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What’s brewing across the Network? MCN summit, new project from Hamburg music and big festival in Gothenburg



As we ride the high from our unforgettable 5th Member Summit in Vilnius, we’re back with notebooks full of ideas and new sparks of momentum. In this edition, we’re keeping that energy flowing with a look at what’s next — from an exciting new project out of Hamburg that’s bridging music, innovation, and sustainability, to big festival news coming from our friends in Gothenburg. 

Music Cities Network hosts

5th Member Summit in Vilnius


Vilnius, Lithuania - The Music Cities Network just wrapped up its 5th Member Summit, hosted in its member city Vilnius. Two and a half packed days of realignment, workshops, deep exchanges and good energy brought 17 colleagues from 15 cities together to shape what’s next for the network.

Held at the Vilnius Night Office and cultural hotspots around the city (think of Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Lukiškės Prison 2.0 - a unique venue, and Sodas 2123 - a community-based  cultural centre) the summit opened with a warm welcome from our Vilnius host, Gabija Liaugminaitė, at the city’s Music Office, and a presentation of our newest member - Edinburgh!


The first day focused on reconnecting around MCN’s shared strategy, diving into the work of our active Working Groups (more on that very soon!)


The afternoon site visits gave us a deeper look into Vilnius’ creative spaces, music venues and cultural infrastructure - and a lot of inspiration to take home.



Day 2 was all about co-ownership. Members worked on their group projects, defined deliverables and discussed how to bring results to life in their own cities. In the evening, we opened the doors for the Music City Vilnius public event - full house, sharp discussions, live music and a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.


Big thank you to our brilliant hosts in Vilnius - Gabija, Laura and their team - for the care, the flow and the trust. Thanks also to our board (Paula, Jesper, Timo and Lex), and our core team (Sabrina & Aneta & Lena) for holding the pieces together.




“We're proud that Vilnius has become a place where music leaders from different cities can come together. This gathering marked an important step toward building a stronger, collaboration-driven music ecosystem — both locally and globally. The connections made during the summit were truly valuable. We left inspired, with a clearer vision of our shared goal: a cohesive music strategy and better support for everyone involved in the industry. The summit was also a chance to reflect on what Vilnius has to offer — and to learn from others in the process.”


MCN is built on co-ownership and collective impact – and this summit made that clearer than ever. More soon - but for now: we’re walking away with full notebooks, shared momentum, and a deep sense of what’s possible when cities work together.



“It was my first summit, so I wasn’t sure what to expect — but the group was incredibly welcoming, friendly, and helpful. Meeting Gabija, Emilia, and Nicole to discuss night-time strategy was a highlight, and I’ll be taking those insights back to Sunderland! The Working Groups were a great idea and I can see the benefit to use with stakeholders here. I also very much enjoyed participating in the panel with Doroteja as that fabulous, warm, easy to talk to host! The whole thing was beautifully organised. Hotel amazing. Food fab. Visits amazing. Very well done to the MCN team and Vilnius Night Office”


Michelle Daurat

Chief Executive of the Sunderland MAC Trust, Lead on Sunderland Music City



MI-RAP (news coming from Hamburg Music)


Hamburg Music is the primary project lead of the project MI-RAP. This helps local authorities, sectoral agencies and business support organisations attract fresh talents to the music industry, while ensuring more cross-sectoral cooperation and integration of emerging technologies and green practices at the same time.

Fabian, one of our dear colleagues from Hamburg Music, and project lead of MI-RAP, says:


“​​As part of MI-RAP, we’re also looking to connect with organizations interested in learning more about our results and how they can apply them within their own local music ecosystems. This includes areas such as training programs, music mappings, cross-innovation initiatives, and sustainable event concepts. Anyone interested is very welcome to get in touch with me directly.”


Fabian Baßenhoff

Projektmanagement, Musikwirtschaftsexport, MI-RAP


Sound Check: Gothenburg’s

Festival Scene Goes All In

Viva what? Viva Sounds is a club festival in Gothenburg, taking place on the last weekend of November. The 2025 edition will feature 100 live shows by 70+ bands and artists from around the world.


On the developments of that festival, our dear colleague Mattias from Gothenburg says:


“Things are shaping up nicely for 2025! We’ve booked many acts, with several already announced, and just opened our delegate applications. We’re stepping up our game with increased capacity across 15 venues! This year, we’re proud to host the EMEE Winter Summit and we'll also welcome Canada’s return to the event. The festival runs November 27–29, featuring two full days of conference programming and 85 shows over the three nights. Looking forward to welcoming everyone to Gothenburg!”


Mattias Tell

Manager, Westside Music Sweden


That’s a wrap for now – but more to come!

From Vilnius to Hamburg to Gothenburg, the rhythm of collaboration is strong. Whether you’re deep in a local project or planning your next city visit, we hope this snapshot of what’s brewing across the network leaves you feeling as inspired as we are.


As always, keep us in the loop with your updates, ideas, and invitations — and let’s keep building the future of music cities, together.


Warm wishes from the MCN headquarters,

Aneta, Lena, Sabrina



Inquiries


For more information about the Music Cities Network and Düsseldorf and Aalborg's involvement, please contact:


Aneta Gaidamovic

Communication Manager, Music Cities Network



About the

Music Cities Network


The Music Cities Network is an international organization dedicated to connecting cities through the power of music. By promoting collaboration, research, and advocacy, the network aims to build thriving music ecosystems that support cultural, social, and economic development worldwide.




 
 
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