NXNE will soon invade our city for 10 days of music, film, comedy, art and interactive. ‘North By’ has been a big part of Toronto’s festival scene for quite some time now, but how much do you really know about it?

To gear up for the 240 hour long party, here are 10 things you might not know about NXNE:

1. This year celebrates NXNE’s 20th anniversary.

 

2. Originally the festival started as a three day discovery series of mainly local talent.

 

3. Each year over 350,000 people take part in NXNE.

 

4. The festival generates around $50 million of economic impact for Toronto.

 

5. “Sketchy” is the unofficial mascot of NXNE and has been since 2005.

 

6. NXNE is mostly run by volunteers with over 1000 people donating their time each year.

 

7. Film was added into the festival mix in 2001, comedy in 2010 and art in 2013.

 

8. This year approximately 800 different bands and artists will play over 50 different venues in the city.

 

9. During this year’s 10 day event you’ll be able to take the ferry over to “Vice Island” and enjoy concerts there.

 

10. NXNE wants you to be connected to the festival at all times, so they’ve made their handy app available for download here.