Tag Archives: Musikfest Music Industry Conference

TONIGHT, 7 ET: Your Next Favorite Band’s 2026 Musikfest Exordium

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This week, we are transported back home to Bethlehem, PA, where the 2026 edition of Musikfest — the largest free, non-gated music festival in the United States — is just days away from kicking off.

There is sure to be plenty of magic across Christmas City over the next couple weeks, and it kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. ET (that’s 6 p.m. CT, if you’re back in Nashville) with the 2026 Musikfest Exordium. Tune in to the live broadcast emanating from Bethlehem’s Flying V Poutinerie, as we hear from many key figures at the ‘Fest and within the Lehigh Valley’s local music scene, including:

  • Thoughts on “must see” bands and Best Day of the ‘Fest with ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan.
  • Early thoughts on the ‘Fest’s weather forecast from Eastern PA Weather Authority Founder and Chief Meteorologist Bobby Martrich.
  • Insights from long-time entertainment reporter John Moser.
  • A visit from yours truly, Musikfest’s Friendly Neighborhood North Side Sheriff.

We will also learn about the return and expansion of the Musikfest Music Industry Conference, set to take place August 2-4 and offering dozens of educational sessions, music industry panels, and exclusive networking opportunities. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy live performances from ‘Fest performers Bren and Atlassian.

Watch the live stream below!

Founder’s Notes: Tour Updates, Improved Access to Resources, and the Plan for the Rest of 2026

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This week, the Underground Revolution Tour resumes with a trip back home.

First on the agenda: Musikfest, where I’ll be presenting ‘Building Your Authentic Artist Brand’ at the Musikfest Music Industry Conference inside the Musikfest Cafe at SteelStacks on Monday, August 3 beginning at 1 p.m.

In addition to that, I’ll be doing my annual duty overseeing Event Staff operations on the North Side of the festival. I’ll also be checking in to offer my daily Picks of the Platzes alongside Phillip Reese from Your Next Favorite Band, and we’ll have our good friend Ronnie Stoeckel running around taking photos of the ‘Fest, with Rockin’ Ronnie’s Mega Musikfest Recap coming to The Blog the following week.

After that (and some hard-earned beach time immediately after Musikfest), we’ll pop up to Cookstown, Ontario for our third consecutive year attending Gussapolooza Music Festival. We have some special things planned for the occasion – we’ll be interviewing artists and attendees, and capturing content all weekend long. (Not to mention, there are some photos from last year’s festival that still need to make their way online…)

After THAT, we have a massive fall planned for you in Nashville!

Among the things that you can expect this fall:

  • Our first-ever Content Day, sponsored by the UMC Creator Lab.
  • Revamped, simplified UnderDogs membership tiers, aimed to add value to our community while lowering the barrier to entry.
  • More music reviews, a new and improved UMC20 playlist, and the return of our Official Podcast, The Quinn Spinn.
  • The continued growth and evolution of the UMC Creator Lab.
  • Live performance and networking opportunities across Nashville.

We’ll also be taking a look at our educational offerings through UMC Academy, and developing ways to improve access to UnderDogs and the community at large.

And, speaking of education, we’re making our plans to return to a couple of our favorite conferences in the fall – Confluence Carolinas (Oct. 7-10 in Charlotte, NC) and NOLA MusiCon (Oct. 28-30 in New Orleans, LA). We hope you’ll join us!

One more thing: following our Creator Lab crowdfunding campaign, many folks who pledged made their contributions directly to support the project. If you are one of them, you can expect your perks to be fulfilled and shipped to you during the first half of September.

So far, 2026 has been a year of new ways forward and exciting possibilities. We’re proud of what we’ve built together, and we’re excited to keep going!

-Gerard

ACT FAST: Musikfest Music Industry Conference Early Bird Rates Expire April 1

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As we excitedly announced months ago, we’re returning to our original home of Bethlehem, PA this August for the Musikfest Music Industry Conference, a three-day meeting of the industry minds set to occur in the middle of the nation’s largest free, non-gated music festival.

If you want to get in on the action for the lowest rate possible, you’d better hurry: Early Bird badge rates expire this Wednesday, April 1.

The Musikfest Music Industry Conference (MIC for short) will take place from August 2-4 inside of the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks brings together artists, educators, producers, industry professionals, and students for three days of conversations, workshops, mentoring, and performances focused on the real world of music today. (Also, rumor has it that someone you may know is a featured presenter once again this year…)

View conference badge options and get yours here. While you’re in town, don’t forget to enjoy the entire Musikfest experience, taking place throughout Bethlehem from July 31-August 9 (with the popular Preview Night taking place on the South Side on Thursday, July 30).