First 25 Speakers Revealed for 2026 Regional and Remote Music Summit in Berrin / Mount Gambier
MusicSA have announced the first speakers and program themes for Regional and Remote Music Summit, to be held in Berrin / Mount Gambier, South Australia, October 28–30.
The summit will bring some of the country’s leading music industry voices to South Australia’s Limestone Coast to champion regional creativity, strengthen touring networks and amplify the voices of artists and music workers living and creating outside metropolitan centres. The first 25 speakers include Alex Pinte (Wildlive), Ant McKenna (Australian Live Music Business Council), Dr Ben Green (RMIT University), Bronwyn Coulston (Service and Creative Skills Australia), Dr Christen Cornell (Creative Australia), Colin U’Ren (Lyrebird Arts Council Committee), David Corbet (The Sound Doctor), Daan Steffens (Gutwrench Records), Emily Tulloch (Australian Music Industry Network), Gareth Lewis (General Admission Entertainmnent), Jack Lane (Rock Lock Records), Jana Hesketh (Queensland Music Festival), Jez Conlon (MusicNT), Letisha Ackland (Balya Productions), Loren Kronemeyer (The Unconfirmity), Maddy Smith (UNIFIED), Mark Smith (MusicNT), Millie Millgate (Music Australia), Nicole Wright (Neighbourhood Productions), Nur Azman (Chop Street Music), Rob Edwards (Musician), Ros Abercrombie (Regional Arts Australia), Sophie Edwards (Musician/Producer), Scott Maxwell (Educator) and Stu Watters (Morph Consulting).
The Summit will open Day One with the South Australian Regional Music Roundtable, bringing the state’s regional music communities together to identify shared priorities and inform future action.
Day Two will look to the future, asking what a stronger, nationally connected regional and remote music system could look like by 2035. Leading artists, industry representatives and cultural thinkers will examine leadership outside the capitals, the role music plays in shaping communities, the realities of building an artist career from regional Australia and new ways of defining sustainable success.
Day Three will focus on action, exploring the infrastructure, investment and collaboration needed for regional music to thrive. Sessions will examine touring networks, venues and festivals, workforce development, First Nations social and emotional wellbeing, emerging business models and new national research.
MusicSA CEO Christine Schloithe said:
We’re delighted to share the first release of program highlights and guest panelists for this year’s Regional and Remote Music Summit. From the SA Roundtable on Day One through to the final session, every element of this program centres the lived experience of regional artists and industry workers and the conversations we have in Berrin/ Mount Gambier will shape how industry connects, supports and sustains regional music for the future.
South Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Arts, Kyam Maher MLC said:
“The Malinauskas Labor Government is proud to support the 2026 Regional & Remote Music Summit in Berrin/Mount Gambier and welcome music industry leaders from across Australia to South Australia’s Limestone Coast, and I’m personally pleased to see this event come to my hometown of Mount Gambier.
“Regional communities have always played a vital role in Australia’s music story, producing exceptional artists, building strong local scenes and enriching our cultural life.”
“This Summit provides an important opportunity for regional artists, venues and industry professionals to connect, share ideas and strengthen the future of regional and remote music.”
“Hosting this national event in regional South Australia reflects our commitment to creating opportunities for artists and music workers while ensuring regional voices help shape Australia’s music industry.”
The 2026 national Summit is managed and delivered by MusicSA, in partnership with the Australian Government through Music Australia and the Government of South Australia through the Music Development Office, and will continue its mission to champion regional creativity, strengthen touring networks and amplify the voices of artists and music workers living and creating outside metropolitan centres.
Further speakers and the full Summit program will be announced in the coming weeks.
For media enquiries:
Leigh McGrane | leigh@atgpr.com.au | +61 438 699 795