Lisa Nandy MP speaking at the Beyond The Music conference

A unique cultural forum to help shape the future of the music and media industries.

Name: Beyond The Music Conference
Start: 2026-10-06T18:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-10-09T17:00:00+01:00
Location: MediaCity

Over three days, 100+ speakers gather for round-stage Summits where every delegate's vote counts, with music, film, broadcast, gaming, innovation and AI in one room, agreeing what they build together.

100+ Speakers
4 Days
9 Summits

Delegate pass from £255 Speakers The format

Poster: the first wave of Beyond The Music 2026 conference speakers and lead festival curators, 6th to 9th October, MediaCity, Salford

The Format

Round-stage Summits, not panels.

Built to
reach a decision

Each Summit is built to reach a decision, not just discuss one. They are named, and a delegate vote closes every one.

Programme

Day by day

Programme in progress · more to be announced

Four days across MediaCity, Salford, Greater Manchester. Open any day for the full running order announced so far.

Tuesday 6 October

The Launch: The Legacy

Opening night and film premiere

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Welcome Oliver Wilson, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Beyond The Music
Keynote Mike Pickering, Manchester Must Dance
24 Hour Party People 24th anniversary film premiere
Keynote Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan
24 Hour Party People x Beyond The Music The launch party

Wednesday 7 October

Life

Opening day

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Welcome Brunch
Introduction Sarah Pearson, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Beyond The Music
The Tom Gray Address (Chair, The Ivors Academy) Do The Right Thing: First Principles and the Human Fight
Artists Summit The Art of Resistance: Creator Industry Activists Assemble
Class Summit Class Acts: Is The Music Industry Now Too Posh To Push The Envelope?
The Opening Lunch Featuring the Billboard UK 40 Under 40 Honours
The BTM Lecture
Sync Summit Soundtracks and Songwriters
Keynote

Festival showcases across MediaCity, and more to be announced.

Thursday 8 October

Liberty

Day two

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Networking Breakfast
Introduction Rose Marley, Chair, Beyond The Music
The Tony Wilson Keynote
State of the Union Summit The Music Industry Is For Sale, But Who Is Buying?
Independence Summit (in partnership with AIM) The State of Independence: Defining Creative Sovereignty in 2026
Networking Lunch
Economic Summit Rights and Wrongs: The Future of the Creative Economy and How We Can Change It
Live Summit (in partnership with LIVE) The Gig Economy: Recharging The Long-Term Live and Entertainment Ecosystem
Politics x Culture Summit Stop The Votes: Challenging The Political Value of the Creative Industries
In Conversation (in partnership with Music Support)

Festival showcases across MediaCity, and more to be announced.

Friday 9 October

The Pursuit of Happiness

The All Content AI Summit and closing day

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All Content Global AI Summit Convened by the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham

Festival showcases across MediaCity, and more to be announced.

AI Summit page

From Previous Editions

The conference, in their words

Press, industry leaders and delegates on the BTM conference programme.

