The increasingly unavoidable need for sustainability in the music sector calls for theory and practice to join forces towards a real paradigm shift. In this panel, we find the expertise of Carlos Ribeiro – Executive President of the Laboratório da Paisagem (Landscape Laboratory), responsible for the European Green Capital 2026 – who presents an event manual with recommendations for best practices, and also Rob van Wegen, coordinator of the Eurosonic sustainability plan, who will talk from the perspective of the applicability of standards that produce a concrete effect, in what is the most important European Festival Showcase & Conference. 

Access to funding is crucial for ensuring the diversity of the musical landscape, creating space for new voices, and fostering career development in a time of such volatility and uncertainty. Three representatives from various organisations that allocate significant funding through applications discuss the importance of the eligibility system and the need not neglect the technical aspects of preparing applications.

The charm of bringing back to the present an object we thought never existed is an event that deserves to be celebrated for the apparent strength of its timelessness. Carlos Maria Trindade's album, composed and recorded in an earlier era and now released by Miguel Augusto Silva's Armoniz record label, carries stories that can inspire us to never lose faith in the transcendence of art, in a time when everything seems to disintegrate very quickly. This conversation takes place the day after Carlos Maria Trindade's live performance of the album titled Tédio at the Church of St. Francis, in Guimarães.

Portugal é um país de festivais excecionais no que toca a escalas e estéticas muito diferentes. Alguns deles, pela sua apurada curadoria e missão vanguardista, tornaram-se referenciais no panorama nacional e internacional, pela capacidade de antecipar tendências e funcionar como mostra do que posteriormente se instala em festivais de maior dimensão. Este taste making é uma tarefa de muito estudo e sensibilidade. Vamos tentar perceber como se desperta para essa competência e como se põem em prática estratégias de programação que produzem resultados e reputação.

The “The Portuguese Discovery” label was created to generate greater, concentrated visibility for Portuguese talent at leading international events, enhancing the country's music scene beyond its borders and opening up opportunities for more consistent internationalisation aligned with European standards. Jorge Dias, who was involved in developing the initial concept, and Robin Werner, who hosted the initiative at the Reeperbahn Festival, discuss the vitality of this form of representation and its medium-term effects on artists' careers.

The music industry is currently dealing with numerous challenges. Some of these involve correcting systems of representation and advocating for equal opportunities in the job market. Despite constant warnings in the digital sphere, the gender disparity remains an unfulfilled promise, which is why it's necessary to continue debating the quality of the measures to be implemented, so that there is an effective change in the methods and choices that the music industry must consider. This is a topic that will be addressed by a panel of professionals from different geographical areas and backgrounds, to enrich the search for a more balanced path. 

Portuguese talent has been well-received in several international markets. In this panel, we bring together two professionals who have distinguished themselves in the French market for their particular interest in promoting and circulating Portuguese projects. Yvan Soyouz – who works with Ana Lua Caiano and Fijdu Kitxora – and Yves Tattevin – who works with MAQUINA. – discuss this particular relationship of representing national projects in France and possible talent growth strategies in France. 

Neighbourhoods often suggest a more intense process of intimacy and collaboration, but reality doesn't always confirm this idea. At Westway, we've invested in our relationship with the Spanish market by inviting a range of professionals and artists/bands to perform at Westway LIVE. In this panel, we'll discuss the state of this Iberian force and ask four experienced figures knowledgeable about both realities whether there's optimism about doing more and better, and whether there's a probability of achieving better results in this collaborative process.

The session dedicated to artistic career management will address the core responsibilities of management — from defining artistic vision and positioning to strategic planning, team development, negotiation, financing, and internationalization. In an increasingly competitive global context, the challenges managers currently face will also be discussed. With a practical approach and based on real-world cases, this session aims to provide young professionals with tools to structure artistic projects, build trusting relationships with artists, and drive growth opportunities at national and international levels.

Music entrepreneur Stefan Schurter is the founder and CEO of Deepdive Music, Deepdive Records, and Deepdive Publishing, and founder and co-president of MMFSuisse – Music Managers Forum Switzerland, a member association of the International Music Managers Forum (IMMF). He regularly participates in international conferences and festivals such as Eurosonic, Reeperbahn Festival, The Great Escape, Tallinn Music Week, and ILMC London.

