCMA nominees like Begonia, FONTINE and William Prince are also in the running for the honour, which "celebrates works of clarity, depth, originality and integrity, honouring albums that stand as complete creative statements and mark a defining moment in an artist's practice" and will award the recipient with a $5,000 honorarium.
"We are thrilled to bring this year's festival and conference to Victoria. It's such a beautiful city, steeped in music history and we know it will make a perfect host for artists and industry," says Michael Dawson, BreakOut West's executive director. "In addition to today's exciting artist announcement, we are also mixing things up a little bit this year. Festival wristband holders will now have access to a special Hall of Fame induction, the Meridian Prize announcement, and the Western Canadian Music Awards celebration on top of three incredible nights of music discovery."
advertisement
BreakOut West also hosts the Western Canadian Music Awards, which highlights excellence among music artists, releases and executives coming out of the four Western provinces and three territories. This year's nominees are led by Manitoba artists FONTINE, Leith Ross and William Prince, who have three nods each.
This year's BreakOut West lineup continues to celebrate stylistic versatility nationwide, with previously announced names including the folk duo Jed and the Valentine, Winnipeg indie-rock band Neighbour Andy, the five-piece rock band The Bankes Brothers and Violet Night, the alternative and indie-pop project by songwriter and instrumentalist Connor Daniel Pohl. Collectively, this year's talent roster will take over nine local venues, with each artist playing an intimate 30-minute set twice across the three nights highlighting Western Canada's burgeoning music scene.
See the full list of artists added to the BreakOut West 2026 Festival lineup below.
