MCN 2025: A Year of Connection, Growth, and Shared Direction

As promised, here comes our annual walk down memory lane. Get cozy and top up your mug with another gløgg, hot cocoa, or coffee. You ready?

Most importantly, as we look back on 2025, we’re filled with gratitude - for the people we met, the cities we visited, and the many moments where music once again proved its power to connect, challenge, and inspire. It was a year of expansion, shared learning, and collective momentum, and a reminder of why this network exists: to strengthen music ecosystems around the world, together.

So please let us remind you of this year’s milestones:

Sunderland Joins the Network

We kicked the year off by welcoming Sunderland into the Music Cities Network.

From day one, Sunderland impressed us with their commitment to using music and culture as engines for community engagement, economic growth, and local pride. Their dedication to nurturing local talent deeply resonates with our values, making them a perfect fit for the network.

We’re still inspired by the energy they brought in - and excited for what we will continue to build together (good things are already in the works, so stay tuned).

Brussels Netwerk Muziekgemeenten Meeting

At the 7th Brussels Netwerk Muziekgemeenten Meeting in spring 2025, the spirit of MCN was on full display: exchange, curiosity, and collective action. We began the day with conversations about local music ecosystems and the future of music policy, then continued in the afternoon with discussions on the role of music officers and why cities benefit from having one.

To close the day, the City of Brussels hosted a little event to celebrate their membership. It was wonderful to see the community come together and reflect on what this collaboration could mean for the city’s music scene. We left inspired - and proud to support Brussels as it steps into its next chapter as a thriving music city.

SPOT Festival - Back to Aarhus

In early May, we returned to our founding member city, Aarhus, for SPOT Festival, which is always a highlight of the year - with many of our dear colleagues. Together we explored the future of MCN, cross-border collaborations, and how music can help shape better urban futures.

On the panel The Next Phase of MCN, we dove even deeper with our dear colleagues and representatives from Sunderland, Valencia, and Aarhus, sharing insights and hopes for the network’s next chapter.

The festival also showcased fresh musical talent from some of our member cities: Berlin, Reykjavik, Gothenburg, Bergen, Groningen, Valencia, and, of course, Aarhus. It was a powerful reminder of the creativity that runs through our network and it is always a joy to reconnect with our colleagues on the ground.

Sicily Music Conference

Mid-May took us south to Palermo and Catania for the Sicily Music Conference, where Lena joined two panels exploring global music collaboration and the role of cultural spaces as catalysts for social change. The conversations were global, and deeply rooted in the belief that local scenes thrive when they’re connected to a wider ecosystem - and the food and weather also weren’t bad.

Working Group Winter Summit in Valencia June MCN Summit - Vilnius & General Assembly

Our 5th annual MCN Summit took place in beautiful Vilnius, who were hosting us only a year after they joined the network! Over several days, we packed in workshops, brain-teasing conversations, and inspiring site visits through the city’s impressive cultural landscape.

A huge thank you to our colleagues in Vilnius for hosting us with such warmth and care. We left feeling connected and full of new ideas for the year ahead, and definitely plan on coming back soon!

What also happened this summer was our General Assembly! The most important takeaway - we were able to welcome newly to the MCN Board: Gabija Liaugminaite, our representative from Vilnius! So happy to have you with us.

Team Meetup in Berlin

Sometimes the most meaningful work happens behind the scenes. In the heat of July 2025, the MCN headquarters, consisting of Aneta, Sabrina, and Lena, met up in Berlin for an internal workshop - a moment to reflect, plan, and grow as a team and as individuals.

They also took time to explore the city’s cultural spaces, theaters, and local food spots (all while it was the hottest days of the year in Berlin!). A small but important highlight of the year that motivated yours truly for the other half of 2025.

Reeperbahn Festival - MCN Reception & Showcase

After the incredible energy of last year’s showcase, we knew we had to bring it back - and 2025 did not disappoint. Our MCN Reception & Showcase at Reeperbahn Festival filled Häkken with familiar faces, new connections, and four unforgettable performances.

This year, we proudly presented:

Rasha Nahas (Berlin)

Adja (Brussels)

Abekejser (Aarhus)

Inspector Spacetime (Reykjavík)

These artists who, together, represented the diversity, creativity, and cross-border spirit of our member cities, had us sweating, smiling and staring in awe even more than last year!

Bold Ideas in Kristiansand

At the Kristiansand Roundtable Conference on 5–6 November 2025, international experts from the music industry, policy, and academia met for two days of focused discussions on AI in creative practice, sustainable digital markets, and emerging copyright and metadata infrastructures.

The gathering brought together perspectives from Europe, Africa, and Latin America, highlighting global approaches to navigating rapid technological change. Our Managing Director, Lena Ingwersen, brought the Music Cities Network spirit into the room - championing city-driven perspectives, spotlighting the needs of local music ecosystems, and building fresh connections with key players across the industry.

Strategic Focus 2026

Now, after focusing on all great things that happened this year, it is also sure to say that we’re also looking ahead to 2026!

This year, we worked on our Strategic Focus plan, which will guide our next steps: sharing knowledge across cities, supporting the next generation of Music Cities Changemakers, and piloting a Music Cities Ecosystem Health & Resilience Framework to help cities understand the strengths and challenges of their local music scenes are only some of the focuses we have set.

Stay tuned to witness how we are going to realise that.

MCN Summit - Valencia

To close the year, our network gathered in Valencia for a Summit that reminded us why city-to-city collaboration matters. Over two days, we explored Valencia’s music ecosystem from the inside out - from innovative governance models and public-space strategies to the city’s bold commitment to positioning music as a driver of social connection, urban innovation, and community wellbeing.

Together with our member cities, we unpacked shared structural challenges, compared noise and permitting frameworks, and co-shaped our strategic priorities for 2026. The conversations were open, honest, and future-oriented - the kind that strengthen a network and spark new momentum at home.

And as always, standing together in one room made the simple truth visible: cities learn faster, go further, and create more impact when they learn with one another. Valencia, thank you for hosting us with warmth, clarity, and vision.

Looking back, looking forward

This year we grew, traveled, learned, and strengthened the bonds across our network. Most importantly, we witnessed - again and again - how music can transform cities when people come together with openness and imagination.

We’re grateful for every partner, every conversation, every shared meal, every spark of inspiration. And we’re proud of what this community has built.

Here’s to carrying that energy into the next year with curiosity, courage, and the belief that we’re - always - only getting started. Thank you all for being part of this network!

With festive and warm regards,

Your MCN Headquarter,

Lena Ingwersen, Sabrina Dehati, Aneta Gaidamovic

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Inquiries

For more information about the Music Cities Network, our activities, or upcoming collaborations, please feel free to get in touch with:

Aneta Gaidamovic

Communication Manager, Music Cities Network

Email: aneta@musiccitiesnetwork.com

About the

Music Cities Network

The Music Cities Network (MCN) is a global, independent non-profit association committed to strengthening music ecosystems through international collaboration and local empowerment. We connect music cities and their stakeholders across borders  - policymakers, city strategists, artists, and industry professionals - to exchange knowledge, co-create solutions, and foster resilient, inclusive, and future-ready music environments. Rooted in a holistic and action-oriented approach, MCN supports cities in harnessing the power of music to drive cultural, social, and economic development. Our network is growing and open. We welcome all music cities ready to engage, collaborate, and lead meaningful change in their communities and beyond.