Hello from MCN, September is here, and with it comes one of the busiest moments in the European music calendar. This month, we’re heading to Hamburg for Reeperbahn Festival, where the Music Cities Network will once again bring together members, partners, friends and artists from across our cities. From conversations about the future of the music sector to new connections and, of course, plenty of live music, there’s a lot happening across the network this September. And if you’re heading to...

This June, MCN members gathered in Sunderland for two days of open discussions, practical workshops and peer learning, exploring one shared question: How do we build stronger music ecosystems that create lasting impact for our cities? Hosted by our wonderful Sunderland team, the Summit brought together cities from across Europe and beyond to exchange experiences, challenge assumptions and develop practical solutions to some of the biggest questions facing music cities today. Rather than...

Sunderland will become the first UK city to host the Music Cities Network (MCN) Summer Summit, taking place from 18–20 June 2026, with a full week of wraparound activity across the city. The Summit arrives in the final week of Sunderland’s Year of Music, marking a key moment for the city and bringing together international delegates to explore music ecosystem policy, cross-sector collaboration, and innovation. As part of this, ‘Summit Week Sunderland’ will extend the programme beyond the core...