Artist Application
The New Colossus Festival
March 8-12, 2023
LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
Application Deadline: 1 November, 2022
Thank you for your interest in performing at The New Colossus Festival 2023. We're excited to return to New York City's Lower East Side 8-12 March and look forward to reconnecting with the wonderful community we've been building over the past several years.
Before you rush into filling out the form and paying the application fee, we urge you to read the following carefully. If you have any further questions related to this application, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: info@newcolossusfestival.com.
Who We Are & What We Are Looking For:
The New Colossus Festival is a celebration of live music focusing on emerging artists from around the world. We take a slightly different approach and prioritize the artists' careers by putting together a comprehensive series of showcases targeted to the music industry, press, and local fans. We have also built this annual event as a space for likeminded artists to connect with one another because we all know that is where the magic really happens. What we are looking for from artists is based on three factors:
1. The Music
Quality music has always been our number one focus. The festival is centered on indie rock, but we are open to any genre that generally fits around that. Before you apply or read any further, we strongly recommend you listen to our Spotify playlist from 2022 and decide if you think your music would fit.
2. Newness
The festival is a discovery platform and we are looking for new artists, bands, and musical projects to perform.
3. Showcase Ready
A showcase festival by nature focuses on new/emerging talent and we're excited to present the next wave of new music to our community. We will be choosing performers who we feel will get the most out of this experience.
Please do not apply if you are:
1. Not confident you fit the criteria outlined above.
2. A cover band. We're looking for original artists performing original material.
Festival Dates:
The dates of The New Colossus Festival are March 8-12, 2023* at select venues on New York City’s historic Lower East Side. Please understand that we need to have a radius clause for all festival artists to ensure the highest quality experience for everyone. This simply means no additional public shows in the NYC area (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) between February & March 2023.
*DISCLAIMER: Conditions such as a public health emergency or bad weather fall beyond the control of the organizers and may cause The New Colossus Festival to alter or cancel programming without notice. The artist and their representatives will not hold The New Colossus Festival responsible for expenses incurred by the performers or their teams including travel, accommodation, or promo due to cancellations for such matters.
Programming:
International artists will make up 75-80% of the program and get at least two separate 30-minute showcase slots. US artists will make up 20-25% will be given at least one 30-minute showcase slot.
Age Restrictions:
The legal age to enter the venues is 21+**. Be advised that underage performers will be able to perform, but will have limited access to the festival.
**DISCLAIMER: Anyone under 21 years old caught drinking or anyone who provides alcohol to underage people will cause their entire party to be removed from the festival. The artist and their representatives will not hold The New Colossus Festival responsible for expenses incurred by the performers or their teams including travel, accommodation, or promo due to violating the law.
Festival Access:
We will provide complimentary festival badges (value = $100 each) to all performers and road crew who are 21 years old and over. This grants priority access*** to all events including showcases, parties, happy hours, and the "Colossal Conversations" panel series.
***DISCLAIMER: Any person or any song/artwork/action/performance that is racist, homophobic, misogynist, or otherwise hateful or harmful is not welcome at the festival or in our community. We reserve the right to remove performers from the line-up based on failing to meet our professional and ethical standards. We will not be held responsible for expenses incurred by the performers or their teams including travel, accommodation, or promo due to cancellations for such matters.
Compensation:
There may be opportunities to earn compensation based on venue door deals. Please keep in mind, unlike a traditional gig, this is a showcase which is a 30min set with the main purpose of being seen by "buyers" such as industry: booking agents, record label A&R, managers, sync licensing, and fans.
A Note for International Artists:
Proper authorization such as a visa is required by law for most non-citizens to enter the US and do business. Applicants who are invited to perform will agree to take full responsibility for knowing what they may need to travel and work in the US including covering any fees associated with obtaining authorization.
Application Fee:
There's a non-refundable discounted $80 application fee for those who are referred by an export office. This covers basic administrative costs.
Thank you again for your interest in playing at The New Colossus Festival. We look forward to checking out your music and will be in touch within 30 days of the application deadline of 1 November 2022.