FOCUS Wales, the country’s largest music industry event, has expanded its conference programme with a raft of new sessions.

The conference and showcase event, set for 8–10 May in Wrexham, brings together over 400 industry professionals and more than 250 artists from across the globe.

This year’s conference is dedicated to building a healthier future for music, exploring evolving best practices, artist well-being, sustainable industry growth, and fostering a more equitable landscape for both performers and industry professionals.

In line with this theme, IQ will host Watershed Moment – The Next Generation of Music, a panel that will assemble emerging professionals to discuss the evolution of the music business. The session will feature Molly Palmer, founder of a new digital radio station supported by an R&D grant from Radio Cymru; Duncan Smith, booking agent at Earth Agency and former BBC producer and programmer at the Royal Albert Hall and Katie Morgan, a programming manager at ASM Global.

For the first time, FOCUS Wales will feature a live episode of The Money Trench podcast, offering an in-depth exploration of the inner workings of the music industry. Produced by Tape Notes and hosted by PPL, The Money Trench is the brainchild of music journalist Mark Sutherland, whose career spans Billboard, NME, Rolling Stone, Variety and BBC Radio 6 Music.

“This flagship event showcases our homegrown talent whilst strengthening Wales’ position on the global music stage”

In partnership with the conference and showcase event, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol will host a panel on support networks for women in music, featuring Ani Glass, Heledd Watkins (HMS Morris), Adjua and Tara Bandito. This conversation will highlight the support available for women navigating the music industry, including institutional and artist-led initiatives that are fostering opportunities within Wales and internationally.

Building on last year’s discussion, Cardiff University will present a session on music and language in Cymru and Aotearoa, featuring Māori artists Jordyn with a Why and MOHI. This panel will explore the developments of Prosiect Pūtahitanga, offering a unique opportunity for cultural exchange, joined by a delegation from Aotearoa.

These events will take place alongside previously announced panels curated by LIVE, PPL and Music Venue Trust, as well as a keynote talk by Neil Ingham, executive director of Samaritans, discussing the transformative impact of deep, empathetic listening in suicide prevention.

“FOCUS Wales exemplifies the creative spirit that makes Welsh culture renowned worldwide, and we’re very proud to be supporting the organsation via Creative Wales again in 2025,” says minister for culture, skills and social partnership, Jack Sargeant. “As we celebrate its 15th year, this flagship event showcases our homegrown talent whilst strengthening Wales’ position on the global music stage.”

The FOCUS Wales industry conference will take place alongside the festival’s 250+ strong lineup of artists performing across 20 stages in Wrexham city centre over the three-day event. Nova Twins, Gruff Rhys and Sprints top the bill.

Delegate passes are on sale now via focuswales.com. Passes grant access to all conference events, private networking sessions, the pre-festival showcase, the online delegate database, and all live performances with priority entry.

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The British Music Embassy will return to Texas’s South By Southwest (SXSW) this week, bringing 80 acts to perform in an expanded venue.

Now in its 17th year at the Austin institution, the BME will import acts such as Alt Blk Era, Big Special, Confidence Man, CVC, Sam Ryder and Steam Down for this year’s edition.

Upgrading to a 700-capacity venue, the Palm Door on Sixth Street, the UK residency will boast a two-stage indoor and outdoor venue, programming dozens of rising UK stars from 8-15 March. The venue boost signals another year of growth for the series, which upgraded to 600-cap venue The Backyard @ Downright Austin last year.

“The British Music Embassy provides a brilliant and exciting platform for UK artists and talent to showcase at SXSW. It remains a hugely important global facing platform for the best in music, film, arts and technology, creating international networks, business conversations and exchange,” says Joel Mills, director of music for the British Council.

“We are delighted to be supporting the British Music Embassy again in 2025 alongside other UK music partners to showcase some of the best of UK talent. It’s an important catalyst for developing international profile and audiences for UK artists.”

