Campus: How to Get Booked (Festivals, Concerts, and More)

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

If you have the songs, the brand, and the work ethic, you are already ahead of most people. But bookings do not reward effort. They reward clarity, leverage, and trust. That is exactly what our next Campus session is built to deliver.

On January 13, Beatcave is bringing in Maria Escamilla, a Canadian touring and festivals operator who has worked inside the system where decisions actually get made, to break down the real mechanics of getting booked. Not the motivational “just email venues” advice. The practical stuff that turns you from “another artist asking” into a clean, low-risk yes.

This session is included with the Elevate membership, which means if you are serious about performing in 2026, this is one of those “do not miss” rooms.

The session topic

How to Get Booked: Festivals, Concerts, and More

Most creators treat bookings like a lottery. Maria is going to treat it like a process.

You will learn how promoters and talent buyers think, how festival decisions happen, what “soft ticket” versus “hard ticket” actually means for your leverage, and how to pitch yourself in a way that makes the business case clear.

And importantly, what to do after you land the gig so you get asked back, get offered better slots, and start building real relationships instead of one-off wins.

Why this matters right now

Booking is not just “stage time.” It is proof.

Proof that helps you:

• justify higher fees

• unlock better support slots

• build partnerships with brands and local businesses

• convert casual listeners into real fans

• create content that does not feel forced because the moment is already worth filming

A strong live strategy also makes your releases hit harder because you are giving people a reason to care in real time, in real places, with real energy.

What Maria will cover

This is the working outline for the night, built for action and clarity:

• Intro: how the live ecosystem actually works and where artists usually go wrong

• The promoter’s role: what they control, what they do not, and why that matters

• Types of gigs: “soft tickets” vs “hard tickets”, festivals vs club dates, supports vs headline plays

• What bookers and promoters look for: signals, risk reduction, and what “professional” really means in their world

• How to pitch yourself: what to include, what to avoid, and how to follow up without being annoying

• You landed the gig, now what: show advancing, marketing support, deadlines, and not getting quietly blacklisted

• Building partnerships: how to turn one booking into a pipeline

• FAQ: live Q and A, with time protected for your specific situations

Maria Escamilla, in brief

Maria began her career as a concert photographer, then moved into live events and quickly rose through Canadian touring. She joined Live Nation Canada in 2015, later founded Moonstone Management in 2021, and today works in festivals and touring while managing and consulting artists.

Her experience spans major tours and festivals, including work connected to names and properties like Ms. Lauryn Hill, NOFX Final Tour, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, Letterkenny Live!, CBC Music Festival, BOMFEST, and JUNOfest.

Translation: she has seen what works across genres, across city sizes, and across levels of artist development. She also understands what happens behind the curtain when the lineup is being decided.

How we are tailoring this to you

Maria is building this session to match the room, not some generic audience.

Ahead of the event, we will be gathering a quick snapshot from attendees so she can tailor examples and advice to what you actually do, including:

• whether you are mostly performers, producers, artists, bands, or hybrid creators

• which genres show up most in our community

• what you are aiming for in 2026 (festival slots, support runs, ticketed headline shows, corporate bookings, campus gigs, etc.)

• questions you want answered, submitted in advance so we can make the best use of time

If you have ever felt like live music gatekeeping is just random vibes, this is where we turn it into a playbook.

Included with Elevate membership

This session is included with Beatcave Elevate.

Elevate is for creators who are done guessing and ready to operate like professionals with a real backbone behind them. Campus is one part of that: consistent access to working experts, practical sessions, and a community that actually moves.

If your 2026 plan includes more shows, better shows, and better leverage from the shows you book, Elevate pays for itself quickly because it reduces expensive trial and error.

You can learn more and join here: beatcave.ca/beatcavemembership