The international showcase festival FOCUS Wales has unveiled its conference theme and first speakers for 2026.
The 16th edition of the Wrexham-based festival will highlight ‘A Fairer Future for Music’, which the festival says will question “how can fairness become a genuine guiding principle rather than a buzzword or a gesture of good intent?“
The theme is designed to explore how “artists, organisations, and communities can work together to create a more accessible, culturally diverse, and socially just musical ecosystem,” the festival goes on to say.
Speakers at the conference, which covers live touring, booking, A&R and more elements of the live industry, will include Timo Kumpf (Maifeld Derby Festival, Germany), Ben Ryles (DHP), Harvey Dent (Earth Agency), Dalse Yoon-Young Kong (Zandari Festa, Korea), Nick Duncan (Head of A&R, Sub Pop Records, USA) and more.
New partners at FOCUS Wales for 2026 also include Showcase Scotland, which works highlight folk, traditional and Gaelic talent, and Off Axis, a non-profit who support independent artists across the UK and Ireland.
The news comes shortly after FOCUS Wales unveiled the first acts for its 16th edition. In 2026, the multi-venue festival will welcome Idlewild, Shame, FatDog and more to north Wales.
Sarah Jones, Director of FOCUS Wales, says: “What was really evident at the conference this year was how much the conversation has shifted. It’s no longer just about talking representation, it’s about getting practical: how do we actually support under-represented voices, and what’s genuinely working? There’s a real appetite to reflect, learn from each other, and move things forward in ways that make a tangible difference.”
Tickets and more information can be found here.