“SXSW is a vital platform for talented British artists”

The BME is a collaboration from BBC Introducing, UK record labels association British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the Department for Business & Trade, the British Council, and music licensing company PPL.

“SXSW is a vital platform for talented British artists looking to reach influential international audiences, which remains a challenge in today’s competitive global music landscape. The British Music Embassy is an incredible springboard for new acts and has played host to a diverse range of UK musical success stories over the years, including the likes of Dave, Glass Animals, IDLES, Jungle and Little Simz,” says Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI CEO.

“There are some great names across this year’s BME line-up, including some supported by the Music Export Growth Scheme, a funding initiative which sees the UK industry and Government unite to help artists develop on the global stage.”

“A fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the most exciting UK music talent to a global audience”

Programming collaborators across the week include Beyond the Music Manchester, Future Arts & Culture, PIAS, Ristband, Awesome Friends, Northern Sounds, Band Share & Output Belfast, Fatsoma, Bonza Music and Omen Magazine.

Peter Leathem OBE, CEO of PPL says: “The event provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the most exciting UK music talent to a global audience and this year is no exception. We are looking forward to the shows and meeting industry partners from around the world at what promises to be an exciting eight days of music and networking.”

Additional artists for 2025 include Antony Szmierek, Beth McCarthy, Big Special, Black Fondu, Freak Slug, Gurriers, JC Stewart, Mary In The Junkyard, Master Peace, Summer Pearl, The Molotovs, Tokio Myers, Wynona Bleach, Yoshika Colwell, with dozens more on deck.

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The full lineup has been revealed for the third edition of ILMC’s Soho Calling (formerly London Calling), set for Wednesday 26 February.

The event will see more than 20 emerging artists perform across six of Soho’s iconic stages: The 100 Club (hosted by Music Venue Trust), 21Soho, The Lower Third (presented by DIY Magazine), Phoenix Arts Club, The Social, and The Forge.

21Soho, in association with Amplead, will host sets from Admt, Bluai, Savana Funk & Kai Bosch, while Music Venue Trust will present The Molotovs and Panic Over + very special guests at 100 Club.

DIY magazine is set to showcase Alien Chicks, Really Good Time, Punchbag and Wet Iguanas at The Lower Third, while Monster Florence, Lola Moxom and Giift will perform at The Social.

ILMC Delegate Pass holders can access the shows for free by showing their pass

Tom Aspaul, Fig Tape & Lleo will deliver performances at Phoenix Arts Club, while Essence Martins, Chlöe’s Clue and Louis Oliver will take the stage at The Forge.

A core element of the 2025 International Live Music Conference programme, ILMC Delegate Pass holders can access the shows for free by showing their pass. Entry will be permitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

A limited number of all-venue wristbands are also available for non-delegates, priced £30, granting access to all six venues throughout the evening.

Soho Calling 2025 is supported by MVT, The Spanish Wave, Kilimanjaro Live, FORM, Notion, IQ, Clash, Drowned in Sound, DIY, Gigseekr and Amplead. For more information, click here.

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A top line-up of emerging acts from the Netherlands and Spain will take to the stage to entertain delegates as part of the International Showcase at this year’s International Festival Forum, which is presented in association with TicketSwap.

An invitation-only event organised by the International Live Music Conference (ILMC), IFF is returning to Omeara in London Bridge with an expanded campus for its 10th edition from 24-26 September, in association with TicketSwap.

Supported by Dutch Music Export and The Spanish Wave, the 25 September showcase in London will feature two artists from each nation.

Dutch Music Export is an initiative by Fonds Dutch Performing Arts, Buma Cultuur and Stichting Popcoalitie, created with the core mission of highlighting and strengthening the international status of Dutch pop music around the world.

“The Netherlands has a vast musical landscape with an incredibly diverse range of domestic artists touring worldwide throughout all different types of musical genres,” says Marcel Albers, general director of Dutch Music Export. “Make no mistake – there’s a lot this small country has to offer to the world when it comes to live music and events!”

