The Halifax Pop Explosion is one of Canada's most respected emerging music, art, and media festival and conferences.
This year's Halifax Pop Explosion takes place on October 20-24 and will feature approximately 100-150 performances by more than 100 bands all over Halifax throughout the five days. A minimum of 20 slots are reserved for Sonicbids members.
Founded in 1993, the festival features the best in emerging, new and innovative music, and fuses it with th>...
The Halifax Pop Explosion is one of Canada's most respected emerging music, art, and media festival and conferences.
This year's Halifax Pop Explosion takes place on October 20-24 and will feature approximately 100-150 performances by more than 100 bands all over Halifax throughout the five days. A minimum of 20 slots are reserved for Sonicbids members.
Founded in 1993, the festival features the best in emerging, new and innovative music, and fuses it with the unique perspectives and exhibitions of art, media and pop culture, from Halifax, Canada, and around the world. The Halifax Pop Explosion has historically combined the excitement of the global underground music scene with the booming Halifax indie pop scene.
There is really something for everyone interested in the sounds of new music. Last year's festival drew over 14,000 people. Halifax Pop Explosion differs from many other, similar events in that all performing artists are paid and may be provided with hotels, or billets (billets = traveling bands are given a couch and/or floor to sleep on by local musicians or fans in their homes). Specific compensation will vary from artist to artist.
All international artists who submit by April 27 will receive a response by May 11 to help accommodate visa requests/grant applications.
The Festival has expanded its programming to support other genres within the independent music community from hip-hop and electronica to folk, alt-country, punk, hardcore and everything in between.
Previous performers include The Arcade Fire, Cat Power, Elliot Smith, Wintersleep, K'Naan, Sloan, Ted Leo, The Hidden Cameras, The Organ, Broken Social Scene, Death From Above 1979, Apostle of Hustle, The Most Serene Republic, Les Savy Fav, Meligrove Band, Ron Sexsmith, The Constantines, Holy Fuck, Crooked Fingers, Hot Hot Heat, Joel Plaskett, K-OS, Fucked Up, Cadence Weapon, Peaches, Sixtoo, The Weakerthans, Neko Case, Yo La Tengo, The Rheostatics, Punchbuggy, North Of America, Sum 41, Choclair, Kardinal Offishal, Chixdiggit, Stereolab, Sunny Day Real Estate, Redd Kross, Jay Reatard, Monotonix, and Josh Ritter.
The Halifax Pop Explosion continues to set the stage for a variety of independent music and art by presenting Canzine East, the east coast edition of the national self publishing zine fair, the Independent Music and Art Fair, with art exhibitions and showcases throughout the city, and the Music Matters Conference, a 2-day independent music workshop and educational opportunity.
Participating venues will include The Paragon Theater, The Company House, The Seahorse Tavern, St. Matthew's Church, The Music Room, Coconut Grove, Gus' Pub, the Pavilion, The Cunard Centre and more.
Praise forHalifax Pop Explosion:
"Finding out you were selected to play HPX is like wining a prize. It is a gift to the band every time we get to play." - Brian Borcherdt, Holy Fuck
"We had a great experience playing Halifax Pop Explosion in 2008. I think it’s a great chance for many bands to play an amazing first show in an interesting city like Halifax. It’s the kind of festival that’s big enough for bands to have crowded shows, but small enough for you to feel that the people organizing it are doing it only out of love of music and live shows." -Yonatan Gat, Monotonix
"There is no other festival in Canada with the profile of the Pop Explosion. I know I can rely on HPX to treat my artists well. The artists always want to go back and play again." – Steven Himmelfarb, Agent, The Billions Corporation