Sound City returns in 2025 following its biggest year yet, continuing its legacy as a cornerstone of music discovery. The upcoming showcase festival will run from 3-4th May, with Sound City+ Conference packed with discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities on 2nd May.
The Sound City+ Conference is highly regarded for gathering industry leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and creatives to explore the pressing questions shaping the future of music, and sits alongside a packed programme taking over Liverpool’s legendary live music venues.
Alongside the first wave of artists playing the festival, the first speakers have also been announced for Sound City+ Conference today. The conference will host some of the most influential voices in the music industry, with initial speakers including:
- Ammo Talwar MBE- CEO @ Punch Records and Chair for the UK Music Diversity Taskforce & KOKO Foundation
- Ben Hughes – Founder of artist mentoring programme CherryUp
- Fiona McAuley – Senior Director of Digital Marketing UK & EU @ BMG
- James Gaster – Managing Director @ Mahogany Music
- Karen Emanuel – founder and CEO @ Key Production Group and multi-award winning entrepreneur
- Kate Hendry – Head of Label Operations @ Absolute Label Services
- Marcel Hunziker – Direct-to-fan digital marketing expert and founder @ PlayLiveArtist
- Martha Cleary – Founder of management and PR company Glow Artists
- Matt Hanner – Founder of independent booking agency Runway
- Nina Kehagia – Marketing & Content Manager for the first global music community for women & gender nonconforming people & allies SheSaidSo
- Olivia Hobbs – Award winning entrepreneur and found of marketing agency – Blackstar
- Rosanna Connolly – founder of PR consultancy Morena Comms
- Stephanie Haughton-Campbell – Chief Operating Officer @ UK Music
With these leading professionals, the conference will cover key topics ranging from artist development and diversity in the industry to navigating global music markets and building careers in an evolving landscape, with more names and panel topics to be announced.
2025 will also see Sound City team up with BPI – the pioneering trade association of the British recorded music industry. The BPI will be bringing their ‘In Tune With Tomorrow’ conference programming to the North as part of the conference for the very first time. A Conference focused on showcasing direct routes for artists and aspiring industry professionals to get into the music industry with the knowledge of what’s happening right now, announced today are speakers from a variety of sectors in the industry – such as labels, digital agencies, creative media publishers, campaigners and more sitting as but a taste of what’s to come. Not only about showcasing the future but showing the route to inform it, Sound City serves as a vital part of the wider UK music industry.
Continuing their long-standing relationship, Sound City is once again the UK’s lead festival for Keychange, a global movement focused on the restructuring of the music industry to achieve gender equality. Leading a vast array of festivals and events across the UK and beyond, the focus remains on achieving a gender balance across all Sound City events and initiatives. An equal representation of women and diverse genders will play across the Sound City weekend with a range of initiatives, panels and more lined up in collaboration with Keychange over the coming months.
Sound City will also welcome back UK Music for their third year as they host their annual Outstanding MAP Graduate Awards (OMGs) on Thursday, 1st May. A celebration to recognise outstanding contribution of MAP Graduates, Identifying some of the most dynamic and successful individuals to come through MAP institutions.
Sound City is proud to work with many leading and innovative partners, sponsors and funders. These include Arts Council England – supporting new artistic and industry talent and organisations from all corners of the sector, CAPLL; Talent Development Partner, SAE; a global higher education provider in creative media industries and Principal Creative Education Partner, PRS/PPL/PRSF, Amplead; the festival’s Apply To Play Partner and Gigseekr – the official festival app and Official Discovery Partner. With other partners including Sentric, Bundobust, Leeds Conservatoire, Musician’s Union and Liverpool Hope University – it ensures Sound City is a coming together of industry supporting the new.
Performing at the showcase festival across multiple venues in Liverpool between 3-4th May 2025, so far include headliners The Royston Club, alongside more of the most exciting breaking names announced today: Nieve Ella, Rianne Downey, Overpass, Panic Shack, Siobhan Winifred, The Cheap Thrills, Alex Spencer, Delights, Maya Delilah, Cliffords, The Heavy North, Basht, TTSSFU, The Clause, Better Joy, The Stingrays, Mandrake Handshake, Mitch Saunders, Aimee Fatale, Arkayla, Big Sleep, deary, Dirty Blonde, Florence Road, EVER, Florentenes, Mudi Sama, Nancy Williams, The Solaas, White Flowers.
Speaking about Sound City+ Conference 2025 and the first speakers announced today, Managing Director Becky Ayres says: “Sound City demonstrates again and again that it is a key part of the UK’s music ecosystem. This year’s first speaker announcement confirms the calibre of the Sound City+ conference, and I’m delighted to welcome some of the industry’s most powerful voices to Liverpool to lead the discussion on the here and now of the modern music business. With more speakers joining the line-up between now and May, this year’s Sound City+ Conference will be an unmissable date for people at all stages of their industry journey”
With more to be announced for Sound City and Sound City+ Conference in the coming months, 2025 is set to be a defining year for the longstanding leader in the field, accelerating a more diverse and inclusive future for the music industry. Tickets and more information can be found at: www.soundcity.uk.com
