Last year, Aesthetica Film Festival broke new ground. The launch of the inaugural New Music Stage was a UK first, placing live performance within the festival’s expansive creative programme. The annual showcase brings together 10 breakthrough acts, from indie and hip-hop to alt-pop and folk, celebrating the very best of what can happen when music, film, games and storytelling converge in innovative ways. In launching the New Music Stage, Aesthetica joins a vibrant creative ecosystem in the North of England, where events and musicians are driving forward the industry both in the UK, and around the world. Today, we’re spotlighting the Music Cities Convention, which takes place in Kingston upon Hull this month. 

Since its launch in 2015, Music Cities Convention has become the leading international platform focused on how music operates within cities – as economic driver, cultural infrastructure and civic strategy. The 2026 edition, which takes place between 9 and 11 June, marks a homecoming for the global forum, which was founded in the UK and has since been staged across Europe, North America, China and the Middle East. This year, hundreds of decision-makers working across government, industry, planning, investment and tourism come together to share practical approaches to strengthening local music systems. The programme centres on implementation – how cities move from ambition to action – with sessions designed to share practical frameworks, case studies and replicable policy tools that audiences can take forward in their own practice. 

Visitors to the event are treated to a truly impressive line-up of speakers, who offer vital insights into the state of the international music scene. Lord Kevin Brennan, member of the house of Lords and prominent advocate for music venue protection and cultural policy and reform in the UK. Brennan has been one of Westminster’s most consistent voices for grassroots music infrastructure and now brings this insight to the Music Cities Convention. Also featured in Dave Haslam, a journalist, broadcaster, DJ and interviewer, who was once described as a “genius” by Courtney Love. Plus, Charlotte Dryden, Chief Executive of the award-winning Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast; Iryna Lobanok, Music Programme Manager at the Ukrainian Institute and co-founder of MMF Ukraine; and Ahmed Saqer, Director of Palestine Music Expo. 

The programme is packed, and one particular highlight is Music as a Pillar of Peace and Recovery, where frontline voices from Palestine and Ukraine, alongside global development practitioners, explore how music serves as vital infrastructure from trauma recovery, community mobilisation and the preservation of national identity during times of crisis. Two sessions shine a particular light on the music ecosystem in the North of England, a unique offering for this edition of the convention that aligns with Aesthetica’s ongoing commitment to fostering a flourishing creative scene in the region. Northern Soundlines offers an unfiltered conversation about what it takes to build a music life outside London, and what the rest of the country loses when that isn’t possible. Meanwhile, The Impact of Music and Giving explores the tangible, positive change driven by programmes that nurture talent, creative development and resilience within local community. 

Here at Aesthetica, we continue to champion emerging talent, and events such as Music Cities Convention demonstrate the importance of investing in the programmes that allow artists and creative communities to thrive. The convention brings together policymakers, industry leaders and innovators from across the globe, and in doing so, offers a powerful reminder that music is a catalyst for economic growth, social cohesion and cultural identity. This month, Hull becomes a focal point for the voices shaping the future of the industry in the North of England and beyond. 

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Hull Music Cities Convention runs from 9 – 11 June: musiccitiesevents.com

Words: Emma Jacob

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Image Credits:

All images courtesy of Music Cities Convention.