One of the most important issues in contemporary societies, and particularly in the music industry, is mental health, which gains even more impact when tour crews are on extended tours and need to expend a great deal of physical and mental effort. We discuss the problem and how to address it, based on a panel of professionals who have been on the front lines of the issue. We will hear stories and potential ideas to address a situation that is increasingly crucial to the longevity of careers in the music industry.

The future of the music industry depends on the progressive integration and empowerment of new generations, but before that, it's perhaps important to consider that there is a vast space to fill in this reality within schools, not only through teaching but also through lived experience and the ways in which this enjoyment is fostered in these centres of knowledge. In this panel, we bring together three representatives from several distinct projects, demonstrating how innovative and catalytic this field can be in fostering interest at a young age, during critical thinking development.

What is audio branding? In this case, it can be described as the strategic management of an artist's or band's sonic identity, using sound, music, and voice to create an emotional connection and strengthen the relationship with the audience. To better understand the potential of this sensory marketing, we will have two experts – Fadi Nasr and Mari Paz – who will address this field of exploration, starting with its concept and concrete applications in musical repertoire.

There is a new generation of professionals in the music industry who need to be recognised and have space for intervention and growth. This panel follows one of the objectives of the previous edition by bringing together active voices from this new wave of professionals, who are committed to making a difference and renewing perspectives on curating, producing, and managing music. A new world, dealing with many adversities in the face of the whirlwind of market changes, but committed to resisting and developing a new way of being and generating a different kind of value for the music industry.

In a market where music is now produced and distributed primarily in a digital environment, the music industry has transformed into a rights-based industry focused on access rather than the sale of physical products. In this session, the fundamental concepts related to copyright and related rights will be presented, along with the different forms of use of works and artistic performances, and the mechanisms for management and remuneration in the digital context. The workshop will also address emerging challenges associated with artificial intelligence, fostering reflection on the impacts of this technology on the creation, distribution, and valuation of music.

Career development models, opportunities for emerging talent, internationalization strategies, and knowledge transfer are important aspects of a European ecosystem that has been trying to overcome the major current challenges of sustainability, equal opportunities, and the concentration of power in multinational corporations. Three voices from northern, central, and southern Europe discuss the sector's reality and the changing landscape driven by the speed and digital dominance of consumption.

Music fuels a system of cultural, economic, and social wealth creation, which, in turn, fosters true communities, strengthening relationships and geographies that would otherwise struggle to create this organic cohesion. At the Westway MEETING, we present three examples of community building through the power of music and by engaging populations with artists and professionals. A way of understanding and valuing life, starting from the territory where it chooses to manifest itself in a unique way.

This workshop offers musicians and agents essential knowledge about artistic mobility and internationalisation, covering practical tools for understanding visa requirements, tax obligations, and best practices in tour organisation. Topics such as tour financial management, identifying local partners, and strategies for reaching new audiences in different territories will be discussed. The session will be led by Jess Partridge, Executive Director of the European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA) and a member of the European Music Exporters Exchange (EMEE) team, whose work focuses on music export, talent development, and the creation of international opportunities for the sector. 

In an era of metrics, algorithms, and deeply ingrained digital habits, we address the importance of live music and the resilience of this practice, which seems threatened by the sustainability of its business model. We combine examples of perseverance (CAAA and Texas Bar) with new ways of thinking about defending the vitality of the interaction between audiences, artists, and territories (Malfeito). A conversation about the present body and the energy of being human through live music.

Geographical and cultural distance between countries, while seemingly inhibiting, is not always an impediment to the flow of musical exports, as is the case between South Korea and Portugal. This distant market has been visited with some regularity by artists and their agents, giving rise to a new axis of work that is currently being explored. To better understand the interest in and potential of this relationship, Dalse Yoonyoung Kong from Zandari Festa meets with three professionals who have already visited the South Korean scene. A brave new world is blossoming.