The Hull Music Cities Convention has arrived in the city, with a line-up of over 60 voices from six continents, and more than 20 countries for the world’s leading gathering on music and cities.
Speakers will come from the government, grassroots advocacy, major labels, international development, health and wellbeing, climate and the arts – united around the Convention’s 2026 focus on implementation: how cities move from ambition to action.
The line-up includes Lord Kevin Brennan (House of Lords), Sally Currie (Drake Music), Charlotte Dryden (Oh Yeah Music Centre), Jake Groshong (Playing for Change Foundation), Dave Haslam, Eddie Hatitye (Music In Africa Foundation), Iryna Lobanok (Ukrainian Institute), Ahmed Saqer (Palestine Music Expo) and Kath Wynne-Hague (Hull City Council).
Other names appearing are Ana Paula Matos (Deputy Mayor, Salvador de Bahia), Asa Dýradóttir (Reykjavík Music City), Jett Glozier (Sound Diplomacy), Audrey Guerre (Live DMA), Bob Riley (Manchester Camerata), Chiedu Oraka (musician, Hull), Dave Wakelin (Liverpool City Council x UNAC), Katie Duffy (Glasgow Life), Maisie Taylor (Liverpool City Council x UNAC), Nadine Shah (musician and advocate), Naomi McMahon (Universal Music Group), Sam Ryder (Director of Concert Hall Development, Legends Global), Sarah Wall (PPL), Samuel Nichols (Music Local, Leeds) and Sunil Sharpe (DJ and founder, Give Us The Night).
The programme runs across three days including talks, presentations, workshops and of course, live music.
The event will end with the global Music Cities Awards on Thursday (11 June) at Hull Minster. It will celebrate the cities, organisations and projects making exceptional contributions to music ecosystems around the world. The awards recognise the people and places turning music from a cultural asset into a driver of sustainable urban development, across nine categories spanning Music Community Impact, Talent Development & Education, Music-Led Placemaking, Climate Action, Nightlife, Music Tech, Music Tourism Policy, Local Impact and Best Music City. Get free tickets here.
For more information, the full schedule, and tickets visit musiccitiesevents.com/hull
Buy tickets for the convention here.