Tixr & Sonic Concerts Craft Atlantic Canada’s Next Great Music Experience
With flexible ticketing solutions, hands-on strategic support, and the tools to navigate high-demand onsales, we're laying the groundwork for Halifax Music Fest to thrive.
Sonic Concerts has spent over two decades setting the tempo of Atlantic Canada’s live music landscape, bringing world-class artists to the region and championing it as a live event destination. Since 2021, we’ve helped Sonic Concerts power over 100 unique events featuring artists like The Dead South, The Beaches, Death From Above 1979, Allison Russell, and Bahamas.
Returning to the iconic Garrison Grounds, Sonic Concerts is going big once again with a multi-day live music experience: Halifax Music Fest. In partnership with Mighty Quinton Concerts of St. John’s, the team is taking a fresh approach—selling more affordable single-day tickets tied to major headliners instead of launching with a full weekend pass and lineup. With a strong partnership already in place, we’re collaborating closely to bring this bold new festival to life.
Thinking Outside the Traditional Festival Playbook
With Halifax Music Fest announcing one headliner at a time—starting with Nickelback, then The Killers—Sonic Concerts is steering away from the typical festival playbook, where full weekend passes and complete lineups are released all at once. This approach borrows from the single-show model, where fans aren’t yet buying into a brand, but buying a ticket to see an artist they love.
“The biggest misconception about ticketing is that you don’t have to do anything—you can set it and forget it. The reality is that to do it well, you need to invest time and test which features best serve your artists and their fans. Anything less is a missed opportunity to maximize your potential and a disservice to your ticket buyers.” – Erin McGuire, VP of Sonic Concerts
The fest is already packing a punch, with tickets sold to fans in over 30 countries. Each headliner announcement sparked a fresh surge in demand, creating multiple waves of traffic, similar to a strategy for announcing different shows at the same venue. Adding headliners is seamless with a dynamic event page that lets fans browse and buy either 19+ or all ages tickets in just a few clicks.
“We were all in this together. Leading up to the pre-sale, the Tixr team double-checked our work, prepared for a spike in traffic on both the server and customer service sides, and suggested features better suited for festival ticketing.
On-demand support was ready, but everything ran smoothly. 10,000 tickets flew out of the gate without a hitch.” – McGuire
Smarter Ticketing Tools to Drive Sales
Sonic Concerts has used nearly every tool in the Tixr toolkit—and for Halifax Music Fest, that experience is paying off. Rather than sticking to the basics, the team is going full throttle, leaning into smarter strategies with flexible Tixr features designed to drive demand and deliver a better experience for fans.
For the first time, Sonic Concerts introduced integrated payment plans for Halifax Music Fest, giving fans the freedom to lock in tickets without the upfront cost, added interest, or credit check. Fans aren’t hesitating to buy, driving early sales across all ticket types.
“A successful ticketing strategy goes beyond just selling tickets. It’s about creating a seamless experience from the moment fans decide to attend to the time they walk through the gates. If you’re actively optimizing tools like tiered pricing, waitlist management, payment plans, and upgrade options, you will drive sales, enhance customer satisfaction, and ultimately build long-term loyalty among concertgoers.” – McGuire
Activating Tixr Waitlist helps Sonic Concerts gauge demand for sold-out ticket types while also signaling where to scale, like adjusting the all ages vs 19+ spaces at the festival if more families with minors show interest in attending.
“We always keep a close watch on waitlist and inventory control features—they’re non-negotiable for us as an independent promoter. They’re essential for keeping shows full and maximizing an artist’s potential.” – McGuire
To reduce support inquiries, allowing Fan Transfers gives ticketholders the option to securely and easily send tickets to friends or offload them if plans change.
Outside of Halifax Music Fest, Sonic Concerts skillfully leverages Tixr features to enhance the fan experience across its events, including revenue-driving features like add-ons and upgrades. With experience promoting both general admission and reserved seating shows, the team relies on our platform to adapt to the scale and layout of each venue they step into.
“Giving ticket buyers the opportunity to seamlessly upgrade their experience to VIP offerings is a huge bonus. We’re a small group, and being able to have self-serve options for ticket holders is key.” – McGuire
Strategic Partnership Beyond the Tech
A great ticketing strategy isn’t just about selling seats and driving revenue. It’s also about finding the right ticketing partner—in terms of product and team—with industry insights and adaptability to ensure the success of an event.
“Tixr is a valuable resource that connects us with successful strategies used by other promoters and events across North America, giving us the confidence to move forward with bigger and better fan features and event setups.” – McGuire
Confidence in a ticketing partner comes not just from the platform itself but from the support behind it. Through custom reporting, on-call strategic support, and a team that understands their business, we act as a true partner to Sonic Concerts—helping the team navigate every event with precision.
“Tixr’s reporting has already been invaluable in helping us understand who our buyers are, what our main feeder markets are, and whom we should target for advertising and partnerships. This information is crucial for securing local support for an event like this. Hotels, restaurants, bars, taxis, Ubers, and public transportation all play a role in meeting the needs of our ticket holders.” – McGuire
A Partnership Built for Long-Term Growth
As our feature set grows, we’re giving Sonic Concerts the power to push each event further than the last. With Halifax Music Fest set to become a major fixture in the city’s cultural landscape, Sonic Concerts is tapping into its extensive experience to lay the foundation for even bigger things.
At Tixr, we’re proud to be part of that journey, bringing world-class live experiences to more fans, more cities, and more promoters who want to scale their businesses with confidence.
Want to see how Tixr can support your festival or event? Schedule a demo today.
