DEMO FEST is back for 2025

This time brought to you by The Counterforce!

• Spend October + November recording a new punk demo and submit it to us
• Submission deadline is December 1st
• Release day December 21st

Never heard of DEMO FEST? Read about the first iteration in 2020 where we released over 200 demos on a single day.

Otherwise read on below for more info:

What is DEMO FEST?

1. A fundraiser for Solidarity Across Borders / Solidaridad sin fronteras / Solidarité sans frontières (SAB), a Montreal-based migrant justice network.

2. A motivator to encourage punks to complete new recordings in the Fall, giving us all the gift of new music as we enter the darkest and coldest months of winter.

How does it work?

Punks spend October and November recording a new demo's worth of music and submit it to us. We'll start accepting submissions via this website in October.

The deadline to submit your demo is December 1st.

On the Winter Solstice (Sunday December 21st, 2025), we will release all the submitted demos on this website.

Everything will be streamed for free. Donations to SAB will be encouraged, and collected in exchanged for high-quality downloads.

More questions? Read the FAQ below.

Contact

E-mail us at: contact at demo-fest.org

Check or follow DEMO FEST on Mastodon/the Fediverse at @demo_fest@counterforce.social for the latest updates!

FAQ

What should I do for DEMO FEST 2025?

• Complete that unfinished solo project you've had on your laptop since the last DEMO FEST (2020)
• Start a band with your roommates/partner/friends who've never played in a punk band before
• Learn how to use a drum machine and do something completely solo
• Record music for the first time ever
• Organize a band-off/band in a hat
• Record something new/experimental/really fast with your pre-existing band
• Reunite an old band for "one last demo"

What counts as a "demo"?

You should be thinking of a classic punk demo tape. Three to six songs probably! Maybe 2 songs if there's a synth or it's a noise project.

Does it have to be punk?

The music itself doesn't have to be guitar-based or loud or angry or whatever you think other people think "punk" is. But DEMO FEST is for punks! Don't overthink it... If you like going to underground punk shows or listening to underground punk music or play in bands (or have always wanted to play in a band), that's you!

Do I have to be in Montreal/Canada to participate?

NO! Fuck borders! Submissions are welcome from anywhere. DEMO FEST 2020 featured a large slice of contributions from all over the USA and Canada.

Can I submit something that was previously released?

Please, no! DEMO FEST is for new releases. It's not a showcase for stuff that has been previously released. We want novelty! That being said if you want to finish off a long-lost recording that never got a proper release, that's welcome.

Are you posting everything on bandcamp again this year?

Currently that's not the plan. We'll build a website using a tool called faircamp. It will look and work like Bandcamp but will be just for the DEMO FEST 2025 releases. You can see an example of a site built with faircamp here.

Bandcamp is OK, but the recent ownership changes make us nervous about what could happen in the future. So we want to encourage people to experiment with a different way to post their demos online!

Can I still post my DEMO FEST demo on Bandcamp, or Spotify, or wherever else?

We ask that you at least treat DEMO FEST like an exclusive premier, and wait a few months before posting your demo online elsewhere. Let's say until March 1st, 2026 if you want a date. This will let us capture the most donations for Solidarity Across Borders. It's your music! You should be free to do what you want. We are operating on a punk handshake agreement here, so we arn't going to sign a licensing deal or anything.

Where does the money go?

All funds raised are going directly to Montreal-based migrant justice organization Solidarity Across Borders / Solidaridad sin fronteras / Solidarité sans frontières (SAB). They provide direct mutual aid to migrants in Montreal and support to those facing deportation, as well organize broader social campaigns in the fight towards Status For All!

SPREAD THE WORD

Please share DEMO FEST with your friends far and wide. Here's a flyer to print and share digitally: