Ireland Music Week 2026 will feature three full days of music industry panels, discussions, and networking activities from Wed 30 Sept - Fri 02 Oct. The conference will take place in Lost Lane, with some panels being held in the Button Factory on Thursday afternoon.

Speaker info coming very soon.

Delegates 2026

WEDNESDAY

LOST LANE MAIN

  • Art to Art brings its distinctive artist-to-artist interview format to Ireland Music Week for a special live episode, pairing two creatives for an open and candid conversation about their work, influences and creative journeys.

    Artists In Conversation

    Fionn Maguire O’ Loughlin (Cable Boy) and Tolu Makay - with an introduction from Rebecca Breene (Art to Art)

  • Intellectual property, royalties, publishing deals, song covers, monetising copyright, revenue collection - all this and more will be discussed!

    Speakers - Ed Condon (Warner Chappell), Clare McKinney (Domino Music)

    Moderator - Jay Ahern (Association For Electronic Music)


  • Not for the faint hearted. A number of music supervisors / publishing professionals will listen live to a selection of tracks taken from our showcasing line-up, and they then give their honest feedback.

    Listeners - Jessica Gramulgia (Gramuglia Music Media), Jonathan Finegold (Fine Gold Music), Lena Obara (Sector C), Milena Fessmann (Cinesong / Sugar Town)

    Moderator - Rebecca Breene (Art To Art Series)


  • Gilla Band released their first single in 2012 with Any Other City and quickly became one of the must-see live acts in Dublin. They went on to sign with Rough Trade, release four albums, and played numerous sold-out gigs and festivals around the world. Their impact was visceral, one of the most influential Irish bands of recent times.

    Speakers - Alan Duggan Borges (Gilla Band), Daniel Fox (Gilla Band), Ben Ayers (Rough Trade), Hollie Conningham (Rough Trade), James Byrne (Any Other City), Simon Merriman (Singular Artists)

    Moderator - Jim Carroll (RTÉ)


WEDNESDAY

LOST LANE LIBRARY

  • The landscape has changed so much in the last few years, with radio play and music coverage even harder to attain. Let’s find out who can still help new / independent artists find a home.

    Speakers - Anna Goldrick (Genuine Irish), Dray Morgan (District Magazine), Sharmyne Dullaghan (Freelance), Claire Beck (Today FM)

    Moderator - James Byrne


  • We chat to some producers and engineers to hear about their experiences of dealing with new bands in the studio and what their preferred tools and techniques are when working. How do artists go about choosing the right producer?

    Speakers - Kate Butler (Writer & Radio Producer), Ber Quinn (Mixing and Music Production), Tommy Mclaughlin (Attica Studios), Lilo Blues (Hare Squead),‍ Ruth Kennington (Musician/producer)

    Moderator - MayKay

  • We’ll meet a bunch of great musicians and singers who are busy working at gigs, in studios, as well as touring both here and abroad.

    Speakers - Cormac Curran, Jane Patterson, Brendan Jenkinson, TBA

    Moderator - James Byrne


  • You are ready to take the first steps outside of your hometown or county. We talk to the people who have experience in making this happen, with tips on tour management, venue production and more.

    Speakers - Ciara Davey (Live Producer, Tour & Production Manager), Claire Courtney (Earth Agency), John Hennessy (Seoda Shows, Dolans, Limerick), Gugai (Roisin Dubh, Galway)

    Moderator - MayKay


  • How to go about releasing your first single or album. We also discuss the different routes artists can take to get signed to a label, booking agency, publisher and more. Do social media stats matter, is it important to have a sold-out show in your armour? IMPALA adds their view on why Independence is more important today than ever before, as part of their 25th Anniversary.

    Speakers - Johnny Pinchard (Believe), Helen Smith (IMPALA), Ruth Barlow (Beggars Group), Ben Ryles (DHP Family)

    Moderator - MayKay


THURSDAY

LOST LANE MAIN

  • We chat to the people who book tours, festivals and venues every day of the week! How do you get signed to an agency, what are the routes available to get their attention.

    Speakers - Jule Konrad (Earth Agency), Tom Konitzer (Anniversary Group), Harry Young (Pure), Sloane Fuller (CAA)

    Moderator - James Byrne


  • We look at how you might apply and get ready to take part in international showcases and festivals for the first time. The term Export-Ready will also be explained and discussed.

    Speakers - Robert Meijerink (ESNS), Michaël Spanu (MUSICMEX, Bahidora), Miran Rusjan (MENT) , Constance Keane (ATC Management)

    Moderator - MayKay


  • More and more Irish artists are getting coverage in UK media. We talk to some of the people that make it happen.

    Speakers - Abbie McCarthy (BBC Introducing), Will Vincent (Prescription PR), Sarah McCarthy (Beggars Group), Paul Bridgewater (The Line of Best Fit)

    Moderator - Deb Grant (BBC 6 Music)


THURSDAY

LOST LANE LIBRARY

  • Where do you manufacture and sell your vinyl, CDs, tshirts, baseball caps and more? We talk to the people that can help.

    Speakers - Chris Keena (Anthem Vinyl), Jill Wheeler (Red Eye Worldwide), Gui Morais (Symphonic), Kevin Douch (Big Scary Monsters), 

    Moderator - Kieran McGuinness (Artist / Radio Nova)


  • Excel sheets, emails, finance, tax, admin…when should I see a lawyer or when is it ok just to sign, what contract red flags to look out for…We discuss the basics required by a new artist or band to set themselves up business-wise!

    Speakers - Dan Malone (Artist, YARD), Aaron Casey (RAAP), Caroline Edwards (Lawyer, Tourbo-Music), Alan McEvoy (Live Wire)

    Moderator - James Byrne


THURSDAY

BUTTON FACTORY CURVEBALL

  • We meet some of the humans behind the big online music platforms. They will discuss some tips and insights on how best to use their services!

    Speakers - Mariana Timony (Bandcamp), Sujan Hong (Qobuz), Maddy Smith (YouTube)

    Moderator - Arveene


  • We chat to people with a range of skills, with different roles and in various label departments, to discover what their job entails day-to-day, and how they go about discovering new artists.

    Speakers - Jelly Denniston (Communion Music), Tobi Moore (Domino), Trevor Peterson (Fire Talk), Craig Shardlow (Atlantic Records)

    Moderator - James Byrne


  • It’s such a vast market, where and how does an Irish act even start promoting themselves in the U.S.? We chat to some of the people working with new and emerging artists.

    Speakers - Adam Lewis (Planetary Group), Brendan Bourke (The Syndicate), Alejandro Cohen (KCRW), David Safar (MPR) 

    Moderator - MayKay


THURSDAY

BUTTON FACTORY CROWBAR

  • How does a song end up on a TV show, an ad or a film? We talk to the people that can make it happen, examine the sector, as well as the creative and legal aspects involved.

    Speakers - Irma de Wind (De Wind Music), Joss Dumas (BANDIT), Patricia Claper (Soundcloud)

    Moderator - MayKay


  • We explore all sectors of the Canadian market, a territory that sometimes can be overlooked by Irish artists and industry alike.

    Speakers - Robyn Stewart (Women In Music, Canada), Jonny Bunce (Wavelength Music), Trisha Carter (Canadian Independent Music Association, CIMA), Annie Rutherford (River and Sky Music and Camping Festival)

    Moderator - Aengus Finnan (Cultural Attaché, Embassy of Ireland to Canada)


  • We take a look at the electronic scene in Ireland and beyond.

    Speakers - Jay Ahern (Association For Electronic Music), (Siobhan (Four Four Magazine), Jack David (Experts Only), Caroline Swords (Bloop Groop)

    Moderator - Arveene


FRIDAY

LOST LANE MAIN

  • A look at some of the showcases abroad and the various routes to performing at them, including more talk on export-readiness. Can it be beneficial for artists to take the opportunity to learn about the workings of the industry through the conference elements while attending these big events?

    Speakers - Dev Sherlock (SXSW), Adam Ryan (The Great Escape), Anastasia Connor (Noise Unit PR), Nikoline Skaarup (Roskilde Festival)

    Moderator - John Bell (Journalist / Ticketmaster UK)


  • What does a manager do in their day to day roles, how do artists go about working with a manager for the first time? We discuss the artist / manager relationship.

    Speakers - Josh Cohen (MOD), (Clarisse Quinn (ATC Management), Ken Allen (Faction)

    Moderator - James Byrne


  • How to strategize, market and monetise your music online. Tips for using social media to build an audience and much more.

    Speakers - Katherine Cantwell (Heavenly Recordings), Matt Henry (Beggars Group), Alexis Burke (Redeye Worldwide), Olly Brooks (Blackstar Agency)

    Moderator - Ciarán Darcy (Warner Music Ireland)


  • Not for the faint hearted. A number of music supervisors / publishing professionals will listen live to a selection of tracks taken from our showcasing line-up, and they then give their honest feedback about where the song might work.

    Listeners - Anne Booty (Music Supervisor), Dan Burt (Music Supervisor), Sinead Jenkins (Carbon Logic)


    Moderator - James Byrne


FRIDAY

LOST LANE LIBRARY

  • How to go about booking gigs directly with a venue, approaching promoters as a new band, tips for knowing the right venues and promoters and more.

    Speakers - Molly Murray-Ayres (Third Man Records), Adam Williams (Crosstown Concerts/SWN), Tim Chin (MakeOutMusic, The Sakai Group), Quillan George (Otis Mountain Get Down),

    Moderator - James Byrne


  • The licensed use of copyright music, how do you protect your copyright, how do you allow others to use your music and vice versa.

    We discuss clearance routes for music sampling, synchronization and live recordings.

    Speakers - Jennifer Reeve (Neophonic), Katie O’ Neill (Mute), Ruth Barlow (Beggars)

    Moderator - Arveene


  • Lyrics, melody, splits, co-writing, songwriting camps, collaborating and more…

    Speakers - Brian Mahoney (Kobalt), Keith Johnson (IMRO), Pamela Connolly (Artist, Pillow Queens), TBA

    Moderator - Julie Hough (Veta Records / HAVVK)  

  • We take a look at how Irish acts might go about releasing, promoting, playing shows in France, and much more. 

    Speakers - Justine Debicki (Boogie Drugstore), Anne-Laure Bouzy (ALB Promotion), Mathilde Meunier (Super!), Noé Kinderstuth (Nancy Jazz Pulsations)

    Moderator - Arveene


  • Before you leave for the U.S., you’ll need to get your visas in order. We chat to venue and festival bookers, agents and more as they share their tips and insights about your first trip to the U.S.


    Speakers - Matt Covey (Covey Law), Alex Douma (CAA), Claire Benoit (Covey Law)

    Moderator - Chirag Patel (A2IM)