T T T T h h h h e e e e g g g g l l l l o o o o b b b b a a a a l l l l m m m m u u u u s s s s i i i i c c c c & & & & m m m m e e e e d d d d i i i i a a a a c c c c o o o o n n n n f f f f e e e e r r r r e e e e n n n n c c c c e e e e & & & & f f f f e e e e s s s s t t t t i i i i v v v v a a a a l l l l . . . .

Name: Beyond The Music 2026
Start: 2026-10-06T10:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-10-09T23:00:00+01:00
Location: MediaCity

150+Artists
100+Speakers
3Days + 4 nights
1Location

Delegate pass from £255 Festival tickets from £55.25

Countdown to Beyond The Music 2026

Tuesday 6 October 2026 · MediaCity, Salford

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Just Announced

Conference · 7 to 9 Oct

The first wave of speakers, announced.

Label presidents, trade body chairs, managers, A&Rs, politicians, entrepreneurs, artists and broadcasters — the first wave of the 2026 conference line-up. Sessions and days to follow.

Tommas Arnby // Stacey Tang // Bev Craig // Tom A Smith // Dr Jo Twist OBE // The Anchoress // Tom Gray // Nazir Afzal OBE // Sophie Jones // Nina Nesbitt // Daudi Matsiko // Dan Lambert // Catherine Martin & many more

Meet the speakers

Opening Night · Tue 6 Oct

24 Hour Party People

A 24th anniversary premiere, with Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan in conversation.

Conference · 7 to 9 Oct

The 2026 conference format

Three days of summits, keynotes and the All Content AI Summit convened by Andy Burnham.

Read the announcement

2026 Annual Theme

Art is a Human Right

Everyone who makes creative work has a moral and material claim on it: a right to be credited, and a right to be paid.

All Content AI Summit

Friday 9 October.
The All Content AI Summit, convened by Andy Burnham

The first global summit where every content industry agrees a position on AI, built around four anchors: licensing, provenance, attribution and enforcement.

Convened by the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. Grounded in a simple principle: art is a human right.

Festival First Wave Lineup Announced

Bawo // Che3kz // Cutscene // Ewan Sim // Getner // Hana Lili // Holly Head // Jayahadadream // Lady Ice // Loose Articles // Loren Heat // Migraine Mowgli // Mouth Ulcers // Naomi Kalu // Nico Harmony // OneDa // Roukaya B // Superlative // TeeZandos // Teleshopping // Third Kulture

+ more to be announced

View the full lineup

Who it's for

Music fans
Artists
A&Rs
Labels
Founders
Managers
Musicians
Composers
Producers
Students
Advocates
Journalists
Innovators
Brand partners
Tour managers
Venue owners
Tech developers
Publicists
Music supervisors
Lawyers
Policy makers
Agents
Distributors
Songwriters
Engineers
Promoters

Beyond The Music

Our Values

Industry and Cultural change

Building fairer ways for the music and content industries to work and grow.

Co-operative governance

What it means, who owns it, how to join.

A diverse and inclusive event

Inclusive on and off stage, with a diverse lineup and Pay It Forward access for all.

INSPIRE

Year-round programme connecting young people aged 16 to 25 across Greater Manchester with the creative industries.

Art is a Human Right

Our creative-rights principle and the AI questions it raises.

Greater Manchester

Civic positioning, social-change heritage, Salford centenary tie.

Don't take our word for it

One of the UK's most impressive industry events. O O O O n n n n e e e e o o o o f f f f t t t t h h h h e e e e U U U U K K K K ' ' ' ' s s s s m m m m o o o o s s s s t t t t i i i i m m m m p p p p r r r r e e e e s s s s s s s s i i i i v v v v e e e e i i i i n n n n d d d d u u u u s s s s t t t t r r r r y y y y e e e e v v v v e e e e n n n n t t t t s s s s . . . .

— The Line of Best Fit

The perfect environment for fresh new bands to bust their chops. T T T T h h h h e e e e p p p p e e e e r r r r f f f f e e e e c c c c t t t t e e e e n n n n v v v v i i i i r r r r o o o o n n n n m m m m e e e e n n n n t t t t f f f f o o o o r r r r f f f f r r r r e e e e s s s s h h h h n n n n e e e e w w w w b b b b a a a a n n n n d d d d s s s s t t t t o o o o b b b b u u u u s s s s t t t t t t t t h h h h e e e e i i i i r r r r c c c c h h h h o o o o p p p p s s s s . . . .

— NME

One of the most stacked, interesting conference x festival combos going. O O O O n n n n e e e e o o o o f f f f t t t t h h h h e e e e m m m m o o o o s s s s t t t t s s s s t t t t a a a a c c c c k k k k e e e e d d d d , , , , i i i i n n n n t t t t e e e e r r r r e e e e s s s s t t t t i i i i n n n n g g g g c c c c o o o o n n n n f f f f e e e e r r r r e e e e n n n n c c c c e e e e x x x x f f f f e e e e s s s s t t t t i i i i v v v v a a a a l l l l c c c c o o o o m m m m b b b b o o o o s s s s g g g g o o o o i i i i n n n n g g g g . . . .

— Clash

An unabashed celebration of music from Manchester and beyond. A A A A n n n n u u u u n n n n a a a a b b b b a a a a s s s s h h h h e e e e d d d d c c c c e e e e l l l l e e e e b b b b r r r r a a a a t t t t i i i i o o o o n n n n o o o o f f f f m m m m u u u u s s s s i i i i c c c c f f f f r r r r o o o o m m m m M M M M a a a a n n n n c c c c h h h h e e e e s s s s t t t t e e e e r r r r a a a a n n n n d d d d b b b b e e e e y y y y o o o o n n n n d d d d . . . .

— HUCK Magazine

At Beyond the Music, everyone wins, and Manchester is once again a city where we are beginning to see some important social changes in the music industry. A A A A t t t t B B B B e e e e y y y y o o o o n n n n d d d d t t t t h h h h e e e e M M M M u u u u s s s s i i i i c c c c , , , , e e e e v v v v e e e e r r r r y y y y o o o o n n n n e e e e w w w w i i i i n n n n s s s s , , , , a a a a n n n n d d d d M M M M a a a a n n n n c c c c h h h h e e e e s s s s t t t t e e e e r r r r i i i i s s s s o o o o n n n n c c c c e e e e a a a a g g g g a a a a i i i i n n n n a a a a c c c c i i i i t t t t y y y y w w w w h h h h e e e e r r r r e e e e w w w w e e e e a a a a r r r r e e e e b b b b e e e e g g g g i i i i n n n n n n n n i i i i n n n n g g g g t t t t o o o o s s s s e e e e e e e e s s s s o o o o m m m m e e e e i i i i m m m m p p p p o o o o r r r r t t t t a a a a n n n n t t t t s s s s o o o o c c c c i i i i a a a a l l l l c c c c h h h h a a a a n n n n g g g g e e e e s s s s i i i i n n n n t t t t h h h h e e e e m m m m u u u u s s s s i i i i c c c c i i i i n n n n d d d d u u u u s s s s t t t t r r r r y y y y . . . .

— Mancunion

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Countdown to Beyond The Music 2026

The first wave of speakers, announced.

24 Hour Party People

The 2026 conference format

Art is a Human Right

Friday 9 October. The All Content AI Summit, convened by Andy Burnham

Festival First Wave Lineup Announced

Our Values

Industry and Cultural change

Co-operative governance

A diverse and inclusive event

INSPIRE

Art is a Human Right

Greater Manchester

Friday 9 October.
The All Content AI Summit, convened by Andy Burnham