Fayetteville to host Music Cities Convention in September 2025

Experience Fayetteville and Music Cities Events will host the 13th global edition of the Music Cities Convention in Fayetteville from Sept. 15-18, 2025. A schedule and support partners have yet to be announced.

The convention allows attendees to experience the newest best practices on the use and importance of music in the development of cities globally. It will comprise more than 30 speakers, presentations, workshops, evening events, networking opportunities and live music.

“Since its creation in 2015, Music Cities Convention has been hosted 12 times across six countries in three different continents, gathering more than 4,000 delegates from 60 countries, making it a truly global event,” said Pablo Borchi, marketing and partnerships manager for Momentual. “Hosting the Music Cities Convention is a significant milestone for any city looking to position itself as a music city.”

Since 2018, Experience Fayetteville has been in discussions with Momentual, the parent organization of Music Cities Events.

“This is a chance to welcome music industry professionals from around the globe to Fayetteville and show off what makes our town special,” said Molly Rawn, CEO of Experience Fayetteville. “Hosting an event like this means more business for our hotels, restaurants, bars and live music venues. It is also an opportunity for those involved in the Fayetteville music scene to engage with peers from across the world.”

Suggested attendees include city leaders, musicians, festival/event directors, real estate professionals, economic development professionals, academics, music industry professionals, night-time economy managers, culture officers, nonprofit leaders, for-profit executives and tourism directors.

“Fayetteville is home to a thriving music community that celebrates diverse genres and supports local artists and venues,” according to the event website. “Iconic spots like George’s Majestic Lounge, which has hosted live music for over 90 years, and organizations such as the Folk School of Fayetteville, which has been key in incubating and supporting music education and musician development in the city, highlight the region’s rich folk and Americana influences.”

The website shows the Graduate by Hilton will be the main convention venue. General admission is $399. But it’s $99 for those who purchase tickets by Sept. 30, 2024. Student tickets are $60.

The 2024 Music Cities Convention will take place Dec. 7 to 9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 2023 Music Cities Convention took place in Huntsville, Ala. In May, the organization also hosted a Music Tourism Convention in Cape Breton Island, Canada.