DICE Expands To Canada With Launch In Toronto 

Independent music ticketing platform DICE is continuing its expansion across North America by making its debut in Canada. As part of its official launch in Toronto Oct. 19, DICE has announced a round of partnerships and its first Canadian hire.  

“Toronto is the perfect stage for DICE’s Canadian debut,” DICE President Russ Tannen said in a statement. “With our new partners, we can bring fans in Canada the shows they love with an easy, innovative, and transparent ticketing experience that was designed for them.”

The partners include Collective Concerts, which a release from DICE points out is “Toronto’s largest independent concert promoter that has worked with a notable roster of artists like Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Fleet Foxes, Slowdive, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Big Thief, Broken Social Scene, Faye Webster, and more.” The other partners are Transmit Presents, The Garrison, Baby G, Not Dead Yet, Soluna, Prepare the Ground, South Paw, and more.

DICE calls itself the biggest independent music ticketing company in the world, thanks to working with 10,000 partners globally – including artists, promoters, festivals and venues such as New York’s Avant Gardner and Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals – and millions of fans using the app each month. The company, which was founded in London in 2014 and made its debut in the U.S. in 2019, aims to break “down the barriers that get in the way of a good time, such as unfair pricing, hidden fees, and ticket profiteers.”

Dave Lock has been named as DICE’s first Canadian hire in the role of Director of Venue & Promoter Partnerships. He has more than 15 years of experience working in the music industry in Toronto.

“After my introductory meeting with the DICE team, the first thing I thought was how much I wish we had DICE when I was going to shows in Toronto growing up,” Lock said in a statement. “Their fan-first app and discovery features are game changers that almost every promoter and venue owner I’ve worked with over the past 15 years have been asking for. I’m thrilled to be leading DICE’s expansion into Canada and can’t wait to see how this transforms an industry that has been in desperate need of innovation.”

Recently DICE announced in August it had raised a $65 million funding round led by investment company MUSIC with plans to launch in new cities across the U.S. and world, starting with Austin, Texas. Thursday’s announcement notes that DICE’s new regions include Scotland, Liverpool, UK, and Miami.