The sixth edition of XP Music Futures will take place in Riyadh over the course of three days this November.
From November 26 - 28 2026, the music conference will return with a programme centring on the theme of sustainable growth within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) music industry. The three-day summit, hosted in Riyadh’s industrial creative hub, the JAX District, serves as the primary precursor to the Soundstorm music festival, shifting the focus from large-scale performance to the professional and structural development of the regional music scene.
Organised by the MDLBEAST Foundation, the 2026 conference follows a period of significant growth for the platform, which attracted thousands of attendees and hundreds of international speakers in its previous iterations. The upcoming programme is designed to bridge the gap between creative talent and commercial infrastructure through four established pillars: Talent, Scene, Impact, and Innovation.
New Additions to the XP Music Futures Programme
A primary addition to the 2026 calendar is the launch of NITE Ventures, a music and culture initiative scheduled to debut in May as a lead-up to the main conference. Functioning as a hybrid between a grants programme and a business incubator, NITE Ventures is intended to act as Riyadh's interim "Night Committee". The programme will provide funding and mentorship to creative entrepreneurs, aiming to transform innovative concepts into scalable intellectual properties (IP) while coordinating between government entities and private sector partners to stabilise the city's nightlife economy.
By bringing together artists, promoters, and policymakers, XP Music Futures aims to formalise the music economy, ensuring that the surge in live entertainment translates into long-term domestic jobs and copyright protection for local creators.
The 2026 edition will also see the expansion of HUNNA, a dedicated platform for women in the music industry. The initiative is moving into a new phase that includes leadership courses and the establishment of an educational hub for long-term career development. Beyond mentorship, HUNNA will take on a stronger advocacy role, working directly with regional stakeholders to implement measurable improvements in gender balance across event lineups and corporate organisations.
The conference will also see the return of several core programmes:
- XPERFORM: A talent competition where aspiring vocalists are evaluated by a panel of industry experts, with winners earning a performance slot at MDLBEAST’S Soundstorm festival
- XCHANGE: A travelling workshop series that visits various cities across the MENA region to connect local music communities before the main Riyadh summit
- Hearful: A health-focussed initiative that champions hearing protection and wellness awareness for professionals working in high-decibel environments
Ticketing details and the 2026 speaker lineup — which has previously featured industry figures like Mathew Knowles and regional icons such as Hamid Al Shaeri—are expected to be announced in the coming months. As the region's largest music summit, the 2026 event remains the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia's efforts to position itself as a central hub for the global music industry.
XP Music Futures, from November 26 - 28, 2026
JAX District, Riyadh
Ticket details to be announced soon
@xpmusicfutures @mdlbeast.soundstorm
