The Ultimate Guide to Music Industry Events in 2026

The music industry is a dynamic landscape, and staying connected is crucial for professionals and enthusiasts alike. From major international conferences to niche festivals, 2026 promises a robust calendar of events.This guide provides a comprehensive overview of key dates and happenings, helping you navigate the industry’s most crucial gatherings. This calendar is current as of January 6, 2026, and will be updated as new information becomes available.

January 2026: Kicking Off the Year

• January 7 – A Concert for Altadena benefit (Pasadena, Calif.): A charitable event supporting the local community.
• January 7-13 – The 5th Element Festival (san Juan, Puerto Rico): A multi-genre festival offering a unique cultural experience.
• January 11 – globalFEST (New York): A festivity of global music, showcasing diverse artists from around the world.
• January 11 – Golden Globes (Beverly Hills, Calif.): The annual award ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, often featuring musical performances.
• January 14 – European Festival Awards (Groningen, the Netherlands): Recognizing the best festivals across Europe.
• January 14-17 – Eurosonic Noorderslag (Groningen, The netherlands): A showcase for European emerging talent and a key industry conference.
• January 15-February 7 – Igloofest Montréal festival (Montreal): An outdoor electronic music festival held in the heart of winter.
• January 17 – iHeartRadio ALTer EGO festival (Los Angeles): A festival featuring alternative rock artists.
• January 17-18 – GMO SONIC festival (Chiba, Japan): A large-scale music festival in Japan.
• January 20-24 – The NAMM show (Anaheim, Calif.): A global trade show for the music products industry.
• January 21 – International Folk Music Awards (New Orleans): Celebrating excellence in folk, roots, and bluegrass music.
• January 21-25 – Folk alliance International Conference (New Orleans): A major gathering for the folk music community.
• January 23 – She Rocks Awards (anaheim, Calif.): Honoring women in the music industry.
• January 27 – CMA Touring Awards (Nashville): Recognizing the individuals behind successful country music tours.
• January 27 – Resonator Awards (Los Angeles): Celebrating the best in music marketing and promotion.
• January 27-31 – Mile 0 Fest (Key West, Fla.): A multi-day music festival in Key West.
• January 28 – NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Songwriter Awards (Los Angeles): Honoring the craft of songwriting.
• January 28-February 1 – AO LIVE Presents at Australian Open (Melbourne, Australia): Music performances during the Australian Open tennis tournament.
• January 29 – Clio Music Awards (Beverly Hills, Calif.): Recognizing creative excellence in music marketing and advertising.
• January 29 – Grammy Week State of Music Publishing with David Israelite (Los Angeles): A discussion on the state of the music publishing industry.
• January 29 – Recording Academy Honors (Los Angeles): A pre-Grammy gala celebrating industry leaders.
• January 31 – Pre-Grammy Gala (Los Angeles): A high-profile event leading up to the Grammy Awards.

February 2026: continuing the Momentum

February typically sees a continuation of industry networking and planning for spring festivals. Specific events for February 2026 are still being announced.

