07.09.2026: UK Music is heading to the main party conferences again to champion our fantastic music industry and highlight to political leaders some of the challenges our sector faces.
Our theme this year is Madchesterism: Putting Music at the Heart of Devolution. As power shifts from Westminster to our towns, cities and regions, we are keen to explore with policymakers and delegates how music can drive growth, strengthen communities and inspire the next generation.
Join us at our UK Music conference panels as we discuss how devolution can unlock the full economic and cultural potential of the UK’s world-leading music industry, which generates £8 billion a year for the UK economy and supports 220,000 jobs.
The conference season follows the launch of the Government’s Music Plan at UK Music’s summer party in July. You can read more about the Music Plan on our website here.
As the collective voice of the UK music industry, we are again hosting three panels at the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat conferences with a brilliant line-up of guests.
The panels also present an opportunity to discuss key issues affecting the music industry, including the impact of Artificial Intelligence, the need to generate further growth, efforts towards reaching a deal on EU touring, long awaited legislation to tackle ticket touts and boosting initiatives to help UK talent break through.
Our first panel takes place at the Liberal Democrat conference on Sunday September 20 at their conference in Brighton. Come and join us at 12.15pm-1.15pm in meeting room 1C in the Brighton Centre. Please note this is in the secure zone so you will need a conference pass to get in. The panellists at the Liberal Democrats are set to include Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport Anna Sabine MP, Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism & Sport Committee Cllr Darryl Smalley, Lord Clement Jones and artist manager Martha Cleary. Our Chief Executive Tom Kiehl will chair the event.
Our panel at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool take place on Monday September 28 at 11.30am-1pm at the Hilton City Centre hotel (just across the road from the docks and conference centre) in Albert Suite 4. No conference pass needed. The panellists at the event chaired by Tom Kiehl are set to include Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray, Musicians’ Union General Secretary Naomi Pohl, BPI Chief Executive Jo Twist and UK Music’s Head of Diversity Eunice Obianagha.
The panel at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham will take place on Monday October 5 from 10.30am to 12pm in the Sir David Amess Theatre, which is inside the secure zone. Confirmed panellists so far include Lord Porter of Spalding and the BPI’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs Beth Sidwell.
Refreshments will be provided at our panel events.
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