The Spanish Wave, meanwhile, is Live Nation Spain’s local talent export and internationalisation programme, working closely with booking agencies, record labels, public institutions and national and international promoters.

“We will be presenting two incredible young and fresh urban Latin acts from Spain”

“In 2024 we will bring a tsunami of the best, coolest, freshest, and most varied emerging music coming from Spain, taking showcase festivals and conferences worldwide by storm,” says The Spanish Wave’s César Andión. “We are back at London’s IFF, which is one of the most important music industry gatherings in the world, where we will be presenting two incredible young and fresh urban Latin acts from Spain.”

Since launching in 2015, IFF (International Festival Forum) has brought the industry’s principal buyers and sellers together each autumn, when conversations about the following year’s festival lineups are well underway. More than 600 delegates have signed up for this year’s gathering so far.

As previously confirmed, the team behind Primavera Sound will star in IFF’s keynote interview on Thursday 26 September from 11.30am to 12:30pm. The Barcelona-hailing festival’s co-director Alfonso Lanza, head of press and institutional relations Marta Pallarès and head of booking Fra Soler will sit down to discuss the history, identity and development of one of the leading lights of the European scene at the 10th edition of the leading annual gathering for festivals and booking agents. Full details are here.

The conference programme is doubling in number this year, with two new sessions already announced. On Wednesday 25 September, the programme will kick off with The Festival Season 2024, chaired by European Festival Report editor James Drury, with Jana Posth, head of festival operations at Berlin-based DreamHaus, chairing The Responsibility Session: Festival power later that morning.

Booking agency partners on this year’s IFF are CAA, WME, Solo Agency, Primary Talent, ATC Live, Wasserman Music, ITB, One Fiinix Live, and Pure, with many agencies showcasing new artists at the event. Previous editions of IFF have included early performances from Lewis Capaldi, Tom Grennan, Yonaka, Bob Vylan, Sam Ryder, Slaves, Raye, Black Midi, Loyle Carner, Dermott Kennedy, Shame and others.

Alongside the agency showcases and this year’s International Showcase, the final night of IFF sees a Rising Metal night presented by Doomstar Bookings, Catch 22, Napalm Events and The Link Productions. Partners on this year’s event include CTS Eventim, See Tickets, Tysers Live, FKP Scorpio, All Things Live, iTicket Global, TVG Hospitality and LMP Group.

This year’s edition is expected to sell out with more than 1,000 delegates.

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The full lineup has been revealed for the second edition of ILMC’s London Calling, set for Wednesday 28 February.

The central London showcase will bring 17 emerging artists to five stages across Soho: The 100 Club, 21Soho, The Lower Third, Phoenix Arts Club and The Spice of Life.

Nxdia, The New Eves, freekind. and Forgetting The Future will perform at 21Soho, in collaboration with Ticketmaster.

Babymorocco, Luna Morgenstern and Lala Hayden will grace the stage of Phoenix Arts Club, while MAVICA, b1n0 and Emilia Tarrant are due at The Spice of Life.

Meanwhile, Backroad Gee, LYVIA and Yiigaa + 7OEL (DJ) are slated to perform at The Lower Third, presented by UTA.

And elsewhere, The 100 Club (presented by Music Venue Trust) will host Noah and the Loners, Hyphen, August Charles and Gia Ford.

Babymorocco, Luna Morgenstern and Lala Hayden will grace the stage of Phoenix Arts Club

Lala Hayden and b1n0 are presented by The Spanish Wave and Mad Cool Festival, and Emilia Tarrant is presented by Amplead.

A core element of the 2024 International Live Music Conference programme, ILMC Delegate Pass holders will be able to access the shows for free by showing their pass. Entry will be permitted on a first come, first served basis.

A limited number of all-venue wristbands are also available for non-delegates, priced £30, granting access to all five venues throughout the evening. Tickets for The 100 Club and The Lower Third go on sale today (Wednesday 7 February).

