The Departure Festival + Conference has officially taken flight in Toronto, running now through May 11, 2025. Having grown alongside Canadian Music Week, this reimagining of that 44-year Festival focuses on not only Music, by Comedy, Entertainment and Technology forming a hub for the likeminded. Based primarily out of Hotel X and venues surrounding the area, this inaugural edition of the Festival is lifted by some major starpower.

The Departure Honours Gala served to celebrate and honour Canadian creatives and Artists who have made significant impact through their work and coming to receive their flowers this year included chef and actor Matty Matheson, Dallas Green (also known as City and Color), along with presenters and performers Tegan and Sara, Jessie Reyez, Jully Black and so much more. Above this, names like Dave Chappelle, Grace VanderWaal, Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, June Diane Raphael, and more have shows around town.

Some highlights from the Red Carpet, evening hosted by eTalk‘s Tyrone Edwards and Traci Melchor:

Day One of the Festival kicked things off on a high note. Our Justin Waldman and Genevieve Walker sat-in on some fascinating talks with Music icons Bryan Adams and Shaggy as they reflected upon their careers and where they are today. Adams mentioned he’s recording a radio show for IHeart Radio which will be airing soon, setting-up a studio in his hotel suite while he was here. Shaggy who knows Toronto very well, talks about evolution of that Jamaican swag, and being an honourary Canadian having won a JUNO Award for his album HOT SHOT.

Day Two was highlighted not only by the first ever DEPARTURE HONOURS Gala, but guests of the Festival got to attend in-conversations with Matty Matheson (treated to free Matty’s Patty‘s burgers, nonetheless), Dallas Green, and also duo Tegan and Sara focused their conversation on their Tegan and Sara Foundation. Later in the evening we were so lucky to catch Grace VanderWaal on her Childstar Tour at Great Hall where she delivered a spellbinding hour-long set, both stylized and polished.

Justin Waldman will be checking-out HOW DID THIS GET MADE? Podcast at Massey Hall tomorrow night and we’ll be sure to deliver the highlights from this eagerly-awaited show! Be sure to check back!

(Photo/video credit: Justin Waldman/Genevieve Walker/Mr. Will Wong)

In advance of Canadian music’s biggest weekend, Loft Entertainment and Oak View Group (OVG) announced Departure Honours, an intimate reception showcasing and celebrating notable changemakers, emerging voices, and milestones within the music industry. Dallas Green (City and Colour), and Tia Wood to perform at the event, alongside a special presentation by Tegan and Sara, highlighting their foundation’s mission to invest in the potential of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Bringing the community together to honour the past and celebrate the future, Departure Honours includes the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Neill Dixon, former President & CEO of Canadian Music Week (CMW) for his longstanding contribution to the industry; the Independent Achievement Award presented to Dallas Green which recognizes his groundbreaking success as an independent artist, marking the 20th anniversary of his debut album Sometimes (released on Dine Alone Records); and an Industry Achievement Award presented to SOCAN in celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary. Other honours to be handed out on May 7 include the Trailblazer Award, that goes to a woman in broadcasting who has had a great impact on the industry. More honourees and awards to be announced in the coming weeks. Departure Honours takes place on Wednesday, May 7 at Hotel X Toronto, in its New Fort Hall kicking off at 6:00 p.m. ET.

“In building Departure, we wanted to ensure there was a moment for us to come together to toast some of our industry’s most impactful artists and changemakers,” said Kevin Barton, Executive Producer, Loft Entertainment. “These individuals are instrumental in helping to create the vibrancy of Canada’s arts and music culture and we are proud to host them at our event in May.”

Additionally, Loft Entertainment and Oak View Group (OVG) announce key partners and sponsors for Departure Festival + Conference’s inaugural event. Major players included are Amazon Music, Anthem Entertainment, Beatdapp, Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), Exclaim!, Hotel X Toronto, Live Nation Canada, Music Canada, Paquin, Pattison Outdoor, Plugz, Seeing Red, Slaight Music, SOCAN, Sony Music Canada, Ticketmaster, Toronto Star, and Warner Music Canada. The support of these industry leaders is integral to this year’s Festival and Conference, and provides the framework for Departure to connect artists, fans, and innovators across music, art, comedy, and tech. Taking place from May 6-11, Departure will span 40+ venues across Toronto and showcase 100+ emerging and established artists.

“We are very fortunate to have the support of some of the most respected organizations in the music, entertainment, hospitality and business sectors,” said Tom Pistore, President of Oak View Group Canada. “This level of collaboration and partnership is a true testament to what we are building with Departure and the footprint it will have in the calendar in the years to come.”

Departure also acknowledges support from Ontario Creates, and Canadian broadcasters including Bell Media, Central Ontario Broadcasting, CHIN Radio, Corus, Durham Broadcasting, Evanov Communications, iHeartRadio, Pattison Media, Rogers, SiriusXM Canada, Stingray, and Whiteoaks Communications Group.