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

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

Pretty rare for me to be blown away by something feeling so fresh and vital — full of conversations that have a real intent to make things better, to fix problems, to create impact. The decision to set BTM up as a co-operative making all delegates partial owners, and therefore so invested in the outcomes, changes the game. P P P P r r r r e e e e t t t t t t t t y y y y r r r r a a a a r r r r e e e e f f f f o o o o r r r r m m m m e e e e t t t t o o o o b b b b e e e e b b b b l l l l o o o o w w w w n n n n a a a a w w w w a a a a y y y y b b b b y y y y s s s s o o o o m m m m e e e e t t t t h h h h i i i i n n n n g g g g f f f f e e e e e e e e l l l l i i i i n n n n g g g g s s s s o o o o f f f f r r r r e e e e s s s s h h h h a a a a n n n n d d d d v v v v i i i i t t t t a a a a l l l l — — — — f f f f u u u u l l l l l l l l o o o o f f f f c c c c o o o o n n n n v v v v e e e e r r r r s s s s a a a a t t t t i i i i o o o o n n n n s s s s t t t t h h h h a a a a t t t t h h h h a a a a v v v v e e e e a a a a r r r r e e e e a a a a l l l l i i i i n n n n t t t t e e e e n n n n t t t t t t t t o o o o m m m m a a a a k k k k e e e e t t t t h h h h i i i i n n n n g g g g s s s s b b b b e e e e t t t t t t t t e e e e r r r r , , , , t t t t o o o o f f f f i i i i x x x x p p p p r r r r o o o o b b b b l l l l e e e e m m m m s s s s , , , , t t t t o o o o c c c c r r r r e e e e a a a a t t t t e e e e i i i i m m m m p p p p a a a a c c c c t t t t . . . . T T T T h h h h e e e e d d d d e e e e c c c c i i i i s s s s i i i i o o o o n n n n t t t t o o o o s s s s e e e e t t t t B B B B T T T T M M M M u u u u p p p p a a a a s s s s a a a a c c c c o o o o - - - - o o o o p p p p e e e e r r r r a a a a t t t t i i i i v v v v e e e e m m m m a a a a k k k k i i i i n n n n g g g g a a a a l l l l l l l l d d d d e e e e l l l l e e e e g g g g a a a a t t t t e e e e s s s s p p p p a a a a r r r r t t t t i i i i a a a a l l l l o o o o w w w w n n n n e e e e r r r r s s s s , , , , a a a a n n n n d d d d t t t t h h h h e e e e r r r r e e e e f f f f o o o o r r r r e e e e s s s s o o o o i i i i n n n n v v v v e e e e s s s s t t t t e e e e d d d d i i i i n n n n t t t t h h h h e e e e o o o o u u u u t t t t c c c c o o o o m m m m e e e e s s s s , , , , 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 t t t t h h h h e e e e g g g g a a a a m m m m e e e e . . . .

— Rebecca Jolly · Sounds Nice

The models that exist are archaic and they're not real business. This is a proper opportunity to reset the music industry and do real business. T T T T h h h h e e e e m m m m o o o o d d d d e e e e l l l l s s s s t t t t h h h h a a a a t t t t e e e e x x x x i i i i s s s s t t t t a a a a r r r r e e e e a a a a r r r r c c c c h h h h a a a a i i i i c c c c a a a a n n n n d d d d t t t t h h h h e e e e y y y y ' ' ' ' r r r r e e e e n n n n o o o o t t t t r r r r e e e e a a a a l l l l b b b b u u u u s s s s i i i i n n n n e e e e s s s s s s s s . . . . T T T T h h h h i i i i s s s s i i i i s s s s a a a a p p p p r r r r o o o o p p p p e e e e r r r r o o o o p p p p p p p p o o o o r r r r t t t t u u u u n n n n i i i i t t t t y y y y t t t t o o o o r r r r e e e e s s s s e e e e t t t t 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 a a a a n n n n d d d d d d d d o o o o r r r r e e e e a a a a l l l l b b b b u u u u s s s s i i i i n n n n e e e e s s s s s s s s . . . .

— Ben Wynter · AIM / Power Up

Very well organised. SXSW watch out!

