Manitoba Music Makes Great Escape to UK with The Lytics and Leaf Rapids

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From left: The Lytics and Leaf Rapids

Manitoba Music is getting ready to make its way across the Atlantic next month, including industry events in London and its third annual showcase at major international music event The Great Escape (TGE) in Brighton. 

Teaming up with fellow Western Canadian music industry associations SaskMusic, Alberta Music, and Music BC, Manitoba Music will co-host a showcase under the BreakOut West banner at TGE on May 16 at Brighton’s The Green Door Store. This year’s event features a stellar Western Canadian lineup including two Manitoba acts, hip hop heroes The Lytics and husband and wife Americana duo Leaf Rapids, along with Close Talker, Jordan Klassen, 36?, Young Benjamins, and Dralms.

The Lytics and Leaf Rapids will each hit the TGE stages for official showcases and will continue with other European tour stops, including performances at Liverpool Sound City on May 22 and 23. Leaf Rapids will tour across the continent, including dates in Amsterdam and Berlin, before returning to Canada in June, and The Lytics will play several shows in London before hitting Rotterdam’s New Skool Rules festival at the end of the month. 

Now celebrating its 10th year, The Great Escape is the UK’s premiere music business conference, bringing together thousands of music industry practitioners for three days of talks, panels, showcases, and business-to-business events. The convention runs alongside The Great Escape festival, Europe’s leading festival for new music, which showcases 400 bands at 35 venues during its run. The UK is the largest music market in Europe and acts as a barometer for buyers, media, and music partners around the world.

Bringing Manitoba music to new geographic areas and intensifying trade activity in existing markets is a key component of Manitoba Music's trade and business development project, which is funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada. Manitoba Music's market development initiatives are also funded by Manitoba Trade & Investment, Manitoba Film & Music, and FACTOR through the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters. 

Through events like these, Manitoba Music is able to increase the level of awareness and connection between our province’s music industry and the broader national and international industry, which is vital to the career advancement of Manitoba artists and industry professionals. Over the years, Manitoba Music has presented successful showcases throughout Canada, the U.S., England, and Germany, including at major music events like South by Southwest, North by Northeast, Reeperbahn Festival, and more.

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