The A to B Music Conference, a free event designed for emerging artists, musicians and anyone exploring a career in the music industry, will take place on Saturday 20 June at Sunderland’s City Hall.
Part of Summit Week Sunderland, the conference is organised by Sunderland Music City in partnership with We Make Culture, Music Connects Sunderland and The Bunker, with support from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority. The event aims to provide aspiring creatives with valuable insights, networking opportunities and practical guidance on building a career in music.
The day will bring together artists, producers, touring musicians and industry professionals for a packed programme of panels, workshops, performances and practical insight into the music industry.
Hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Daryl Jenkins, the opening panel will explore the realities of social media and building community as an artist, featuring Grace Stubbings and Eliza Lee (Venus Grrrls), Helen Walkinshaw (Irked/Index) and Fe Duncan (Slalom D/Serial Bowl Records).
The conference will also shine a light on careers behind the scenes in music, with a panel exploring production, sync and publishing featuring head of production Alex Grey (Cavendish Records), producer and sync specialist Tony Brown (Universal) and artist/vocalist Amber Leigh-Irish (Love Island, Samsung). Hosted by Sunderland
Music City’s very own Frankie Francis, this panel is an exciting chance to highlight the wide range of roles beyond the stage.
After lunch and a chance to network with a marketplace of industry experts, the conference will then dive into the topic of life on the road, speaking to seasoned session musicians Hattie Steel (Master Peace, Remember Monday), Adam Robson (Melanie Baker, Murphy’s Law) and Faye MacCalman (Maximo Park, Arun Ghosh) who will be discussing the realities of life on the road, sustaining a career in music and working across different live projects and tours.
There will also be a very special ‘Inside The Mix’ session and live Q&A with Grammy Award-winning producer and mixing engineer Eduardo De La Paz – a rare and exciting chance to hear directly from one of the industry’s leading producers. Eduardo will break down tracks and share insight into the creative process behind professional music production, drawing from work with artists including New Order, Florence + The Machine, The National and Self Esteem.
Additionally, the day will include an inspiring keynote speech from Lena Ingwersen and Lex Davidson (Managing Director and Chair of the Board of the Global Music Cities Network), a brand new local music scene docu-film by Second Draft featuring Sunderland based riot-grrrls Claudia, various workshops, including have-a-go DJ stations from FutureBox and Music Connects Sunderland, live performances from local legends Orton and Patrick Gosling, a marketplace of music organisations, a gallery honouring timeless Sunderland venue The Bunker, and a pop-up record shop courtesy of Roker Records.
Designed as a space for connection, inspiration and opportunity, A to B forms part of Summit Week Sunderland, in which the city welcomes music leaders from across the globe for the Music Cities Network Summer Summit.
From 18-21 June 2026, Sunderland will become the first UK city to host the summit, bringing together international delegates to explore how music can shape thriving, innovative and connected cities. It also marks the culmination of Sunderland’s Year of Music, a twelve-month celebration of the city’s rich musical heritage and vibrant contemporary scene.
Michelle Daurat, CEO of Sunderland Music City, said,
“This conference day is about giving people genuine access to the music industry. They’ll hear directly from world-class professionals, building connections, and developing practical skills.
We want attendees to leave not just inspired, but with real insight into how the industry works and how they can find their place within it.”
This free event is open to anyone aged 16 and over, with no upper age limit, making it an inclusive opportunity for anyone interested in music.
Ticket link for A to B:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-to-b-sunderlands-music-conference-tickets-1988987558329 Free to attend. Open to anyone 16+.
Schedule:
9:00AM – Registration & Arrival
9:45AM – Keynote Speech: What Makes A Music City?
10:00AM – Local Music Scene Docu-film by Second Draft (feat. Claudia) 10:20AM – Performance by Local Rapper Orton
10:30AM – Panel 1: Do I Really Need Social Media? Building Community as an Artist 11:30AM – Panel 2: “How Do I Get My Music on TV?” – Careers in Music Sync 12:15PM – Lunch & Networking Marketplace
2:15PM – Panel 3: Session Musicians: Life on the Road
3:15PM – Special Guest Session: Inside the Mix with Grammy Award-Winning Producer Eduardo De La Paz (feat. Audience Q&A)
4:15PM – Performance by Patrick Gosling
4:30PM – Wider Networking & Marketplace
Supported using public funding by North East Combined Authority.
