PITCH 2026 Conference And Festival Programme

PITCH Scotland (2-4 Sept 2026) - Full Conference & Festival Programme!

Wednesday 02 September McChuills - Opening Night

20:00 Frizzy P and Mr Cole (France, UK)

20:30 Kemono. L Riot (Scotland, UK)

21:00 JoeJas (England, UK)

21:30 LOLA! (Scotland, UK)

22:00 Kadiata (England, UK) - Headline Set

Thursday 03 September, MOXY Merchant City (Day-Time)

11:30 - 13:00 1-1 Industry Speed Meetings

Book your meetings - click here.

Thursday 03 September, McChuills (Day-Time)

14:30 - 15:30 Entering International Showcase Festivals.

Where could your music take you next?

Showcase festivals can be an important gateway into new cities, scenes and international markets.

Bringing together programmers from FOCUS Wales, Iceland Airwaves, Nürnberg Pop and Pro Weekend Fest, this conversation explores how showcase festivals discover and support emerging talent.

What are programmers looking for? When is the right time to showcase internationally? And how can artists use these opportunities to build relationships, reach new audiences and create momentum beyond their home market?

Speakers:

Isleifur Thorhallsson | Iceland Airwaves

Miguel Angel | Pro Weekend Fest

Natalie Jones | FOCUS Wales

Thomas Wurm | Nuremberg Pop Festival

Moderated by Niko BACKSPIN | BACKSPIN MAGAZINE

Thursday 03 September, Drygate Brewery (Day-Time)

09:30 Wristband Collection

10:15 PITCH Scotland - Welcome

10:30 - 11:30 PRS for Music presents : Where Does The Money Go?
When your song gets played on the radio, performed live or used on TV, there is money you may be entitled to.

This session gets into publishing, royalties, neighbouring rights, metadata and music income. How should your music be registered? Who collects what? And what do writers, producers and artists need to have in place to make sure money finds its way back to them?

A practical introduction to understanding the value your music is already creating and putting yourself in the best position to collect it.

Speakers:

Kadiata | Producer, Writer & Artist

Bee Asha | Writer & Artist

Dayna Reid | Notting Hill Music Publishing

Moderated by Stuart Fleming | PRS for Music

11:45 - 12:20 Celebrating ALBA🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

No scene is built alone.

Behind every growing music community are artists, collaborators and organisers creating space for one another.

ALBA celebrates Scotland’s music landscape through some of the people shaping it today. Crossing genres. Sharing rooms. Opening doors. Building relationships at home and taking them further afield.

This conversation explores why collaboration matters, what happens when different scenes meet and how working together can turn individual progress into collective momentum.

Speakers:

Ladé | Producer & DJ

Gaïa | Artist

Jurnalist & Paul Copeland | Kai Reesu

Moderated by Alice Austin | Journalist

12:30 - 13:30 - Where Does Growth Begin?

In partnership with UK Music

How do we build the conditions for Scotland’s next generation of music careers and businesses?

Talent doesn’t grow in isolation. Before an artist reaches the wider industry, there are spaces where they develop. The organisations that invest time and knowledge, platforms, create first opportunities and networks that help turn potential into momentum.

Using UK Music’s Black Music Means Business report as a starting point, this conversation looks at what we can build upon in Scotland. From grassroots development and cultural organisations to sector advocacy, investment and international opportunity.

What is already working? Where are the gaps? And how can we better connect the people, organisations and opportunities already creating momentum, so more of Scotland’s talent can build sustainable careers and businesses?

Speakers:

Audrey Grey | BLACMEX

Mobolaji Agoro | Creative Producer

Aja Garrod-Prance | Scottish Music Industry Association

Moderated by Eunice Obianagha | UK Music

13:30 - 14:30 Lunch Break

14:30 - 14:50 The Business of Collaboration: Copyright, Sampling & Ownership with Sam Jordan (Musicians’ Union)

From sending beats to collaborators to releasing tracks built around samples, understanding your rights is essential. Join Sam Jordan from the Musicians' Union for an accessible guide to copyright, ownership, publishing, sample licensing and collaboration agreements. Gain practical knowledge to help protect your music, avoid disputes and build your career with confidence.

Speaker: Sam Jordan (Musicians’ Union)

15:00 - 15:45 Creating the Conditions

What turns potential into progress?

Behind every successful artist is an ecosystem of people and organisations helping them move forward. From artist management and talent development to new label models and industry partnerships, this conversation explores the different ways people are creating pathways for talent to progress. What support is needed at each stage? Where are the gaps? And how can we create stronger routes from early development to sustainable careers?

Speakers:

Denise Allan | 677 Media Management

Muse Greenwood | BeUnited

Yaw Owusu | BLK SCL!

Josh Daniel | Interval Records

Moderated by Maveen Mateeka | Kin-Tu

16:00 - 16:45 - PITCH Scotland Open Mic - Your Turn
We’re opening the PITCH stage to artists attending this year’s conference.

Sign up on the day for the chance to perform live in front of fellow artists, music professionals and international delegates. Whether you’re testing new material, introducing yourself to a new audience or simply ready to perform, this is an open space to share what you do.

Spaces are limited. Register interest - click here.

