HOW TO APPLY FOR SHOWCASE FESTIVALS AND HOW TO DO IT WELL

As I’ve been lecturing and talking with the upcoming acts in the recent weeks, it has been clear the showcase festivals are of great interest to them as they clearly are one of the most effective ways for emerging artists to get in front of the right people. Be it then to find booking agents or a manager, explore sync opportunities, or simply introduce the live show to new markets. A good showcase can open doors that are otherwise very hard to reach. However, when speaking with those emerging acts and also the organisers of showcase festivals, it is apparent that a lot of artists apply without any real strategy. And then they wonder why they never get selected. It’s often because the programmers can easily see who has a clear vision for their project and who is just applying for any festival that they come across online without thinking things through.

Hopefully this post can help many acts to be in the first group.

What Showcase Festivals Actually Look For

Even though every festival has its own specific criteria and many are using curators to create special nights, most are looking for the same core things:

• A clear artistic identity.
  That means a strong sense of who you are as an artist/band and where are you heading to.

• Evidence of activity and momentum.
  Recent releases, press mentions, playlisting, sync, live shows… anything that shows that you’re not standing still.

• A believable plan for the next 12–18 months.
  Showcase teams want artists they can help move forward. If you don’t know what’s next, neither do they.

• A reason why now is the right time.
  That “why this year?” question is very real. They need to know why they should pick you at this particular moment. And some showcase festivals you can play at only once, so timing is everything!

• The right fit for their market.
  Your music has to make sense for their audience and the professionals who attend.

Choosing the Right Showcases (Instead of Applying Everywhere)

Doing the research can feel very overwhelming, but more often than not, this is where the difference is being made. Having a Google Sheet full of showcase festivals and just applying to each and every one of them is a guaranteed waste of time. Here are some things to think about when choosing where to direct your energy to:

• Genre fit

  If the festival leans heavily towards electronic, metal, jazz, or singer-songwriter acts, and you’re nowhere near that, your chances go down before anyone even hears the song. Check what other acts have performed there in the past.

• Market strategy

  Ask yourself:

  • Do I want to play more shows in this region?

  • Does this market make sense for my future plans?

  • Are the delegates the people I want to meet?

• Budget

  Showcase festivals often don’t pay fees, so make sure you can realistically afford to get there. Some do offer travel support, something that you should figure out before you apply. Imagine you do get selected and then you need to turn the opportunity down because you can’t afford to travel there… 

• Timing

  Again, think what’s going on in your career at the time the showcase festival takes place. How does it align with what else is going on in your career. If there is no real activity then skip the application. Playing the showcase festival shouldn’t be a box you’re ticking, it should be part of a bigger picture.

What Makes a Great Showcase Application

This is where most of the difference happens. A great application isn’t about being complicated and showing off. It’s about being clear.

• A short, focused bio.

  Skip telling them the entire life story and instead make sure you tell them:

  • What you sound like

  • What makes you interesting

  • A few achievements that actually matter

• Links that work.

  Double-check everything. If the links are not working, nobody is going to reach out and ask for a working link. Your application gets tossed. So you want every link you include in the application to guide the programmers to exactly where you want them to land.

• A good live video

  A rehearsal room video with good sound can do the trick, but it will lack the energy you’d actually have on the stage and with the audience. It doesn’t need to be multi-camera, super professionally edited etc. It does need to:

  • Sound decent

  • Show your energy

  • Be recent

  • Reflect what they would actually see on stage

• A realistic plan

  This is where many artists shine or fall apart. Tell the festival:

  • What’s coming next

  • Why now is the right time

  • What the showcase would actually support (touring, international push, release campaign)

• A sense of intention

  Replace “We want to play this cool festival” with “We want to play this festival because our next steps involve entering this region and connecting with these types of professionals.” Or something along those lines. That one shift shows professionalism more than anything else.

What Makes Applications Stand Out

Here’s what programmers consistently notice:

• Professionalism

  Clear details, correct links, a concise bio, and a confident tone make you look ready.

• Momentum

  You don’t need millions of streams. You do need signs of activity, such as:

  • A recently released single

  • A tour coming up

  • A sync placement

  • Growing media attention

  • A team or a growing team

• The right timing

  Being good is important. Being good and at the right moment is even more important.

• Artists who understand the market

  If your sound genuinely fits the festival, you immediately move up the list.

What Happens After You Apply

Most festivals receive hundreds (actually more like thousands) of applications. The review process takes weeks, sometimes months.

A few important things to know:

• Rejection isn’t always about quality. Sometimes it’s about balance: too many acts from one country, too many similar genres, limited slots.

• You are often judged on the total package, not just the music.

• Many artists apply multiple years in a row before getting selected. This is normal.

• The selection team may check your social media and streaming activity. Keep things updated and tidy.

Be patient, stay active, and apply again next year if it makes sense.

Want to know where to apply?

We share upcoming showcase opportunities, deadlines, and recommendations on our social media channels, so make sure to follow us there to stay updated. And if you need help with your application or figuring the showcase scene out, do not hesitate to reach out!