Beyond The Music

Spread across the venues, bars and public spaces of MediaCity in Salford, this multi-day event pairs a metropolitan music programme with a daytime conference strand aimed squarely at the workings of the industry. Rather than one field with a headline slot, the format runs closer to a showcase, with sets moving between indoor spaces as attendees walk from one venue to the next. The billing is deliberately broad, taking in indie, hip-hop, RnB, punk, folk, pop and even classical, which gives the weekend a genre-hopping feel and leans towards discovery over big names. Panels, workshops and networking sessions sit alongside the performances during the day, so the crowd tends to mix music fans with people who work in and around the business. It suits those who like tracking emerging artists and enjoy an urban festival they can navigate on foot.