Durham Region soundcheck: building a music hub

The soundtrack to Durham Region can be heard everywhere. Whether it’s a cosy bar set, jazz drifting through a park or festival crowds jumping to the beat, Durham has a diverse and booming music scene.

“There’s something for everyone here,” says Diana Cerovich, owner and Chief Operating Officer of the Biltmore Theatre in Oshawa. “One of the things I love most about live music in Durham Region is the variety of genres and sounds and projects that folks are working on.”

Running one of the top live music venues in Durham Region, Cerovich sees firsthand how Durham’s music scene is constantly evolving. “It’s ever-changing but always growing in new and interesting ways. Folks here aren’t afraid to take risks to try something new.”

While heavy into rock, folk, indie and country, Durham’s music scene also embraces niche genres such as underground punk, metal and experimental electronic. It’s this eclectic mix combined with passionate artists and experienced professionals that is turning the region into an up-and-coming music hub.

Mapping the music landscape

The appetite for live music in Durham Region is undeniable. In late 2024, Invest Durham engaged musicians, industry stakeholders and eager audiences to gather insights into the local music industry. Their feedback shaped the Durham Region Music Industry Analysis.

The numbers alone show how active the region’s music sector is: 469+ music-related assets (excluding musicians), 125 spaces and venues and 74 music festivals and events.

“The sheer range of music spaces and events across Durham Region reflects the creativity and energy of our communities,” says Regional Chair John Henry. “There’s a place for every sound, and that diversity and broad range is what makes Durham’s music scene so special.”

While Durham Region has produced internationally and nationally recognized artists such as Shawn Mendes, Dizzy, Lindsay Schoolcraft, k-os, Meghan Patrick, and Boi-1da, it’s the grassroots collaboration and community-building that continue to shape its sound and spirit. “We have a wide network of folks that have been built up over decades from all walks of life,” Cerovich adds. “These people have dreams, vision, passion for what the scene is and what it could be.”

Music means business

That passion and diversity aren’t just shaping Durham’s cultural identity, they’re fuelling its economy. According to the Durham Region Music Industry Analysis, in 2023 the local music sector generated $162 million in regional gross domestic product (GDP), supported 4,895 full-time-equivalent jobs and contributed $110 million in labour income. “Our local music industry is a powerful economic driver. It creates employment, boosts local businesses, and attracts tourism,” says Simon Gill, Director of Economic Development and Tourism for the Region of Durham.

That potential is recognized in the Region’s five-year economic development and tourism strategy: Ready, Set, Future: A PLACE Blueprint for Durham. It identifies music as a key sector within the Region’s priority arts, culture, and creative industries cluster. “If we build on what we already have and tackle the challenges head-on, there’s huge potential to grow Durham’s music scene—and that means real benefits for our communities,” Gill adds.

Facing the music

The path forward isn’t without its challenges. The Durham Region Music Industry Analysis identifies both industry-wide pressures and local barriers, including limited funding opportunities, a shortage of affordable rehearsal and performing spaces, and artists relocating to Toronto in search of broader exposure.

To guide future growth, the Durham Region Music Industry Analysis outlines five key priorities to amplify the music sector:

Spaces and Places: Expand venues, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces.

Visibility and Celebration: Promote local artists and diverse genres.

Supportive Ecosystem: Review by-laws and policies and increase funding.

Connection and Collaboration: Foster partnerships across municipalities and sectors.

Talent Pipeline and Skill Building: Invest in education, youth engagement and professional development.

“We want to make Durham a place where artists and venues can thrive, not just survive,” says Eileen Kennedy, the Creative Industries Specialist with Invest Durham. “We’re listening and responding with ways to make our music ecosystem stronger.”

Building the future

In March 2025, Economic Development and Tourism staff launched a music industry working group to strengthen the local music sector and develop strategies to position Durham as a recognized “Music Region”. “This passionate and diverse committee of music industry stakeholders will help strengthen and accelerate the Region’s music scene,” says Kennedy.

As part of that effort, the Region introduced Beyond the Music, a series of free networking and workshop events in collaboration with the Canadian Musicians Cooperative and other community partners. With initial sessions held in June and October, Beyond the Music offers a space for industry professionals and those passionate about live music to connect, collaborate and learn more about Durham Region’s growing music scene.

Cerovich, who also offers mentorship opportunities and networking events at the Biltmore Theatre, believes in creating space for everyone. “It’s about finding a place for everyone to play—regardless of experience, talent or age—and giving a platform to the mind-blowing ideas that exist here.”

Her hope? “A well-established community that consistently produces and promotes successful regional artists, with significant industry recognition through venues, promoters, artists, governing bodies and businesses collaborating with each other—not just in one city but across the whole region.” 

Durham Region’s music scene is a growing cultural sector. There is something here for every music taste, so get out there and enjoy the sounds of Durham. To engage with music stakeholders and support music industry development contact the Region’s Creative Industry Specialist at Eileen.Kennedy@durham.ca. For upcoming events, follow Durham Tourism on Instagram and for future Beyond the Music events, follow Invest Durham on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Related links

Durham Region Music Industry Analysis

2023-2027 Ready Set Future A PLACE Blueprint for Durham

Check out this episode of Oshawa’s “We are DTO”. In downtown Oshawa, music isn’t just entertainment, it’s part of their identity.