For Benjamin Edwards, a career in music festivals began with a camera, a willingness to work and a desire to build something of his own.
The 25-year-old grew up in Bedford and Hammond Plains in a working-class family, playing hockey and developing an early interest in film, television, cameras and design.
“My two main interests was always business and entrepreneurship and film,” he says.
Edwards discovered filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and cinematographer Roger Deakins at a young age while growing up around people involved in making music. After graduating from the Nova Scotia Community College Screen Arts program, he began working in film and television and building his own production company.
He started filming local artists in Halifax before expanding his work across Canada and into the festival circuit.
“I got a lot of great opportunities from promoters to come film their festivals for free back in the day,” he says.
Those early opportunities helped him build a portfolio, gain experience and develop the network that would eventually lead him to the Magnetic World Music Festival.
“Networking is key in any industry,” Edwards says. “It unlocks more doors than anything else.”
Magnetic World began in Moncton in 2022 before moving to Halifax’s Citadel Hill in 2023. The 2026 edition will be the festival’s fifth overall and fourth year on the Hill.
For Edwards, the connection began with a trip to New Brunswick.
“I took a trip out there with a good friend of mine and we actually met with the owners of Magnetic World,” he says.
At the time, Edwards was looking to expand his experience in the music festival industry. He travelled to Moncton, met the festival’s owners, Brad and Brady Dedam, and filmed the first Magnetic World.
“That experience kind of laid the foundation to all the festivals that would come,” he says.
Four years later, Edwards remains involved with the festival as its media and public relations manager, while continuing to run his own production company.
The 2024 edition featured deadmau5 and Don Toliver, while 2025 brought Dom Dolla, 21 Savage and The Kid LAROI to the Hill.
For Edwards, that growth has come through constant adjustment.
“And that team, this team, we never stop learning,” he says.
“We’re constantly learning and getting experience from other people.”
Planning for the next festival begins almost as soon as the current one ends. The team starts looking at potential artists eight to 11 months in advance, considering existing fans, potential new audiences and the genres that could bring them together.
“We’re looking for a diverse range of artists, whether it’s indie, pop, hip hop, rap, EDM,” Edwards says.
“We want to bring something to make this a multi-genre festival that everyone loves.”
The line-up
For 2026, that approach is reflected in a lineup that crosses generations and genres.
Magnetic World will take place at the Garrison Grounds on Citadel Hill on Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26. The festival’s announced performers include Alesso, Sexyy Red and Swae Lee on Friday, followed by Ne-Yo, Akon and Khalid on Saturday, with more artists still to be announced.
The Saturday lineup also gives Edwards an opportunity to reach an older demographic through artists whose music defined the 2000s.
“We’re really reaching out to a different audience, different just amount of age group,” he says.
“Because Magnetic World should be for everyone.”
The booking process involves considerably more than choosing artists the organizers like. The team researches potential performers, checks touring schedules and works with management, booking agencies and talent agencies to determine availability and logistics.
“You have to work with, you know, not just the artists themselves, but management,” Edwards says.
“You have to work with booking agencies, talent agencies.”
The financial negotiations vary from artist to artist, with the festival working within a budget while accounting for fees, travel and the crews that accompany performers.
“Every artist, there’s different numbers for everything, it’s all about the logistics,” Edwards says.
For all the international names on the bill, Edwards says Magnetic World also wants to create opportunities for artists from Atlantic Canada.
Every year, the festival gives local performers an opportunity to open for major headliners through submissions, competitions and other selection processes.
“You know, there’s not as many festivals or opportunities here, so we are bringing that opportunity to our artists,” Edwards says.
“We support our locals, we support our community.”
That local focus is part of a broader ambition to make major festival experiences accessible without requiring Atlantic Canadians to leave the region.
“And it’s an absolute pleasure because we want to give Atlantic Canada the opportunity to experience a big festival like this in their backyard.”
Last year’s festival ran for three days, with different genres programmed on different days. Edwards says the hip-hop and rap day was the most popular.
For 2026, the festival is moving to a two-day format.
The change is partly about accessibility, Edwards says. A Friday-to-Sunday festival can be difficult for people whose schedules do not allow them to attend all three days.
This year, the goal is straightforward.
“We want to bring in 20,000 more people than the last year,” Edwards says.
Magnetic World’s expansion comes as the broader live music and dance music industries continue to grow.
According to the 2023 IMS Business Report, the global dance music industry grew 34 per cent in 2022 to $11.3 billion, while dance music revenue reached $4.1 billion. The report also found that electronic music’s share of festival bookings increased significantly during the period. These figures describe the broader dance music industry and are not financial figures for Magnetic World.
The broader live music market has also benefited from growing demand for in-person experiences following the pandemic.
Music festivals are increasingly built around more than the performers on stage. Ticketing, sponsorships, food and beverage, merchandise, premium viewing areas and other experiences all form part of the modern festival economy.
Magnetic World reflects that model. Its 2026 offerings include general admission, GA+, VIP and elevated VIP table experiences, alongside food, drink and other festival programming.
The festival is effectively selling an experience rather than simply a concert ticket.
For Edwards, however, the business is still connected to the creative work that brought him into the industry in the first place.
Edwards says he is the first person in his family to start a media company and pursue entrepreneurship.
“I just wanted to do something that gave me freedom, something that does take a lot of time, work, an effort, but at the end of the day it’s very fulfilling to create something yourself and build things with different people,” he says.
That desire to build is now visible across two sides of his career: his production company and Magnetic World.
He sees both as opportunities to create work, share knowledge and open doors for others.
“For me, I just, you know, I just want to have, for me personally, my entrepreneurship and my creative career,” Edwards says.
“I just want to have a positive impact.”
He says he tries to teach others what he has learned because of the people who helped him when he first picked up a camera.
“I try to teach as many people as I can because I had great teachers when I first started picking up a camera,” he says.
For Edwards, the goal is not simply to put on another festival.
“We want to fill the hill.”
