In a significant move for Canada's entertainment sector, Vancouver music industry veteran Nate Sabine has been appointed as the new chair of the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA). The announcement was made in early January 2026.
From Club Nights to National Leadership
Sabine brings a wealth of experience to the national role. His career began with independent club nights and concert promotion, later expanding to managing local hip-hop artists. He currently serves as the director of business development at Blueprint, a major independent live event producer behind significant festivals like Surrey's FVDED in the Park and the Contact Winter Music Festival.
His deep community involvement includes recently co-chairing the Vancouver Juno host committee and a past presidency at Music B.C., a non-profit dedicated to advancing the province's music industry.
A Critical Advocate for Live Music
The CLMA is Canada's largest national live music organization, advocating for the entire entertainment ecosystem—from venues and promoters to festivals and ancillary businesses. Sabine expressed enthusiasm for his new position, noting the CLMA's pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"People sometimes forget that during COVID, the major grants that got most people through that hardship were spearheaded by the CLMA with government," Sabine stated. He believes the organization is crucial for advocating subsidies, grant systems, and capacity building nationwide.
While acknowledging that many businesses did not survive the pandemic, Sabine assesses the current state of Canada's live music ecosystem as "decent, but not fantastic" in 2026. He emphasizes that maintaining communication across all industry levels is key to a healthy sector.
Five Pressing Issues for Canadian Live Music
In his new role, Sabine has pinpointed five major challenges confronting the industry, with one standing out as particularly alarming for Western Canada.
The most urgent issue is the increasing trend of major tours skipping Vancouver and Western Canada altogether, often concluding their West Coast legs in Seattle, Washington. Notable artists with upcoming tours that bypass Vancouver include Yungblud, Florence + The Machine, and Iron Maiden.
"This is a very scary thing here on the West Coast because it may, potentially, be a long-term shift in the planning of major artists," Sabine warned. He highlighted the geographical and logistical challenges, noting the vast distance between markets in Western Canada and central hubs like Toronto.
A primary reason for this trend, according to Sabine, is a nationwide shortage of modern, mid-sized venues with capacities between 2,000 and 4,000 seats. These venues are essential for artists who are too big for small clubs but not large enough to sell out arenas like Rogers Arena or BC Place.
Sabine and the CLMA are now tasked with addressing this and other critical issues to ensure the resilience and growth of Canada's live music scene, advocating for solutions that support venues, promoters, and artists from coast to coast.