The showcase debuted last year across four Soho venues, with 16 artists representing multiple international markets.

London Calling is supported by a wealth of great partners including United Talent Agency, Music Venue Trust, Amplead, The Spanish Wave, Mad Cool Festival, FORM, Kili Presents, NME & Ticketmaster.

Tickets for London Calling are available now via Universe: universe.com/londoncalling.

For more information about ILMC 2024, The Arthur Awards, Futures Forum, TEL and London Calling, visit 36.ilmc.com.

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How do you make a sold-out street fiesta celebrating a musical niche removed from its place of origin, attracting small-town folks and seasoned professionals? BALKAN:MOST pulled off just that in the Hungarian town of Veszprém, between 7 and 9 September, with free entry. Taking showcase festivals to the next level, it acted as a roll-call for Balkan talent, and people loved it.

Location, location, location
Veszprém is small in comparison to say Budapest, but a neat little cultural hub seated in the picturesque Balaton region – rich in wines, views and prime venues. The town used the impetus of Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture year to the max. BALKAN:MOST Showcase and Conference, in cooperation with WOMEX, acted as a double-edged sword: it attracted European music buffs besides bagging popular appeal. The crowds – over a tenth of the city’s population – chanting along to Bosnian ska punk or falling in love with heritage-inspired R’n’B would definitely agree. Organisers Hangvető delivered production seamlessly as per usual, nursing delegates along to revelative experiences and fruitful networking. BALKAN:MOST represented the region in its diversity and carried out an ambitious professional agenda and a three-day street fiesta. No coincidence, in a city that has welcomed buskers at its Street Music Festival for decades, and where locals easily take to quirky musicians occupying their quaint streets.

“MOST gave us a big boost, and a new network. We learnt a lot about how the music industry works”

Clever Programming
Organisers relied heavily on the Balkan brand, while questioning and broadening its content. The term oversteps the backlog of ‘world music’, while suggesting that musical heritage is indeed involved. Showcase bands had already had an established working relationship with the team, who began to map out the region’s talent and industry as part of project MOST.

“This is the most important event to show almost everything this project has achieved in these years, like a final exam. Except it already includes the celebration afterwards,” as Balázs Weyer, MOST mentor and programming director at Hangvető put it.

The showcase and conference was the pinnacle of a four-year-long development project ‘bridging’ the gap still dividing the Balkans with the rest of the European market. MOST literally means bridge in Slavic languages, also resonating with Hungarian and English speakers. Thirty-two bands, 100 managers and 60 festivals received a boost throughout the programme, in the form of mentoring, training, networking and performance opportunities. Some, like Divanhana, champions of sevdah, went through rapid evolution: professional awards and attention are resulting in more and more invitations outside their home.

“Being the only Finnish-Bulgarian singer can be lonely. With MOST, I was brought to this big family of Balkan musicians”

Bridge through music
The mastermind behind the project, the festival and MOST’s long-term mission is Hangvető, a Budapest-based 360° music firm with increasing scope in its region and beyond. They initiated the cooperation with 11 Balkan and European partners (BOZAR, EXIT, European Music Council among them), secured funding from Creative Europe, and threw in their expertise and professional network. They recognised the impact hands-on training and personal connections can have on artists’ careers. MOST set off a new generation of not only musicians but other professionals with closer ties in Europe, and made it all visible through BALKAN:MOST. But will it remain a one-hit wonder?

Repeating MOST magic
Inspirational gigs at BALKAN:MOST underlined two key factors of the region’s scene: its kaleidoscopic diversity and underrepresented nature. A sense of shared Balkan belonging emerged among artists emerged as an added extra. Feedback across all tiers of the industry agrees that MOST succeeded in its mission, but the quest remains. A tangible legacy seems to be the personal pathways across two ends of Europe, and within the Balkans itself.