Departure Honours ticket pre-sale begins today at 12:00 PM EST at departureto.com with general on-sale beginning on April 8, 2025.

Loft Entertainment and Oak View Group (OVG) today announced world-renowned artists and speakers joining this year’s Departure Festival + Conference. Decorated music artists Tegan and Sara, Max Kerman, Fefe Dobson as well as comedy icons Elvira Kurt and Jamie Kennedy join previously announced guests including Bryan Adams, Dallas Green, Matty Matheson, Tia Wood, Shaggy, Jully Black, Mustafa, Harland Williams, Leslie Liao, Caroline Rhea, the hosts of How Did This Get Made? – Live and more. Departure Festival + Conference takes place May 6-11 in Toronto.

Priority and Conference. Passes are on sale now at departureto.com.

“With each new addition, Departure continues to establish itself as a must-attend event for artists, industry leaders and fans alike,” said Kevin Barton, Executive Producer at Loft Entertainment. “From industry leaders to world-renowned performers, this year’s event will be essential for anyone passionate about the future of music, culture, and creativity.”

CONFERENCE PROGRAMMING:
Departure continues to grow its already impressive slate of speakers for this year’s conference, showcasing leaders and innovators from the music industry including Grammy-nominated, Juno-winning indie pop duo Tegan and Sara, Arkells frontman Max Kerman, who presents his debut book, Try Hard and multi-platinum award-winning pop-punk artist Fefe Dobson.

Offering key insights into the vigorous music market from talent management to industry insights, Departure’s Conference will welcome record producer Murda Beatz—known for his work with Travis Scott, Drake, and more; award-winning, multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya; Toronto journalist, author and publicist; Dalton Higgins; Indigenous Rights & Water activist, Autumn Peltier; Toronto-based realism and pop artist Julia Brevetti; co-host of TVO’s The Agenda, Nam Kiwanuka; vegan chef and creator Lauren Toyota, and Catherine Harrison, Founder and President of Revelios – Mental Health Works

Click here for a full list of Conference guests to date.

FESTIVAL MUSIC PROGRAMMING:
Departure will welcome additional musical talents to join the Festival including Canadian Folk Music’s Emerging Artist of the Year Noah Derksen, popular UK tech house DJ Chapter & Verse, rising star rapper DijahSB, emerging country artist Sully Burrows, electronic dance DJ Felix Cartal, who will headline an energetic DJ set outside Hotel X; and former frontman of the hip hop group Migos, rapper/singer Quavo and Murda Beatz will close the festival on May 11th, to cap off the week.

Click here for a full list of artists, venues and schedule of events to date.

FESTIVAL COMEDY PROGRAMMING:
Departure continues its celebration of Canadian comedy with the addition of Elvira Kurt, beloved host of the hit game show Spin Off, performing at Comedy Bar, a cornerstone of Canada’s comedy scene and a key Departure Festival venue. Additionally, actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy—known for his roles in the Scream movies, and The Jamie Kennedy Experiment—will join Harland Williams as a special guest for his two shows at The Royal Theatre on May 8th, adding even more star power to Departure’s comedy lineup.

Click here for a full list of comics, venues and schedule of events to date.

Hotel X Toronto serves as the central hub for Departure’s Conference activities and film screenings, while the Festival will span 40+ venues across the city and showcase 100+ emerging and established artists — with the complete lineup to be announced in the coming weeks.

Today, Disney+ unveiled the trailer and key art for the upcoming documentary, “Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara,” which will premiere on October 18, 2024 on Disney+ in Canada.

Tegan and Sara ascended to global fame as one of the most influential queer indie rock bands of their generation. They worked hard to cultivate an inclusive and passionate fanbase around the world. Listeners were drawn to the Canadian duo’s beautifully confessional lyrics, but there was more than just the music. Fans found within the community the only safe space to come out and be queer during a time when few bands would declare allyship, let alone celebrate their own queer identity. But a bad actor took advantage of the community’s trust and comfort. Tegan and Sara’s world turned upside down when Tegan’s personal files were hacked in 2011, revealing the dark side of fame and fandom. This is a sprawling yet intimate story of how Tegan’s identity was stolen and weaponized in a complex catfish scheme to ensnare members of this community. The film is an examination of the severe ripple effect of mistrust, anxiety, and self-doubt that resulted from Fegan’s (Fake Tegan) actions.

Today, Tegan enlists documentary filmmaker and investigator Erin Lee Carr [Britney Vs. Spears] to find the person stalking her and terrorizing her fans and community for over fifteen years. Interwoven with the investigation Tegan’s team originally conducted in 2011, they uncover new victims and potential suspects and reveal sinister and unforeseen twists.

