Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC)’s 2026 edition delivered two days of forward-thinking conversations, international networking, and cultural exchange that further cemented ARMC’s position as one of Africa’s most important music industry platforms.
Bringing together over 1,000 artists, executives, entrepreneurs, policymakers, creatives and innovators from over 15 countries from 22-23 May at Johannesburg’s Constitution Hill, ARMC 2026 focused not only on conversations about the future of music, but also on creating tangible opportunities and real industry outcomes for African artists. The star-studded line-up featured leading voices from music, culture and government, including Elaine, TRESOR, Kim Jayde and Janesh, alongside key institutional representation from the Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the German Embassy Pretoria, the Australian High Commission Pretoria and the Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria.
Photo: Gabriel Solomons
One of the conference’s most significant announcements was the official launch of the Music Mentorship Program for South African Artists, a new collaboration between the German Embassy Pretoria, ARMC and Paradise Worldwide. Officially unveiled during the conference by representatives from all three organisations, the initiative is designed to bridge the gap between creativity and professional music industry development for South African artists.
“Music and diplomacy share many traits,” shared Marten Menger, head of the cultural department at the German Embassy, Pretoria. “They connect people. They foster collaboration. When successful, they create something bigger than the sum of its parts. ARMC’s Mentorship Programme for South African Artists is about just that: connections between German and South African artists to create something beautiful. As the German Embassy, we are glad to be part of this.”
Applications for the programme are now officially open, with five selected artists set to receive comprehensive support for an upcoming release project including professional mastering, release strategy support, one-on-one international mentorship paired with established German music industry professionals and artists, EP and single artwork design, professional press shots, in-studio promotional content production and visual storytelling support
The launch marked a major step toward building stronger international creative exchange between South Africa and Germany while investing directly in the next generation of South African talent.
Photo: Gabriel Solomons
Another standout moment at ARMC 2026 was the introduction of the Berlin AI Think Tank in Africa, which created a critical platform for discussions around artificial intelligence, creator consent, licensing, attribution and fair remuneration within the rapidly evolving music landscape. With local and international stakeholders in attendance (including SAMPRA, CAPASSO, AIxchange, the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM), Fraunhofer IDMT and others) the Think Tank initiated critical conversations around the next steps toward a more independent and sustainable Pan-African AI ecosystem for music and the creative industries.
Photo: Gabriel Solomons
ARMC 2026 also strengthened international cultural ties to Australia, the official international focus country of this year’s edition, through the SA Meets Australia Networking Reception, presented in collaboration with the Australian High Commission Pretoria, Creative Australia and Alchemy Music. The reception featured a special live performance by Australian artist DOBBY, whose appearance became one of the conference’s defining moments when he invited emerging South African rappers onto the stage for an improvised freestyle collaboration – creating an authentic and spontaneous exchange between young artists from both countries. The moment reflected ARMC’s broader vision of fostering meaningful global collaboration through music and culture.
“ARMC provides an important platform to bring together artists and industry from around Africa and the world to exchange experiences, knowledge and ideas,” says Alchemy Music’s Frank Rodi. “Alchemy Music is proud to bring the first Australian delegation to the event, highlighting common challenges and opportunities as well as showcasing the extraordinary talent of First Nation rapper DOBBY and alt-R&B/ambient electronica singer, songwriter and producer Milan Ring.”
Beyond the conference programme, ARMC 2026 delivered a dynamic live music experience with performances and showcases from artists including Germany’s Henrik Schwarz (Germany), South African stars Young Duragg, Mörda, Doowap, Rouge, British stars HARUNA and TIMANTI, and many more, celebrating the diversity and global influence of contemporary African music culture.
“Having hosted a workshop on female empowerment at last year’s conference, returning to ARMC this year as an artist was incredibly special,” said Rouge. “I’ve made so many meaningful connections through this platform and witnessed firsthand how important these spaces are for African creatives. ARMC is more than just a conference, it’s a growing movement that the global music industry should be paying close attention to.”
The success of ARMC 2026 was made possible through the support of headline partner Paradise Worldwide as well as Mint Digital Services, Johnnie Walker AfroExchange, Jaecoo, SAMRO, Ray-Ban, KFC, SAMPRA, Billboard Africa, Hype Magazine, Music In Africa, Trace, Resident Advisor, sponsors, speakers, artists, delegates, media and collaborators who contributed to making this year’s edition one of the conference’s most impactful and internationally connected gatherings to date.
ARMC 2027 dates have officially been announced – save the date for 21 & 22 May 2027. Early bird tickets for next year’s conference are now officially available on Quicket.