Thursday 03 September, McChuills (Evening)

19:00 Hummer Lema (Spain)

19:30 Simora (Canada)

20:00 Omar Jatta (Germany)

20:30 Steg G And The Housing Scheme Orchestra (Scotland, UK)

21:15 RED KING (Scotland, UK)

Thursday 03 September, Drygate Brewery (Evening)

19:00 Reali-T (England, UK)

19:30 ManLikeVision (Wales, UK)

20:00 Begho (Scotland, UK)

20:30 Lupo ZenAku (Scotland, UK)

21:00 Marz Fay (England, UK)

21:30 Bloody Shield (Scotland, UK)

22:00 Jawnino (England, UK) - Headline Set

Thursday 03 September, BLOC+ (Evening - FREE EVENT)

21:00 LI$ON (France)

21:30 J-Morris (Canada)

22:00 Frizzy P & Mr Cole (France)

22:45 Charlie Noiir (Canada)

2315 Scotty IV (Canada)

Friday 04 September, MOXY Merchant City (Day-Time)

11:30 - 13:00 1-1 Industry Speed Meetings

Book your meetings - click here.

Friday 04 September, McChuills (Day-Time)

14:30 - 15:30 Workshop - Digital Marketing with Ailsa Harper

A practical workshop exploring how artists can build their online presence while keeping mental health at the forefront. Ailsa Harper of Brighter Light and The Bothy Society shares ways to show up authentically, set healthy boundaries and protect your wellbeing in the digital world.

Speaker:

Ailsa Harper (Brightest Light | The Bothy Society)

Friday 04 September, Drygate (Day-Time)

10:15 - 11:00 | On First Listen: A&R Feedback

What happens when your music lands in the right inbox?

Artists submit their music in advance for a live listening and feedback session with A&Rs, producers and music curators.

Together, we’ll explore what grabs attention on first listen, what can cause a track to be overlooked and what different industry professionals are listening for.

An open, practical session designed to give artists different perspectives on their music and a better understanding of how it might be heard on the other side of the inbox.

Feedback from:

TK | Finesse Foreva

Vagrant Real Estate | Producer, DJ & Culture Curator

Mahaut Dufour | Artistic Palace

Antonia Francis | Mixtape Madness

Moderated by Kaptin Barrett | Sound Progression

(Registration opening mid August - To ticket holders)

11:10 - 11:50 Fireside Chat: Cory Litwan and Everton Lewis Jr presented by DISCO.

In conversation with music mogul, entrepreneur and TV and film executive Cory Litwin.

Join Grammy-nominated producer, music manager and entertainment executive Cory Litwin for an inspiring fireside chat with Everton Lewis Jr of Wracket Music Supervision. From promoting Drake’s first solo concert and co-producing the diamond-certified hit “Nice for What,” to helping shape the careers of Murda Beatz and DaBaby, Cory has built an extraordinary career at the intersection of music, entrepreneurship, film and television. Hear the stories behind his work with artists and cultural figures including Drake, Murda Beatz and Busta Rhymes - and discover what it takes to spot talent, build lasting momentum and turn ambitious ideas into global success. This session is sponsored by DISCO.

Speakers:

Cory Litwin | 2wenty 2wenty Music Group

In conversation with Everton Lewis Jr | Wracket Music Supervision

12:00 - 13:30 Syncstate: So...You Think You Can Sync? presented by DISCO.

Register your place / View the brief - click here.

What makes one piece of music work perfectly against picture while another doesn’t quite land?

Step inside the room where music-placement decisions are made. In this live, interactive session, leading music supervisors and sync professionals will respond to a real creative brief, test music against picture and reveal how they assess creative fit, rights, clearance and commercial potential.

Rather than simply talking about sync licensing, Syncstate brings the process to the stage -showing why some tracks move forward, why others do not and what artists can do to make their music easier to place. PITCH attendees will also be invited to submit music for consideration for Syncstate’s professional library, creating an opportunity that continues beyond the session.

Essential for artists, songwriters, producers, managers and anyone interested in music for film, television, advertising and games.

Speakers:

David Click Cox | (CLK Creative Works)

Everton Lewis Jr | Wracket Music Supervision

Michelle Allman-Esdaille | Hook & Co

Raquel Bettencourt | Wracket Music Supervision

Hosted by Josh Rabinowitz | Brooklyn Music Experience.

This Session is sponsored by DISCO.

13:30 - 14:30 Lunch Break

14:30 - 15:30 | Before the Breakthrough

What happens before the wider industry takes notice?

Behind every breakthrough are the rooms, stages, people and opportunities that helped an artist get ready for them.

From ILUVLIVE providing early stages for artists including Little Simz and Ed Sheeran, to Generator supporting talent including Sam Fender. This conversation looks at the development work behind the success stories.

Bringing together Finesse Foreva, BeUnited, ILUVLIVE and Generator, we’ll explore how artists are developed through the studio, live performance, professional knowledge and access to opportunity.

What works, what’s missing and how could these opportunities be better connected to help artists turn early potential into lasting momentum?

Speakers:

TK | Finesse Foreva

Lauren Louise Powell | ILUVLIVE

Collin Hills | BeUnited

Chyaro Hylton | GeneratorHQ

Moderated by Karin Bezchlebova | PITCH Scotland.

15:45 - 16:30 | From Opportunity to Business

How do you turn what you do into something that can grow?

Many music businesses don’t begin with a business plan. They begin with an artist, an event, a project, a relationship or an opportunity.

Ben Wynter has spent his career building across management, music organisations, funding, entrepreneurship and investment. In this session, he explores how ideas become business models and how those models can develop over time.From revenue and partnerships to ownership and investment, we’ll look at what it takes to build something sustainable around the value you’re already creating.

Speaker:

Ben Wynter | BeUnstoppable Ventures / Unstoppable Music Group

16:30 - 17:30 - Music Nova Scotia Mixer

Grab a drink and get to know our friends from Music Nova Scotia, Canada. Meet the team, connect with fellow delegates and discover more about the Nova Scotian music scene - including Canadian artists Kayo and Zamani, who will be performing at PITCH. Venue: Drygate Peaks Bar

Speaker: Ruby Quase (Music Nova Scotia).