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The Great Escape‘s head of music Adam Ryan has previewed tomorrow’s return of the UK showcase festival and convention in an interview with IQ.

The event, which is operated by Live Nation’s MAMA, will feature over 500 artists from around the world – more than even the BBC Proms – at 35-plus venues across Brighton from 10-13 May.

Spotlight shows will be headlined by Unknown T at Concorde 2 (presented by UTA), Maisie Peters (presented by TGE) and Arlo Parks (presented by Rolling Stone UK), both at Brighton Dome, while stage hosts will include Amazon Music, TikTok, the Royal Albert Hall, Speedy Wunderground and Transgressive.

Ryan says the festival’s mission remains to “showcase the best new artists from around the globe”.

“It’s important that we are helping export offices and the showcase artists from their country,” he tells IQ. “But at its core it is music discovery so we will focus on new and emerging talent and that is always the remit.”

“I don’t think we’ll ever increase the number of artists – 500 is a lot, but it still helps us have cut through”

Leading music talent agencies will be hosting showcases throughout the festival. WME’s showcase will kick off the TGE Beach Stage on Thursday 11 May featuring Hot Wax, Maeve, Saint Harison, May and Future Utopia. ATC Live’s line-up takes over Komedia Basement the same day with Sam Akpro, Billie Marten, Willie J Healey, Blondshell, Enumclaw and Deadletter.

+44 from Amazon Music will also be showcasing an evening of Black music artists with +44 Live presents TGE Beach on the Amazon Music Stage on Saturday 13 May. The line-up will be headlined by K-Trap, who will be joined by AntsLive, Miss LaFamilia,Zakhar and Shae Universe.

“We try to showcase as many genres within the limitation of the venues that we have. The key is to align with credible partners to make sure that we’re doing those genres justice,” explains Ryan.

“I don’t think we’ll ever increase the number of artists – 500 is a lot, but it still helps us have cut through in terms of the artists not being lost. We have about 5,000 delegates from around the globe attend each year and we’d like to expand that; we’d definitely like to try and get that as diverse as possible and be a leading force in diversifying and making the music industry more of a representation of society.

“We’d like to sell more tickets, obviously, because we’re a business, But it’s trying to do it in the in the right way that’s going to enhance The Great Escape and also enhance the music industry going forward.”

“There’s nothing that will ever replicate the feeling of being in a room watching somebody perform”

Ryan also offers his thoughts on the question marks regarding the health of the UK music scene’s talent pipeline.

“I hate that phrase – talent pipeline – but I understand that it’s a business and that’s why we refer to it like that,” he says. “I just find it a bit crude to people’s art that [it’s referred to] as going into a pipeline. But I find it interesting that the speed at which artists can get local, national or global recognition before they even have a live show.

“With TikTok, you could have a 20-second clip of one song generate 30/40/50 million streams, but the live show hasn’t even been thought about and there’s barely 15 minutes, let alone half an hour, to even one live performance. So I think that will have a knock on effect in terms of what can grow through to larger festival stages, but there’s always going to be an abundance of exciting artists making original music and doing it the old fashioned way of touring and playing live, because that just can’t be beaten. There’s nothing that will ever replicate the feeling of being in a room watching somebody perform.”

Italy is the festival’s lead country partner for 2023, and will host two special Italian showcases, titled La Festa, coordinated by Italia Music Export. Anna Bassy, San Soucis, and Maria Chiara Argiro will take to the stage at Patterns Upstairs on 11 May, and The Gluts, Milanosport, BLUEM, and Eugenia Post Meridiem will perform at Three Wise Cats on 12 May.

“It has been tough, but we’ve got there and we’re really, really happy with the line-up”

This year’s TGE conference programme, meanwhile, includes three full day strands curated by CMU – Music+Education (10 May), Music+Deals (11 May) and Music + The Creator Economy (12 May).

“For us, it’s important to have three topics and spend the day drilling into those topics and then hopefully, we can have a conclusion and make a change,” says Ryan.

