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If you’re a musician or a band looking to showcase your talents on a bigger platform, then you’ll want to keep track of the application deadlines for various showcase festivals happening across Europe and beyond. In this article, Kultur | lx provides an overview of upcoming festivals and their application deadlines. Whether you’re an emerging artist or an established act, these festivals offer a great chance to showcase your music, connect with industry professionals, and potentially reach new audiences.

PIN Music (Macedonia)
30 November – 2 December 2023
Application deadline : 15 April 2023

PIN is Macedonia’s first and only international music conference and showcase festival. It is a part of the renowned Taksirat Festival. The conference aims to enrich the local music sector by bringing together professionals from all around Europe to share best practices, knowledge, and connections. With a small daytime capacity of a few hundred attendees and evening shows that attract a few thousand, PIN offers the perfect platform for musicians and music professionals to network, make lasting connections, and develop their skills.
Apply here

SHIP Showcase Festival and Conference (Croatia)
14 – 17 September 2023
Application deadline: 30 April 2023

SHIP is a brand-new 4-day music festival dedicated to discovering new European and Croatian music, taking place in the city of Šibenik across several venues. During the day, a music conference will take place with panels and networking programs in order to facilitate idea exchange and serve as a hub and incubator that connects Croatian and European music professionals. During the night, the city will become a stage for numerous genre-neutral performances ranging from classical music to the latest developments in electronic music and everything in between.
Apply here

SO ALIVE Music Conference (Bulgaria)
19 – 21 October 2023
Application deadline : 30 April 2023

SO ALIVE is a Balkan focused music conference & showcase festival. It provides a unique opportunity for artists, music industry professionals and fans to meet, network and further their careers from the up-and-coming artist to the seasoned music industry veterans. By applying to play at SO ALIVE, you also have the opportunity to participate in the Sound Ninja Songwriting camp that will take place during the conference. The songwriting camp will be led by award winning producers and songwriters from the Balkans.
Apply here

Waves Vienna (Austria)
7 – 9 September 2023
Application deadline : 31 May 2023

Waves Vienna is the annual music showcase festival and conference that covers the entire Central and Eastern European region and takes place in Vienna in September. While the live programme features a wide variety of national and international acts, the conference offers a diverse discourse programme with panels, keynotes, workshops, master classes, and many networking opportunities.
Apply here

MaMA Festival (France)
11 – 13 October 2023
Application deadline : 31 May 2023

MaMA is a music festival and convention held in Paris that provides a platform for international music industry professionals to network and showcase their work. The event offers a gateway to the French music market and brings together major and independent players from all sectors of the industry, including producers, promoters, record labels, publishers, and media. MaMA features live performances, conferences, workshops, speed meetings, networking opportunities, and more in a unique and friendly atmosphere located in the vibrant Pigalle and Montmartre neighborhoods of Paris.
Apply here

Iceland Airwaves (Iceland)
2 – 4 November 2023
Application deadline : 15 June 2023

Iceland Airwaves is a renowned music showcase and industry festival that brings together promising musicians from Iceland and around the world. Every November, Reykjavik becomes a hub of non-stop music and a four-day conference. The festival offers a diverse range of venues, from tiny record stores and art museums to nightclubs and large-scale venues, showcasing emerging talents and forward-thinking international acts.
Apply here

Reeperbahn Festival (Germany)
20 – 23 September 2023
Application deadline : 11 August 2023

From 20 to 23 September 2023, the Reeperbahn Festival programme will be combining a diverse line-up of new, international talent with the thematic diversity of a progressive music marketplace. All kinds of events are waiting to enthral and inspire fans, journalists and industry professionals across a multitude of venues. Since its début in 2006, the Reeperbahn Festival has developed into one of the most important gatherings for the music world and shows how a superabundant musical line-up can be allied with music business interests and civil society engagement.
Apply here

Live at Heart (Sweden)
30 August – 2 September 2023
Application deadline: Not listed

Live at Heart is a showcase festival, a music industry conference, a creative startup conference and a beloved city party, taking place in Örebro, the heart of Sweden. The festival showcases around 100 signed and unsigned artists in a vast variety of genres on +10 different stages, all in the center of the city.
Apply here

VIVA SOUNDS (Sweden)
1 – 2 December 2023
Application deadline: Not listed

VIVA SOUNDS is a club festival that takes place on the first weekend of December in Gothenburg. With over 40 live shows featuring artists from around the world, the festival takes place in 10 venues that are all within walking distance of each other. The festival is open to anyone interested in music, and also features an intimate music conference with excellent networking opportunities for professionals working in the indie circuit.
Apply here