— John Vlassopulos · CEO, Napster

Conference was really well put together. Prod was great. Impressive. 360 setup made it really engaging for audience — couldn't be better in terms of setup. 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 w w w w a a a a s s s s r r r r e e e e a a a a l l l l l l l l y y y y w w w w e e e e l l l l l l l l p p p p u u u u t t t t t t t t o o o o g g g g e e e e t t t t h h h h e e e e r r r r . . . . P P P P r r r r o o o o d d d d w w w w a a a a s s s s g g g g r r r r e e e e a a a a 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 . . . . 3 3 3 3 6 6 6 6 0 0 0 0 s s s s e e e e t t t t u u u u p p p p m m m m a a a a d d d d e e e e i i i i t t t t r r r r e e e e a a a a l l l l l l l l y y y y e e e e n n n n g g g g a a a a g g g g i i i i n n n n g g g g f f f f o o o o r r r r a a a a u u u u d d d d i i i i e e e e n n n n c c c c e e e e — — — — c c c c o o o o u u u u l l l l d d d d n n n n ' ' ' ' t t t t b b b b e e e e b b b b e e e e t t t t t t t t e e e e r r r r i i i i n n n n t t t t e e e e r r r r m m m m s s s s o o o o f f f f s s s s e e e e t t t t u u u u p p p p . . . .

— Scott Forrest · GigPig

Beyond The Music led an incredible panel discussion on AI in the music industry. Great to connect with other companies in this space. 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 l l l l e e e e d d d d a a a a n n n n i i i i n n n n c c c c r r r r e e e e d d d d i i i i b b b b l l l l e e e e p p p p a a a a n n n n e e e e l l l l d d d d i i i i s s s s c c c c u u u u s s s s s s s s i i i i o o o o n n n n o o o o n n n n A A A A I I I I 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 . . . . G G G G r r r r e e e e a a a a t t t t t t t t o o o o c c c c o o o o n n n n n n n n e e e e c c c c t t t t w w w w i i i i t t t t h h h h o o o o t t t t h h h h e e e e r r r r c c c c o o o o m m m m p p p p a a a a n n n n i i i i e e e e s s s s i i i i n n n n t t t t h h h h i i i i s s s s s s s s p p p p a a a a c c c c e e e e . . . .

— Hazel Savage · Musiio

We hear about these things in the newspapers, online and social media, but it's always good to know that there are people actually doing something and having these conversations at that industry level. W W W W e e e e h h h h e e e e a a a a r r r r a a a a b b b b o o o o u u u u t t t t t t t t h h h h e e e e s s s s e e e e t t t t h h h h i i i i n n n n g g g g s s s s i i i i n n n n t t t t h h h h e e e e n n n n e e e e w w w w s s s s p p p p a a a a p p p p e e e e r r r r s s s s , , , , o o o o n n n n l l l l i i i i n n n n e e e e a a a a n n n n d d d d s s s s o o o o c c c c i i i i a a a a l l l l m m m m e e e e d d d d i i i i a a a a , , , , b b b b u u u u t t t t i i i i t t t t ' ' ' ' s s s s a a a a l l l l w w w w a a a a y y y y s s s s g g g g o o o o o o o o d d d d t t t t o o o o k k k k n n n n o o o o w w w w t t t t h h h h a a a a t t t t t t t t h h h h e e e e r r r r e e e e a a a a r r r r e e e e p p p p e e e e o o o o p p p p l l l l e e e e a a a a c c c c t t t t u u u u a a a a l l l l l l l l y y y y d d d d o o o o i i i i n n n n g g g g s s s s o o o o m m m m e e e e t t t t h h h h i i i i n n n n g g g g a a a a n n n n d d d d h h h h a a a a v v v v i i i i n n n n g g g g t t t t h h h h e e e e s s s s e e e e c c c c o o o o n n n n v v v v e e e e r r r r s s s s a a a a t t t t i i i i o o o o n n n n s s s s a a a a t t t t t t t t h h h h a a a a t t t t 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 l l l l e e e e v v v v e e e e l l l l . . . .

— Natalie Jamieson · BBC Radio 2, with Jo Whiley

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Speakers

100+ speakers across three days

The first wave of speakers is announced — label presidents, trade body chairs, managers, A&Rs, politicians, entrepreneurs, artists and broadcasters. The rest of the line-up, and the sessions each speaker sits on, follow in stages over the coming weeks.

Meet the speakers → Delegate pass from £255 →

The first wave of speakers announced for Beyond The Music 2026