Told through Tegan’s own voice, the voices of deceived fans, a trove of visceral communications between fake Tegan and their victims, and the visual history of the band’s behind-the-scenes archive, this documentary feature is a thriller, a caper, a whodunnit, and an intimate personal journey rolled into one. It cuts to the heart of love and betrayal, fame and fandom, desire and delusion in the 21st century.

A Story Syndicate production, in association with Carr Lot Productions. Directed and produced by Erin Lee Carr. Produced by Elyssa Hess. Producer Jenny Eliscu. Executive produced by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin; Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin and Kate Barry for Story Syndicate.

Grammy-nominated Pop Duo TEGAN & SARA got a warm welcome home to Canada today. Indigo Bay & Bloor hosted the pair today for an In-Conversation this afternoon. The Hitmakers talked about their new Memoir, High School, which talks  about by their origins in Calgary, to becoming an internationally-recognized Pop Outfit. Anne T. Donahue moderated the fully-packed chat.

We ran into the Duo having dinner together at Canteena on King Street and they were nice enough to stop for a quick Snap! I’ve been unlucky getting the Selfie in previous years, but today was my lucky day!

See our Snap:

More on HIGH SCHOOL here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Tegan and Sara may have been responsible for the rise in temperatures today in Toronto.  The three-time JUNO Winners surprised all with a Pop-Up Concert at Roy Thomson Hall this afternoon as part of TD Bank‘s TD Music Café Summertime Series.  The Calgary-born Twin Sister Duo known best for their recent Hits Closer and I Was a Fool achieved a Career High with their latest Disc, Heartthrob reaching the Top Three of the U.S. Billboard Hot 200 Albums Chart – their best performance yet. As an aside, TD’s MusiCounts Program, for which the Series is in support of, last year alone raised over $200k to organizations across Canada.

In their 40-minute Set today, they pleased Fans new and old alike sipping away on a variety of Sodastream Beverages, focussing much on their recent material before fielding questions from CBC‘s Jian Ghomeshi in an intimate Q&A afterwards.  Their performance despite a hectic touring schedule which last saw them in Boston, still packed a punch and sounded pitch perfect.

A handful of Fans hoping to get “closer” to the Duo unfortunately didn’t have much luck as they were rushed into their SUV before heading-off to the Airport for a two-week hiatus.  The Sisters will be back in Toronto at WorldPride 2014 at the end of June!

 (Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Now in its 33rd year, Canadian Music Week is set to kick-off in Toronto Tuesday, May 6 through Saturday, May 10, 2014!  The Festival this year is heavy on talent in the Female Contingent with Tegan and Sara, Neko Case, M.I.A. and Ellie Goulding among those headlining.  The Lineup will continue to be unveiled in coming weeks but we’re pretty impressed already!

Here in Toronto for Interviews this year are the likes of deadmau5, City and Colour, Bruce Cockburn and recent GRAMMY Winner Nile Rodgers (Get Lucky).

For now, you can buy Tickets on CMW‘s Official Website here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

“Love is patient, love is kind.”.

Incredibly, incredibly jealous of those of you who got to attend the Osheaga Festival in Montreal this weekend. Among the featured Acts was of course Macklemore & Ryan Lewis who kicked-off the Canadian leg of their Tour in Toronto at Echo Beach on Friday night. Delivering a great surprise was our v. own Tegan & Sara, who appeared on-stage performing the pro-LGBTQ Track Same Love, substituting for Mary Lambert who provides vocals on the Original. A magical moment and there couldn’t be more fitting Guest Vocalists.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Music)

The Clinton Foundation Millennium Network held its inaugural Toronto Event this evening at The Berkeley Church and ringing-in the occasion was Honorary Ambassador Rachel McAdams and Special Musical Guest Tegan and Sara.  President Bill Clinton‘s Foundation since 2007 has encouraged the next generation to address global challenges like improving Global Health, strengthening Economies and promoting healthier Childhoods.

Speaking before  a sold-out Crowd, Clinton arrived at a hidden entrance at the Venue with a multi-SUV Barricade speaking for approximately 30 minutes tonight.  Tickets ranged from $150-$2500, the upper range allowing Fans of his an ultra-rare Photo Op with him.  McAdams went on stage at approximately 8:00 PM to speak briefly and Canadian Alternative Rock/Pop Sensations Tegan and Sara entertained the audience with a quick Set shortly after Clinton spoke.

With several members of the Secret Service present to ensure his safety, a fit and tanned-looking Clinton exited the Venue, throwing a quick wave to Fans and exchanging niceties with some of the Event’s Organizers.  McAdams also was super-kind to come out quickly to greet Fans after being spotted chatting with Clinton by the Exit.

See a Clip of Clinton greeting Fans below:

See our Snap with McAdams below, our second time meeting the talented Actress!

See a Clip of McAdams greeting Fans below:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)