The Push International Performing Arts Festival

What The Push International Performing Arts Festival does

The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival (legal name: PuSh International Performing Arts Festival; commonly PuSh Festival or PuSh) is a Vancouver-based, non-profit annual contemporary performing arts festival founded in 2003. The festival presents international, national, and local artists across theatre, dance, music, and interdisciplinary performance over a multi-week window each year, marking its 20th anniversary at the 2025 edition and continuing programming into 2026. Operationally, the festival is led by Artistic Director Gabrielle Martin and a small staff (11–50 employees), governed by a Board of Directors, and based on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish First Nations (Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh).

The core product is the annual multi-venue festival itself, distributed across at least eight Vancouver venues including Scotiabank Dance Centre, Vancouver Playhouse, Performance Works, the Birdhouse, the Annex, Roundhouse, Waterfront Theatre, and the Chinese Canadian Museum. Surrounding the festival, the organization operates an expanding portfolio of year-round programs: the PuSh Play podcast (4th season in 2026), PuSh in Development (artist residencies), the Youth Program and youth passes, Accessible PuSh (audio description, captioning, sensory-friendly formats), Industry Programming, Encuentro (Pan-American artist exchange), PuSh in the Community, and Walks (audio/site-specific content). The technology stack is conventional — a proprietary ticketing platform at pushfestival.ca, a content website, podcast distribution via Spotify/Apple/Amazon, email newsletter, and organic social — with no disclosed proprietary AI/ML systems.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit revenue mix: one-time individual ticket purchases through the festival ticketing platform, annual festival passes and youth passes (subscription-style), charitable donations, and corporate sponsorships, supplemented by what is likely government arts council funding typical for Canadian non-profit arts organizations. GTM is event-driven and community-anchored: audiences are reached via the owned website, social channels (@pushfestival on Instagram and Facebook), newsletter, the PuSh Play podcast, and earned media; programming reach is extended through co-presentation partnerships with cultural-community organizations (Van Vogue Jam, BlackOUT Collective, Latincouver, Touchstone Theatre, Music on Main, Indian Summer Festival) and venue/diplomatic supporters (The Cultch, Vancouver Civic Theatres, Alliance Française Vancouver, Consulat général de France à Vancouver, Royal Norwegian Embassy). Primary customer segments are general arts audiences, youth audiences, arts industry professionals, and accessible-arts audiences.

Name

The Push International Performing Arts Festival

Legal name

PuSh International Performing Arts Festival

Website

https://pushfestival.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is a Vancouver-based non-profit founded in 2003 that presents an annual multi-venue contemporary performing arts festival featuring international, national, and local artists, serving general arts audiences, youth, industry professionals, and accessibility-focused communities through ticketing, passes, donations, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Festival

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Performing arts festival
• Contemporary performance
• Live arts programming
• Artist development
• Arts education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual show tickets sold through the festival's ticketing platform at pushfestival.ca/ticketing
2. Festival Passes: Multi-show passes offering access to multiple performances across the festival program
3. Donations: The festival accepts charitable donations to support the presentation of contemporary performance and work with leading artists
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships and sponsorship arrangements for festival support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Push International Performing Arts Festival is an annual multi-week contemporary performing arts festival in Vancouver that presents international, national, and local artists across theatre, dance, music, and interdisciplinary performance, distributing tickets and multi-show passes through its own online ticketing platform and presenting across multiple partner venues. The festival is supported by donations, corporate sponsorships, and grant funding, and operates umbrella programs including artist development residencies, a youth program, accessibility services, industry/networking programming, a Pan-American artist exchange (Encuentro), community outreach, and the PuSh Play podcast.

Product overview

The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is an annual multi-day contemporary performing arts festival presenting international, national, and local artists across theatre, dance, and multidisciplinary performance. The festival operates as a single unified event with supporting programs including the PuSh Play podcast (featuring artist conversations), youth engagement programming, accessibility services, industry professional development, artist development residencies, community outreach, and specialized tracks like Encuentro (Pan-American artist exchange) and audio walks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PuSh Play: Podcast featuring conversations with artists presented at the PuSh Festival, hosted by Artistic Director Gabrielle Martin

