Sled Island 2026 Music Submissions
Sled Island
Deadline: January 9, 2026 at 11:59pm MT
If selected:
- Artists/bands from Calgary will receive $200 for a first show
- Artists/bands from the rest of Alberta will receive $350 for a first show
- Artists/bands from outside of Alberta will receive $500 for a first show
- All artists/bands will receive an additional $100 for any additional shows booked by the festival
A Sled Island Artist Discovery Pass will be given to each performing member of your band, granting you access to all festival events subject to capacity. We recognize the need for more equitable compensation for artists and have made increasing artist fees an internal priority for our organization over the past few years. This new pay structure is a step in that direction, and we are committed to continuing to strive to raise artist fees to more properly compensate Sled Island artists’ time, effort and expenses.
A diverse listening committee made up of festival staff, musicians, community members, and industry professionals will assess submissions for quality as well as fit with the festival’s vision and schedule. The quality of the songs and performances submitted are far more important to our committee than production quality, promotional photos, or media coverage, although these things can help us assess your fit with Sled Island. In short, our listening committee is hoping to be excited by your music and the possibility of seeing you at Sled Island 2026.
Please note that Sled Island only accepts submissions featuring original music created by the artist/band applying. Unfortunately, we do not accept cover bands or DJs that do not play original music they produced.
Note that we do not believe in radius clauses (a clause that limits a band’s ability to play shows in close proximity and time to each other) for emerging artists. If you are playing in Alberta around the time of the festival, we ask only that you let us know so that we can thoughtfully program our festival in terms of choice of venue and lineups.
As Sled Island grows in size and reputation, so does the competitiveness of our selection process. We expect to receive over 1,000 music submissions for 2026, of which we can only book a fraction of that number. Regardless of the outcome of your submission, we appreciate your interest in playing Sled Island. Above all, we appreciate your continued creative work.
For more information and to apply visit Music Submissions: Sled Island.
To apply, please complete the form below by January 9, 2026 at 11:59pm MT. Due to the large volume of applications received and the work required to give them proper consideration, there is an application processing fee of $10 CAD. However, in the interest of accessibility, should this fee be a barrier to applying, please fill out the form as normal, click submit, and skip the payment step by simply closing the payment page when it appears. We will reach out upon receipt of your application to confirm.
You will be notified of our decision via email on February 13, 2026.
If you do not receive a confirmation of receipt of your submission via email, please email submissions@sledisland.com to ensure you successfully applied.
If you have any questions or concerns about your application, please email submissions@sledisland.com.
