Coachella, Glastonbury, and South by Southwest (SXSW) are some of the biggest music festivals and conferences in the world — so here’s another you should know about as well. We’re talking about XP Music Futures, a three-day music conference set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and an event dedicated to the growing music scene in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Back for its second edition and taking place from 7 to 9 December this year, it will be opening its doors to attendees of all ages for the first time — extending workshops and activities for children and families — while keeping to their key goal, which is to further the reach and influence of a new generation of music leaders, artists and professionals in the wider MENA region. This is done via a whole range of educational content where participants get to learn and exchange valuable knowledge, as well as opportunities for participants to gather, which will hopefully spark off even more creativity and collaboration.
WHAT TO EXPECT FOR XP MUSIC FUTURES 2023
While we’re still awaiting the announcement of this year’s lineup of speakers and performers, here’s what we know of the 2022 edition, in order to get a sense of the scale of the prestigious event. Last year’s conference played host to speakers such as David Guetta, Matthew Knowles, Hardwell, and former Swedish House Mafia manager, Amy Thompson, and over 2,500 guests in total.
As for this year’s programming, XP Music Futures will be introducing new formats that spotlight talent in the MENA region, including Arabic sessions and workshops, as well as a mentorship programme geared for women in the music industry.
HUNNA, as it’s called, serves as a platform and safe space for young women to be mentored and develop their skills and careers, while at the same time, breaking out of male-dominated cycles that may still be prevalent in the music industry. This initiative will kick off this June with a three-month mentorship programme that pairs rising female talent with industry veterans, which will then be followed up by discussion panels at XP Music Futures itself.
2022’s edition saw a speaker lineup of 44% women; the 2023 aims to continue in the same vein, with a focus on “difficult yet necessary conversations, such as female representation and equity in music spaces”, thus championing diversity and inclusivity.
There are two other key features of this year’s conference as well — first, the return of XPERFORM, a singing competition that recognises vocal talent in the region, and XP Presents, which will be highlighting South Korea’s thriving pop culture.
This year’s XPERFORM will be officially sponsored by YouTube, where the Top 5 entries from hundreds of vocalist applications will be flown to Riyadh and invited to perform live in front of a panel of expert judges, an experience that 2022 winner Saudi vocalist Asayel had undergone before clinching the top spot.
XP Presents, on the other hand, is a new and continuing initiative that will focus on a specific region every year, and is designed to celebrate the diversity of various cultures from all over the world. The spotlight in 2023 will be on South Korea, along with its plethora of entertainment such as K-pop, K-dramas and Korean cinema.
More than that, expect networking forums, demo labs and mixers that bring together international and regional talent. The conference will continue to build programmes on its 4 key pillars: talent, scene, impact, and innovation. These important discussions will therefore delve into everything from how to build a successful music career, nightlife tourism, new technologies and AI, and even conversations on sustainability and social equity, all in a bid to acknowledge, support and uplift existing and future talent in the region.
For more information, visit XP Music Futures’ official site.
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