Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ), in partnership with the New Zealand Music Commission, has unveiled the full programme for Going Global Music Summit 2026 – two days exploring what it takes to build a music career beyond Aotearoa, and the creative ecosystems that make those careers possible.
An international music career begins in local venues, rehearsal rooms, clubs and creative communities; the places where artists develop, scenes form and music finds its first audiences. That relationship between nightlife, venues, local government and creative communities shapes whether artists and scenes get the chance to develop at all.
Mirik Milan, former Night Mayor of Amsterdam and co-founder of global nightlife consultancy VibeLab, joins Auckland artist Shaquille Wasasala (HALFQUEEN) for Going Global 2026: After Dark Communities: Driving The Global Conversation.
During his time as Amsterdam’s inaugural Night Mayor, Milan helped reshape the city’s relationship with nightlife, bringing venues, residents, businesses and government into closer conversation and positioning the night-time economy as a cultural and economic asset. Today, through VibeLab, he works with cities around the world on nighttime governance, policy and the future of their after-dark economies.
For Aotearoa, the conversation asks a bigger question: if we want to build a music industry that can compete internationally, what kind of cities and creative ecosystems do we need to build at home?
From the places where artists and scenes develop, the programme turns to the people and networks that help take that work overseas – exploring the machinery behind international music careers and the people who make those opportunities happen.
Legendary booking agent Tom Windish, whose career has included Lisa (BLACKPINK), The xx, Stereolab and Viagra Boys, will sit down with Gemma Gracewood to reflect on three decades of discovering and developing artists, and how the international live business is changing.
Aotearoa’s own international success story The Beths will also take the stage for Best Laid Plans: A Year With The Beths, reflecting on a remarkable year that has seen the band play more than 100 shows, tour Japan and the US, perform at Fuji Rock, appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Mornings, and sign to US label ANTI-.
The programme also looks at how language and cultural identity can shape an artist’s international story. Waiata Reo Ki Te Ao, Cerddoriaeth Gymreig I’r Byd: A Welsh and Māori Story of Cultural Export brings together FOCUS Wales‘ Andy Jones and the Māori Music Industry Collective to explore the parallels between Cymraeg and te reo Māori – two languages once pushed to the margins that are now being carried onto festival stages around the world. The conversation looks at the infrastructure behind that shift, the growing appetite for music in Indigenous languages, and the responsibility that comes with taking culture to international audiences. Andy Jones travels courtesy of the British Council New Zealand and the Pacific.
With Election 2026 approaching this November, Going Global Music Summit is bringing political parties from across the spectrum together for Unlocking Music Export Opportunities For Aotearoa: The Politicians Panel – a moderator-led session built around one direct question: if elected in November, what would your party actually do to support New Zealand music export?
Across the two days, 23 sessions will examine the many routes Aotearoa music can take into the world – from international markets, touring and artist management to games, electronic music, cultural export, technology and policy, alongside the practical realities of building a sustainable career overseas.
The full programme, speaker list and 2026 Showcasing Artist selection are available now at goingglobal.co.nz.
ABOUT GOING GLOBAL MUSIC SUMMIT
Going Global Music Summit is Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier international music industry event, presented annually by Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ) in partnership with the New Zealand Music Commission. The summit connects leading international figures in A&R, booking, licensing, management, marketing, promotion, and publishing with New Zealand artists and industry.
Tickets for Going Global 2026 are on sale now via Q Theatre; tickets cover both conference days and entrance to the showcase nights.
ABOUT INDEPENDENT MUSIC NEW ZEALAND (IMNZ)
Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ) serves as the primary representative organisation for the independent music sector in Aotearoa, representing the interests of independent artists, labels, publishers, and music businesses. IMNZ advocates for a healthy, sustainable independent music ecosystem and delivers events, education, and initiatives that support the growth and global reach of New Zealand music.
Photo Credit: Chontalle Musson
GOING GLOBAL MUSIC SUMMIT 2026
Dates: Thursday 27 & Friday 28 August 2026
Venue: Q Theatre, Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand
Tickets: Conference / Showcase ticket link: <https://www.qtheatre.co.nz/
Showcase-ONLY ticket link: On sale now via UTR.CO.NZ
Website: https://www.goingglobal.co.nz / https://indies.co.nz/going-