Products and services

• PuSh Play Podcast A podcast series hosted by PuSh Artistic Director Gabrielle Martin featuring in-depth conversations with artists presented at the festival, exploring works, creative processes, and artistic visions. Distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
• PuSh in Development A development program supporting emerging and mid-career artists in the creation of new contemporary performance works through residencies and artistic support.
• Youth Program Program designed to engage young people with contemporary performance arts, providing opportunities for youth involvement with the festival. Includes dedicated youth passes and the PuSh Youth Program.
• Accessible PuSh Accessibility programming ensuring festival performances and events are inclusive and accessible to audience members with diverse abilities, offering audio description, captioned performances, and sensory-friendly options.
• Walks Audio and experiential walking content related to festival programming and site-specific performances.
• Industry Programming Professional development and networking opportunities for artists, producers, and arts industry professionals attending the festival.
• Encuentro A program connecting artists and cultural workers from across the Americas for exchange, dialogue, and collaboration.
• PuSh in the Community Community outreach and engagement initiatives bringing festival programming to neighborhoods and audiences beyond traditional venue settings.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Van Vogue JamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of The Motha' Kiki Ball at the 2026 PuSh Festival with BlackOUT Collective. Van Vogue Jam is a Vancouver-based ballroom/Kiki scene organization that works with PuSh on this Black History Month spectacular celebrating ballroom culture.
• BlackOUT CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter with PuSh and Van Vogue Jam of The Motha' Kiki Ball. BlackOUT is a Vancouver-based collective that centers Blackness within the Vancouver Kiki Ballroom scene, creating entry points and fostering belonging.
• LatincouvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter with PuSh of Wayqeycuna by Tiziano Cruz at the 2026 PuSh Festival. Latincouver is a Vancouver-based Latin American cultural organization.
• Touchstone TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter with PuSh of 2021 at the 2026 PuSh Festival. Touchstone Theatre is a Vancouver-based theatre company.
• CMHC Granville IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue supporter for The Goldberg Variations at the 2025 PuSh Festival, presented at Waterfront Theatre.
• Music on MainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter with PuSh of Bijuriya at the 2025 PuSh Festival, in association with Indian Summer Festival and with support from the Government of Quebec.
• Indian Summer FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter with PuSh of Bijuriya at the 2025 PuSh Festival, in association with Music on Main.
• The CultchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for multiple PuSh presentations including Dimanche (2025) at Vancouver Playhouse. The Cultch is a major Vancouver arts venue.
• Vancouver Civic TheatresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue supporter for Dimanche (2025) presented at Vancouver Playhouse.
• Alliance Française VancouverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for L'Addition at the 2025 PuSh Festival, presented in association with Here & Now.
• Consulat général de France à VancouverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported L'Addition at the 2025 PuSh Festival.
• Royal Norwegian EmbassyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted reception preceding Kiuryaq performance at the 2026 PuSh Festival.
• Chilliwack Cultural CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Marie Chouinard's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Rite of Spring at the 2025 PuSh Festival.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Walker Art Center: Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary arts center with significant contemporary performance programming; substantially larger institution but presents comparable contemporary work to similar arts-engaged audiences.
• Dublin Theatre Festival: Ireland's flagship annual theatre festival presenting international contemporary and classical work; larger and more established but addresses an overlapping artist, sponsor, and curatorial ecosystem.
• BAM Next Wave Festival: Brooklyn Academy of Music's annual contemporary performance festival featuring dance, theatre, music, and opera; significantly larger and more established, with overlapping programming philosophy and broader venue and audience reach.

Direct peers

• Festival TransAmériques (FTA): Montreal-based contemporary performance festival presenting international contemporary dance and theatre; comparable by curatorial focus on boundary-pushing work and by organizational scale.
• Luminato Festival: Toronto-based annual multi-arts festival presenting contemporary theatre, music, dance, and multidisciplinary work from Canadian and international artists; the most directly comparable Canadian peer by mission, scale, and operating model.
• Fusebox Festival: Austin, Texas-based contemporary performance festival presenting international artists across theatre, dance, and interdisciplinary work; comparable by genre, scale, and curatorial positioning.
• Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) / TBA Festival: Portland-based presenting organization running the TBA (Time-Based Art) Festival, a contemporary performance showcase for experimental international work; closely aligned by format and curatorial stance.
• On the Boards: Seattle-based presenting organization producing contemporary performance (dance, theater, music) by international and local artists with year-round programming; directly comparable in mission, geographic tier, and operating model.
• Under the Radar Festival: New York-based annual festival at The Public Theater featuring experimental performance from U.S. and international artists; comparable in curatorial focus on innovative work and event-based programming model.

Regional players

• Vancouver International Dance Festival (VIDF): Vancouver-based annual festival presenting contemporary dance from Canadian and international artists; operates in the same metro market with overlapping audience and donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/pushfestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/pushfestival
• Xx.com/pushfestival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Push International Performing Arts Festival