Supplementary funds for performing arts presenters and festivals have been renewed in the 2025 federal budget.
The 2025 federal budget invests $769 million dollars over five years in arts and culture programs, agencies, and special initiatives, starting in 2025-2026. Of this amount, $67.5 million over three years are invested in programs supporting live presentation activities, and another $54 million to support creators via the Canada Music Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Consistency in Short-Term Funding
For several years, CAPACOA and its partner associations have asked the government for predictable funding for the domestic touring and presenting market (see our most recent prebudgetary submission). The 2025 budget extends supplementary funding for the Canadian Arts Presenting Fund (CAPF) and Building Communities through Arts and Heritage (BCAH), this time over three years.
This is the fourth renewal of supplementary funding granted to these two programs that support organizations that present festivals or performance seasons. These supplementary funds were first announced in the 2019 budget, to the tune of $15 million per year over two years. They were renewed in the 2020 fall budgetary statement, the 2021 budget, the 2023 budget (BCAH only), and the 2024 budget (CAPF only) each time for periods of 2-3 years at most. In 2024, the budget also provided an additional $7.5 million in supplemental funding to CAPF. Supplementary funds for both programs were set to expire on March 31, 2025, which had raised concerns within the live performance community.
“The federal budget provides a huge relief for workers in the touring and presenting sectors. With this three-year commitment, it is now possible to plan upcoming festivals and fall/winter seasons with greater confidence. That being said, the sector remains in a situation of time-limited funding, even though touring activities require long-term planning.”
Glenn Brown, Chair of the Board of Directors, CAPACOA
Balancing Investments and Spending Reductions
The 2025 federal budget also lays out spending reductions anticipated by each department, following the Comprehensive Spending Review. Expected ongoing spending reductions in the Canadian Heritage portfolio should reach $205.4 million by 2029-2030. Of these, $75.9 million in spending reductions are scheduled under the heading “Recalibrating Government Programs”.
Notably the funding envelope of the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund will be reduced and reoriented to focus solely on funding specialized equipment in the cultural sector. This program used to support feasibility studies, constructions and renovations. In counterpart, the budget provides $2.8 billion dollars for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program for the 2026-2027 fiscal year alone. This is a federal-provincial program that supports capital projects in all sectors, including arts and culture.
The Canada Council for the Arts’ budget was spared.
Noteworthy Budgetary Announcements
- $21 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to Canadian Heritage for the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage Program to support local festivals, community anniversaries, and community-initiated capital projects;
- $46.5 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to Canadian Heritage for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund to support professionally presented arts festivals or performing arts series;
- $48 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to Canadian Heritage for the Canada Music Fund to enhance the careers of Canadian artists while strengthening the competitiveness and stability of the Canadian music sector;
- $6 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to Canadian Heritage to support the purchase of Canadian content for the TV5MONDEplus platform;
- $150 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to Telefilm Canada to support Canada’s vibrant film industry;
- $127.5 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to Canadian Heritage for the Canada Media Fund to support Canada’s audio-visual content creators;
- $26.1 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to the National Film Board to produce and share Canadian content with the world;
- $6 million over three years, starting in 2026-27 for the Canada Council for the Arts to support professional artists and arts organisations; and,
- The government announces its intent to amend the Copyright Act to create an Artist’s Resale Right in Canada, ensuring Canadian visual artists benefit from future sales of their work.
Full details can be found in Chapter 3.3 Protecting Canadian Culture, Values, and Identity.
