XP Kickoff Countdown

• EQUAL Arabia, the regional edition of Spotify's global EQUAL program dedicated to advancing gender equity in music, joins forces with Femme Fest

MDLBEAST, the leading music entertainment company in Saudi Arabia, today revealed more details on the upcoming XP Music Futures 2023, the first conference of its kind in the Middle East, which takes place in Riyadh on 7-8-9 December.

The three-day conference kicks off on Thursday at the JAX district, ahead of the region’s biggest music festival, SOUNDSTORM which takes place on 14-16 December.

The XP Music Futures Conference’s third edition offers an extended program that includes total of 135 sessions, workshops, panel discussions, fishbowls, and networking opportunities, alongside a strong lineup featuring 286 speakers, from leading artists to industry experts. Keynote speakers include Balqees Fathi, Nicole Moudaber, Satoshi Tomiie, Hamid el Shaeri, and DJ Michelle.

Discussions will mainly revolve around the event’s 4 pillars: Talent, Scene, Impact, and Innovation. 51 sessions discuss the talent pillar, while 31 sessions will tackle the scene pillar, with 35 sessions tackling the impact pillar, and 17 sessions covering the innovation pillar.

Key partners in the three-day event include Spotify. With EQUAL Arabia, the regional edition of Spotify's global EQUAL program dedicated to advancing gender equity in music, joins forces with Femme Fest, which aims to provide a safe, supportive platform for female identifying artists to showcase their talent, collaborate, and connect with a diverse audience, as part of the broader activities by  “Hunna” mentorship program, designed to connect established women in the music industry to budding female artists to promote equity in the regional music industry.

The conference seeks to be an incentive for change, to become a bridge for diverse voices, and a platform for musical excellence, with the “XP Day” program (11AM-7PM) helping to connect local, regional, and international music experts with local and regional talents to help shape the future of our music, providing a gathering of minds that will inspire growth, networking, support bringing creative and artistic ideas to life.

Meanwhile, “XP NITE” provides a unique peek into the Middle East’s thriving music scene allowing visitors to discover a boundary-pushing music community, with breakthrough innovations, talented artists and homegrown party brands. The NITE program showcases live performances and DJ sets, activations and exhibitions, with more than 150 artists set to perform across seven different event stages.

This year, the conference will also offer networking forums and demo labs, showcasing the latest technologies and innovations in the music industry with top-tier brands including Anghami, Merwas, Paradise Worldwide, L-Acoustics, Berklee College of Music, Sparked, Music Hub, and Gamers Arena.

The conference sees the return of the strategic partnership with the Saudi Music Commission, which is committed to impartial education, talent empowerment and economic growth across Saudi and beyond. The partnership aims to elevate and fortify the future of music within the Kingdom.

“The Middle East and North Africa is the fastest growing music region in the world, with Saudi Arabia playing an increasingly prominent and vital role in this rise. XP Music Futures is a platform that nourishes and enhances the burgeoning musical and creative scene across the Kingdom, bringing together the creators and talent makers who play an integral role in ensuring our industry thrives and evolves. At the core of so much of our everyday experiences, the universal language of music exerts a powerful influence in bringing us all together – transcending national and societal boundaries. This year’s edition of XP Music Futures will showcase how strong the music industry in this part of the world can become and I look forward to furthering our dreams, plans and ambitions.” Nada Alhelabi, Strategy Director at MDLBEAST and XP Music Futures Director, said.

XP Tickets can be purchased as daily passes or in the form of a three-day package.

For more info, visit: https://mdlbeast.com/events/xp-music-futures-2023/xp2023