Festive cabaret!
The competition that propels the musical succession, winter in Baie-Saint-Paul · Baie-Saint-Paul, Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada
The festival
In Baie-Saint-Paul, winter has its competition: the Cabaret Festif!, part of the Festif! de Baie-Saint-Paul competition, held its 15th edition from January 17 to March 21, 2026. Created in 2011, this springboard of Quebec's musical succession selects 12 projects of singers-songwriters and singers-songwriters with an entirely original repertoire, and presents them in four evenings: three qualifications at the Cabaret de la Maison Otis, then the Grande Finale at the Salle Multi du Germain Charlevoix.
This is the first competition in Quebec to pay its candidates and offer free registration.
Good to know
Conduct: free registrations (for the 15th edition, November 4-23, 2025), selection committee of about fifteen professionals and professionals from industry, 4 projects per qualifying evening; the jury sends one project in the finals per evening and the public designates the fourth finalist. Spokesperson 2026, one per evening: Lydia Képinski, Malaime Soleil, Alex Burger and Mike Clay, all from former cohorts. More than $50,000 in prizes, including a $10,000 Jury Award and $3,000 Public Award. In 2026, the Jury Prize went to Luan Larobina and the Public Prize to Thee Soreheads. The Festif! de Baie-Saint-Paul, the festival that is the parent of the contest, has its own card in the catalogue. Dates of the next upcoming edition on the official website.