Beyond The Music Sets Its Biggest Programme Yet For Salford Takeover
Beyond The Music has revealed the full programme for its 2026 edition, with the conference and showcase festival taking over MediaCity in Salford for the first time from 6th–9th October.
Titled 'Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness', this year's conference programme leans into Beyond The Music's ongoing mission to bring the music, film, gaming, media and tech industries into direct conversation, tackling the challenges facing creative industries head-on.
Proceedings open on Tuesday 6th October with a special anniversary screening of 24 Hour Party People, accompanied by a keynote from Steve Coogan, Michael Winterbottom and Andrew Eaton.
The 'Life' programme proper kicks off Wednesday 7th October, introduced by Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig, followed by an address from Ivors Academy Chair Tom Gray and summit discussions on creative activism and the widening class divide across the industry. The day also plays host to the first-ever UK edition of Billboard UK's 40 Under 40 Honors List, alongside keynotes from Dr Jo Twist OBE (BPI), Sophie Jones (Royal Television Society), Jo Charrington (Capitol Records UK) and Stacey Tang (RCA UK).
Thursday's 'Liberty' summit shifts focus to industry investment, creative sovereignty and the future of live music, with further conversations featuring Tom A. Smith, Martin Goldschmidt and Daudi Matsiko. Friday brings the standout addition to this year's programme: a full-day Creative Industries AI Summit, convened by Andy Burnham, bringing together leaders across the creative industries to align on a rights-and-integrity-first approach to AI, dubbed The Manchester Principles.
By night, Beyond The Music shifts gears entirely, transforming MediaCity and Salford's neighbouring venues - TV studios, outdoor spaces, bars and beyond - into a showcase for grassroots talent. Curated by co-founder Oli Wilson alongside partners including SXSW, BBC Introducing, and DMY, the 2026 lineup commits to a 50/50 gender split and a focus on underrepresented scenes, particularly those from Greater Manchester.
New additions to the bill include Birmingham rapper Kofi Stone, South Manchester's Suggz, MOBO winner Scorcher, British-Ugandan singer-songwriter Daudi Matsiko, Cheshire indie-pop artist Abbie Ozard and alt-rockers HotWax, joining a lineup that spans ALT BLK ERA, Walt Disco, The Slow Readers Club, LIINES and dozens more.
With more than 100 conference speakers confirmed, including The Ting Tings, Tiffany Calver and Gee Davy, alongside a sprawling grassroots music programme, Beyond The Music 2026 looks set to be its most ambitious edition yet.
Tickets and delegate passes are available via beyondthemusic.co.uk
Submit music to DMY here.
