Acts that have had break out appearances at NXNE at small venues early in their careers include Lizzo, Daniel Caesar, Run the Jewels, The Lumineers, Grimes, Gary Clark Jr., The Arkells, Feist, and Billy Talent.

NXNE Yonge Street performers include: Iggy and the Stooges, St. Vincent, Run the Jewels, Lizzo, Chvrches, Devo, Mac DeMarco, Raekwon, The Flaming Lips, Stars, Billy Talent, De la Soul, Hollerado, Gza, Lights, Ludacris, Matthew Good and many more.

Previous showcasing Festival artists, sometimes in small venues before they were "names" also include: Post Malone, Lumineers, Father John Misty, Daniel Caesar, Arkells, Grimes, Future Islands, Sam Roberts, Schoolboy Q, Sarah Harmer, Vince Staples, Eagles of Death Metal and many more.

[5] In 2013, NXNE added comedy as a fourth stream, formally recognizing the growing number of standup, sketch, and improvisatory comics taking part in the festival since 2010.

In 2016, under the direction of Michael Hollett, the festival organizers changed the format, with the goal of concentrating more highly attended performances in a large venue in the Port Lands area, at 51 Commissioners St.[7] This concept ultimately alienated dedicated NXNE attendees - and proved to be an unsuccessful pilot project.

There previously were free outdoor concerts at Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto, with Canadian and international headline acts, including The Flaming Lips, Ludacris, Chvrches, Devo, Iggy and the Stooges, Billy Talent, A.A. Bondy, Uncle Sinner, Social Distortion, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, De La Soul, Bad Religion, Stars, The Pharcyde, The Raveonettes, GZA, Descendents, Digable Planets, and K-os.

[8][9] NXNE Talks was an early panel that featured essential conversations about pressing issues in the music, eSports, gaming and entertainment industries.

Past NXNE Talks speakers include: Stewart Copeland, The Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten, Steve Earle, Bruce Cockburn, GZA, Peaches, Patti Smith, Thomas Dolby, The Rolling Stones' Andrew Loog Oldham, Fab Five Freddy, Nolan Bushnell and Bullmoose).