The Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC) returns to Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa on 22-23 May 2026, continuing its role as a leading platform connecting African and global music industries through dialogue, innovation, and collaboration.
Programme pillars for 2026 focus on Live and Entertainment scenes, Innovation and Music Tech, Education and Employment and Export & Building Bridges.
ARMC’s first set of headline speakers spanning music, technology, media, and culture. Confirmed headline speakers include South African soul singer-songwriter Elaine; amapiano singer-songwriter Simmy; singer-songwriter Filah Lah Lah; Rofhiwa Maneta, META Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Sub-Saharan Africa; and Billboard Africa Editor-in-Chief, Nkosiyati Khumalo.
International headline speakers announced to date include Steffen Holly (Fraunhofer IDMT, Germany) and Alex Jukes (Jukebox PR, UK), with additional global voices to follow.
This year’s edition of the conference also launches ARMC’s partnership with the Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA), representing South Africa’s major and independent record labels. The partnership supports ongoing dialogue around rights, sustainability, and long-term industry growth.
Genre Spotlights: Lekompo & Maskandi
ARMC 2026 will spotlight Lekompo, a fast-rising genre from Limpopo translating grassroots momentum into digital scale. Leading artists including Shandesh and Kharishma have generated over 70–80 million cumulative streams, with continued growth across Spotify charts and playlists – signalling how regional genres are building national audiences through streaming-led discovery.
The programme will also spotlight Maskandi, exploring how traditional, community-rooted music continues to reach new mainstream audiences through digital platforms while retaining cultural identity.
“ARMC continues to be about building real pathways — between artists, executives, markets, and ideas,” says Sarah Jane Nicholson, Founder and Conference Director of Africa Rising Music Conference. “Announcing our first speakers and genre spotlights sets the tone for a programme rooted in collaboration, cultural relevance, and long-term industry impact. We’re excited to reveal much more in the months ahead.”
Based on ARMC’s Music in Tech (Africa) format developed in 2025, the AI Think Tank Roundtable, an initiative launched in Berlin by Paradise Worldwide, AIxchange, the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM), MusicTech Germany, and the Fraunhofer Institute, expands to Johannesburg for the first time in May 2026. The event will bring together music and technology leaders to explore ethical AI use, fair attribution, creator protection and discuss Pan-African independence ecosystems.
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ARMC 2026 Theme Song
To coincide with the launch of the 2026 conference, ARMC also released this year’s theme song, “3NRGY”, by Money Badoo (South Africa) and Bony Fly (Switzerland). The track is an outcome of ARMC’s annual studio sessions and reflects the conference’s commitment to meaningful creative collaboration.
The conference will once again extend into a curated night-time programme of showcases and live performances across Johannesburg, with further details and partners to be announced.
ARMC 2026 is made possible with the support of its headline partners Paradise Worldwide and Mint Digital Services.
Early bird tickets are available via Quicket.