March 2026: Festival Season Begins

• March 2-4 – Women in Music Global Summit (Toronto): A summit dedicated to empowering women in the music industry.
• March 7-8 – Jazz in the Gardens Music Fest (Miami Gardens, Fla.): A popular jazz and R&B festival.
• March 7-8 – Rolling Loud Australia (Sydney and Melbourne,Australia): A major hip-hop festival.
• March 12-18 – SXSW (Austin): A sprawling conference and festival covering music, film, interactive media, and more.
• March 13-15 – C2C: Country to Country (London; Belfast, N.Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland): A country music festival with multiple locations.
• March 13-15 – Lollapalooza Argentina (San Isidro,Argentina): The Argentinian edition of the iconic Lollapalooza festival.
• March 13-15 – lollapalooza chile (Santiago, Chile): The Chilean edition of Lollapalooza.
• March 14 – Hello, Melbourne festival (Melbourne, Australia): A music festival in Melbourne.
• March 14-15 – Vive Latino festival (Mexico City): A major Latin American music festival.
• March 18-20 – Country Radio Seminar (Nashville): A conference for country radio professionals.
• March 19-21 – Wavelength Music Festival + Conference (Toronto): A festival and conference showcasing independent music.
• march 19-22 – Okeechobee music & Arts Festival (Okeechobee,Fla.): A multi-genre festival with a focus on art and community.
• March 20-22 – Lollapalooza Brazil (São Paulo): The Brazilian edition of Lollapalooza.
• March 22 – Susan G. Komen Band As One Nashville Concert for the Cure (Nashville): A benefit concert supporting breast cancer research.
• March 22-25 – MUSEXPO (Burbank,calif.): A music industry conference and showcase.
• March 24-26 – Winter Music Conference (Miami): A leading electronic music conference.
• March 25 – fun Buisness Days miami (Miami): A networking event for the music industry.
• March 25-29 – Treefort Music Fest (Boise, Idaho): An independent music festival.
• March 26 – HBCU AWAREFEST (Atlanta): A festival celebrating historically Black Colleges and Universities.
• March 26 – MOBO Awards (Manchester, England): Celebrating music of Black origin.
• March 26-29 – Big Ears Festival (Knoxville, Tenn.): A festival of classical, contemporary, and experimental music.
• March 27-29 – Pa’l Norte festival (Monterrey, Mexico): A large-scale music festival in Mexico.
• March 27-29 – Ultra Music Festival (Miami): A major electronic dance music festival.

April 2026: Festival Season in Full Swing

• April 2-5 – Byron Bay Bluesfest (Byron Bay, Australia): A renowned blues and roots festival.
• April 9-12 – Country Thunder Arizona festival (Florence, Ariz.): A country music festival.
• April 10 – Ultra New Zealand festival (wellington,New Zealand): The New Zealand edition of Ultra Music Festival.
• April 10-12 – Coachella weekend 1 (Indio, Calif.): One of the world’s most famous music festivals.
• April 10-12 – Tortuga Music Festival (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.): A country music festival.
• April 11 – Ultra Australia festival (Melbourne, Australia): Another installment of the ultra Music Festival brand.
• April 12 – Ultra Beach Gold Coast festival (Southport, Australia): A beachside electronic music festival.
• April 13-14 – Fun business Days Valencia (Valencia, Spain): A music industry networking event.
• April 14 – Music Sustainability Summit (Los Angeles): A conference focused on sustainability in the music industry.
• April 14 – North American Concert Promoters association annual meeting (Beverly Hills, Calif.): A meeting for concert promoters.
• April 14-16 – Pollstar Live! (Los Angeles): A leading conference for the live entertainment industry.
• April 15 – Pollstar Awards (Los Angeles): Recognizing achievements in the live entertainment industry.
• April 17 – Day Zero Bali festival (Bali): An electronic music festival.
• April 17-19 – Coachella weekend 2 (Indio, Calif.): The second weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
• April 18-19 – High Water Festival (Charleston, S.C.): A festival celebrating Americana and roots music.
• April 19-21 – HITS HOME conference (Nashville): A conference for radio and record industry professionals.
• April 23-May 3 – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (New Orleans): A world-renowned celebration of music and culture.
• April 24-25 – Ubbi Dubbi festival (Fort Worth, Tex.): An electronic dance music festival.
• April 24-26 – stagecoach (Indio, Calif.): A country music festival.
• April 25 – Sick New World festival (Las Vegas): A rock and alternative music festival.
• April 27-May 2 – Soundscape Northwest festival and conference (Portland, Oreg.): A festival and conference focused on experimental and electronic music.
• April 29-May 2 – Vallenata Legend Festival (Valledupar, Colombia): A festival celebrating Vallenato music.

May, June & Beyond

the music event calendar continues to be packed throughout the summer and fall. Stay tuned for updates on specific events as they are announced. Resources like Billboard Pro and event listing websites will be crucial for staying informed.

For event listing inquiries, contact joe.maimone@billboard.com.