In Canada: Inside Danielle Smith’s Plans to Make the Calgary Music Industry ‘Nashville North’
Also up north this week: The Beaches scores its first gold-certified record in the U.S. and Vancouver's Reliant Music Group signs a global distribution deal.
Calgary, Alberta is aiming to become Canada's next big music hub under Premier Danielle Smith's leadership. Seeking inspiration from Music City, Nashville, Smith toured the Tennessee city to learn how it grew its thriving music industry. She believes the key to success lies in already existing foundations in Alberta, and she wants to establish partnerships to transfer talent and expertise from the province's music industry to grow its value.
Currently worth an estimated $2.3 billion, Calgary's industry is set to increase its impact, mirroring Nashville's $28.3 billion influence. To support this growth, the Alberta government is investing in infrastructure, including the upcoming Scotia Place, a new arena for the Calgary Flames, which is set to open in 2027, and Stampede Park, which aims to become a year-round entertainment destination through a 20-year plan.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
