Why Musicians Leave Vancouver

Every year, the city produces talent that should be global. Instead, most of it leaves. Not for weather or lifestyle, but because Vancouver structurally fails its own artists. Ambition is punished, creativity is mined for cheap labour, and culture is exported before it ever gets a chance to breathe.

This isn’t a lament. It’s a map. From corporate creep to festival marketing absurdity, from the curator class of privileged amateurs to a talent pipeline that literally bleeds into the Pacific — Vancouver’s underground is under siege. Buckle up.

1. Talent Drain Loop

"Every time someone breaks through, they leave."

The city can’t hold its visionaries. Vancouver is a leaky bucket for ambition. The people with skill, vision, and drive drift out to Victoria, Toronto, Montreal, London — anywhere the infrastructure exists. No one stays to mentor the next generation. The ones that do, well, you see how well they are doing; The scene resets constantly. Beautiful scenery, endless rain, zero legacy.

2. Corporate Creep

Raw, underground energy is systematically sanitized. Venues that once pulsed with sweat and risk now pander to brands and sponsor demands. Even collectives that promised autonomy slowly morph into activation zones, optimized for photo ops, drone footage, and hashtags. What was once organic and messy is now sterile and curated. And the worst part? People pretend this is progress. In reality, the city’s edge is being bought out, one mediocre sponsorship at a time.

3. No Pipeline to the World

"Local acclaim means nothing on a continental or global level."

You can headline every warehouse in BC and still be invisible abroad. There’s no system to export talent, no network of tastemakers, no bridge to the wider global scene. Local acclaim means nothing on a continental or international level unless you are actively moving the needle overseas in DMs and musical output. You can grind, innovate, and create something remarkable, but if it doesn’t get picked up by the right channels — channels that don’t exist here — it’s like shouting into the Pacific. Vancouver can produce stars, but it can’t make them shine anywhere else because if they are not hoarding the talent, they pretend it’s not there.

4. Industry Colonialism

"Cheap Canadian labour, drained and sold back in PR gloss."

Canada has always been a resource economy, and the music scene is no different. Hollywood does it with film; the majors do it with music. Cheap Canadian labour gets scooped up, drained of context and culture, and sold back to the world with a glossy veneer. Vancouver’s most ambitious musicians end up as temporary exports, their creativity monetized and sanitized before it ever touches home soil. You’re not creating culture here — you’re cultivating someone else’s bottom line.

5. Festival Culture Killed the Rave

"Wristbands and drone shots replaced sweaty walls and chaos."

The underground didn’t die because people stopped wanting it. It died because spectacle ate it alive. DIY raves, temporary spaces, fleeting experiences — all replaced by branded festivals with wristbands, drone shots, and corporate messaging. The magic of small, sweaty, temporary chaos was replaced by Instagrammable “moments” and marketing departments. Where warehouse walls used to sweat, now only PK rigs remain.

6. The Rise of the Curator Class

“This will never happen without an accountant”— and they can’t even afford one that they are not related to.

Lazy, repressed, well-to-do kids with zero musical instinct are suddenly “booking” lineups. Taste has nothing to do with it — Every decision screams: “This will never happen without an accountant or drug Barron”— and they can’t even afford one. Vancouver’s scene is no longer just about the music; it’s about who can fake credibility while barely knowing a synth from a snare. And somehow, this is considered progress.

7. The Pacific Takes More Than It Gives

"Next summer promises more chaos, more overdoses, and a lot of people playing with fire."

Vancouver keeps bleeding talent, but what washes back in isn’t culture — it’s fallout. With the ICE exodus pushing waves north, the city’s next “import” might not be music at all. If you thought the festival scene was already bad — bad drugs, worse lineups — that was just the warm-up. Next summer promises more overdoses, more chaos, and plenty of people playing with fire. Buckle up, Vancouver. Your city and its festivals are about to get its ass handed to itself. Recall how the bleeding edge of American exports I.e. drug induced psychosis has been more prevalent in Vancouver in 2025 and it’s hard to imagine that it won’t have a lasting effect on festival grounds and culture.

Fewer festivals (and people) will survive

More lawsuits are coming. If you are a festival organizer, it’s in your best interest to hire a couple of business lawyers. They will be there to protect you from your most reckless choices.