The 17th edition of the International Music Summit takes place this week at Cala Llonga in Ibiza, running from April 22-24. The full programme has been released ahead of tomorrow's opening sessions.
Programme Focus
According to DJ Mag, the three-day conference returns to its established format of panel discussions, keynote presentations, and networking sessions centered on electronic music industry topics. The summit historically draws label executives, festival promoters, booking agents, and technology company representatives alongside artists.
The event operates on a business conference model rather than the festival format, with sessions typically addressing topics like streaming economics, festival sustainability, artist mental health, and technology's impact on live performance. Previous editions have featured participants from companies including Beatport, Spotify, Live Nation, and major DJ equipment manufacturers.
Industry Context
IMS launched in 2008 as one of the first dedicated business summits for electronic music, positioning itself during Ibiza's pre-season period before the island's summer club calendar begins. The April timing means the conference precedes the opening parties that traditionally start in May.
The summit operates separately from IMS Engage, a similar conference held in Los Angeles, and IMS Asia-Pacific, which ran in multiple Asian cities before the pandemic. The Ibiza edition remains the flagship event.
Cala Llonga, located on Ibiza's east coast approximately 10 kilometers from Ibiza Town, has hosted the summit at various points throughout its history. The location provides distance from the island's main club district while maintaining accessibility to the airport and hotels.
What's Different This Year
Details on specific speakers, panel topics, and scheduling have been made available through the programme release, though DJ Mag's coverage did not specify particular sessions or participants. The conference typically announces its speaker lineup in stages leading up to the event.
The summit coincides with the broader electronic music industry's ongoing discussions about AI's role in production and DJing, streaming payment models, and the post-pandemic recalibration of touring economics. Whether these topics feature prominently in the 2026 programme remains to be seen once attendees arrive tomorrow.
Registration for IMS operates on a tiered pricing structure, with different access levels for full delegates versus individual day passes. The conference has historically sold out advance registration, though day-of availability varies by year.
