Output Belfast 2026: Irelands Largest Free Music Conference Returns to Cathedral Quarter

On 24 September 2026 the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast hosted Output Belfast, the country’s biggest one‑day music conference. The event was free for all attendees and billed itself as the most ambitious edition yet, with 28 sessions, a gear expo and a headline keynote featuring three high‑profile industry leaders.

The conference is organised by Score Draw Music and presented by Belfast City Council and Belfast City of Music. It is part of the city’s UNESCO City of Music designation and aims to provide the local music community with a toolkit for creative and business development.

The opening keynote brought together Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of UK Music; Catherine Martin, Head of Policy for Ireland at the Ivors Academy and former Minister for Culture; and David Martin, Chief Executive of the Featured Artists Coalition. Kiehl said, “It is a great privilege to be invited to address the 2026 Output Belfast. It is a fantastic event, bringing together so many perspectives from across the music industry. I look forward to listening and working with the delegates as we tackle and find ways forward on the big topics facing the sector.”

The full programme, released on 19 August, includes sessions on everything from artist development to live‑event staffing. Highlights include:

1. CMU Presents – How Music Producers Get Paid In 2026 2. Screen Composers Guild of Ireland – Composing for Television Drama 3. Beyond Skin – Championing Afghan & Iranian Women Artists and Indian Classical Music 4. Inflyte – How Electronic Music Breaks in 2026: From Demo to Dancefloor 5. European Guild of Music Supervisors – Everything you wanted to know from a Film and TV Music Supervisor 6. Scott Cohen Q&A – Past, Present and Future of Music 7. Jameson – Branded! How Music Artists and Brands can work together 8. Musicians Union – How to Plan and Fund a Tour Workshop 9. Frequency Finder – Breaking into Live Events – The Jobs Behind the Show 10. PRS For Music – Europop! – Writing and Performing for a Eurovision hit (panelists include Eurovision winner Dana) 11. An Emotional Rodeo – Inside the Music World of Janet Devlin

In addition to the sessions, the first‑ever gear expo room at Output featured products from Audient, Lowden and a Dolby Atmos listening experience with a full 7.1.4 speaker system.

Registration opened on 19 August and the programme was made available the same day. A closing keynote announcement was scheduled for early September. The event is free, with no ticket cost, and is open to musicians, industry professionals and the public.

Output Belfast is supported by partners such as PRS for Music and Belfast City Council. The conference’s goal is to give Northern Ireland’s music community access to networking, education and business tools that are normally behind paid gates.

The event is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the local music economy. Belfast’s status as a UNESCO City of Music and its growing creative sector make it a natural host for a national conference of this scale.

The conference’s free model reflects a trend toward more inclusive industry events. By removing financial barriers, Output Belfast aims to broaden participation and foster collaboration across the region’s diverse music community.

The 2026 edition’s size and scope, combined with the presence of high‑profile speakers, signal a renewed focus on policy, business development and technology in the Northern Irish music scene.

The conference concluded with a closing keynote that was announced in early September, though details of the speaker were not released in the initial programme. The event’s success is expected to influence future music industry gatherings in Ireland.

The full schedule and further details can be found on the Output Belfast website.