Keynote speakers include Ticketmaster’s EVP of global music David Marcus, who will discuss the latest trends, innovations and opportunities in the live music and ticketing sector, and Afro Nation co-founder SMADE, who will tell the story of the festival’s creation and development. BPI and Youth Music chair Yolanda Brown, and songwriter, producer and PRS Members’ Council president Michelle Escoffery will also deliver keynotes.

In closing, Ryan adds that planning this year’s festival has not been without its challenges.

“Brighton is a fantastic place with lots of venues and all in walkable distance,” he says. “But with the current economic crisis and standards of living, and rents and rates going up, a lot of the venues have changed hands or changed names more so than previous years, or closed altogether. And it’s difficult to plan the footprint of the festival in November if a venue’s in limbo.

“Production costs have gone up, artists fees have gone up and it’s difficult for us because we’re not a greenfield site so it’s not just a matter of us selling a couple more thousand tickets – we’re limited to the venues that are in Brighton. So it has been tough, but we’ve got there and we’re really, really happy with the line-up and how we’re engaging with Brighton and representing new music in the city.”

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The line-up for ILMC’s first ever central London showcase has been revealed, including some of Europe’s most talked about emerging artists.

Titled London Calling, the new showcase element will take place on the night of Wednesday 1 March across four intimate Soho venues – Phoenix Arts Club, 21 Soho, The Lower Third and Spice Of Life – with 14 artists in total, many of whom are performing huge underplays in these small settings.

ILMC 35 takes place from 28 February to 3 March at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel. ILMC delegates will receive priority access to all four Soho venues. The shows are also ticketed via Dice and Ticketweb.

The showcase is organised in association with FORM & Kili Presents. Supporters of the night include Music Venue Trust/Revive Live, Mad Cool Festival, Comunidad de Madrid, The Spanish Wave, United Talent Agency and the agency’s HEAR THIS new music brand, Ginger & Gigseekr.

Performing artists include Delaporte, Quasi Qui, Queralt Lahoz, Demob Happy, Swim School, Casey Lowry, Jelani Blackman, Bel Cobain, Frozemode, Hamish Hawk, L’objectif, Ajimal, Edgär and Sarah Olivier.

The one-night event takes place as part of this year’s International Live Music Conference which sees over 1,200 live music professionals from 60 markets converge on London for three days of debate, meeting, and networking.

Registration and more information about ILMC and London Calling is available here.

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The final touches are being added to this year’s Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS), which will be the first in-person edition since 2019.

The showcase festival and conference returns to Groningen, the Netherlands, from 18 to 21 January, with a line-up of 290 emerging European artists.

“After staring at cold glassed screens for the last two editions of ESNS it is like a dream come true to finally organise an irl edition and to welcome delegates from all over the world to beautiful Groningen to celebrate our return with great European music and fantastic networking,” says Ruud Berends, head of conference & ESNS Exchange.

“I am looking forward to many essential panel discussions and keynotes about the complex issues we and our world are facing.”

The ILMC and IQ teams will be present at ESNS and lead several of the conference’s main sessions.

ILMC head Greg Parmley will moderate the ever-popular Festival Panel on Thursday (19 January), during which Thomas Sonderby Jepsen (Roskilde, DK), Fruzsina Szép (Superbloom, DE), Kem Lalot (Eurockéennes) and Pavla Slivova (Colours of Ostrava) will outline just what makes their festival so unique and how they weathered the last few years.

The following day, Parmley will steer The Agents Panel, featuring Adele Slater (Wasserman Music), Jess Kinn (One Finiix Live), Summer Marshall (CAA) and Andy Duggan (WME).

“I am looking forward to many essential panel discussions and keynotes about the complex issues we are facing”

The assembled agents will discuss how they have survived Covid-19, what strategies they’re putting in place for their artists in 2023 and beyond, and how they’re continuing to grow their client’s live careers.

Elsewhere, IQ Magazine editor Gordon Masson will conduct a keynote interview with Robert Grima, president of Live Nation Spain, on Thursday.

The conversation will delve into Grima’s 30 years’ worth of experience in the industry, discovering what still drives his passion for live music; his unfaltering determination to care for his artists; and his unique vision that has helped Live Nation Madrid become a powerhouse promoter in the global business.

Masson has also been enlisted for a keynote conversation with global superstar Dua Lipa and her manager and father, Dugi on Saturday 21 January. The pair will discuss their philanthropic efforts with Sunny Hill festival in their native Kosovo, as well as Dua’s style, culture, and society editorial platform, Service95, and accompanying podcast Dua Lipa: At Your Service.

Meanwhile, IQ‘s deputy news editor Lisa Henderson will chair Grassroots touring is fucked, what are you going to do about it? on Thursday with Mark Davyd (Music Venue Trust), Rev. Moose, Marauder (NIVA), Audrey Guerre (LiveDMA) and Max van Bossé (Melkweg).

Henderson will also moderate Future Fit Festival, presented by Yourope/3F, on Friday. This panel will see Christof Huber (Gadget abc Entertainment Group AG, Yourope), Pavla Slivova (Colours of Ostrava), Stephan Thanscheidt (FKP Scorpio) and Maiju Talvisto (Flow Festival) discuss what makes European festivals resilient to meet the challenges of the future.

For more information on ESNS 2023 or to buy tickets, click here.

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UK showcase festival and convention The Great Escape (TGE) will return to its in-person format for the first time in two years.

TGE 2022 is set to take place next week (11–14 May) in venues across the seaside city of Brighton, with around 3,500 music industry professionals in attendance.

This year’s edition will showcase 500 emerging artists from all over the world including Baby Queen, Muna, Lynks, Moa Moa, Let’s Eat Grandma and Cassyette.

Running alongside the showcases will be a three-strand conference jointly presented by CMU, which focuses on education, data and video.

“After a two-year absence due to Covid, The Great Escape has been straining at the leash to get back to Brighton to bring the best new music from around the world into the light,” says Rory Bett, CEO of TGE promoter MAMA Festivals.

“Artists have had the gift of time during covid to really engage with their creativity. The 500 stunning bands programmed across 60 indoor venues and outdoor spaces this year, will have some very special and surprising work to perform.”

“Our conference programme seeks to tackle the key issues and questions facing the industry and we will attempt to examine them thoroughly from many different and world authority perspectives. Discovery and networking are always at the heart of TGE and with the current sense of building excitement for the show, mixed with a weather forecast of 21 degrees and a sunny, we plan to come back with a Great Escape for the history books.”

The music + education conference will take place on the first day of the 2022 event, with music educators, music development organisations and the music industry coming together to discuss the best ways to nurture early-career music-makers on and off stage.

“[We’ve] has been straining at the leash to bring the best new music from around the world into the light”

Day two will see the music and data conference, which will put the spotlight on all the ways data now drives success in the music business – from ticketing to marketing and music discovery to streaming.

Finally, the music and video conference will give an overview of how video can be a revenue generator for artists, songwriters and the wider music industry.

CMU and TGE are also presenting a series of keynote in-conversations with guests including music PR legend Barbara Charone, who will be talking through the highlights and key moments of her career in the music industry ahead of the publication of her memoir ‘Access All Areas: A Backstage Pass Through 50 Years Of Music And Culture’.

MP and culture select committee member Kevin Brennan and musician and #BrokenRecord founder Tom Gray will also be in conversation.

Elsewhere, Ed Sheeran’s legal team will be discussing the recent headline-grabbing court battle over the star’s hit ‘Shape Of You’.

Organisers of the event also confirmed Ireland as lead country partner, Music Support as the charity partner and music school BIMM as the education partner.

Delegate passes for TGE are still available and can be bought here.

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