West Anthem announces dates and early-bird tickets tor the 2026 Music Cities Convention in Calgary

Posted on May 7, 2026

Alberta Music Industry members save $100 on tickets until May 14.

Calgary, AB—West Anthem, along with its steering committee and partners—including the Government of Alberta, Alberta Music, Calgary Arts Development, and the National Music Centre—is excited to host Sound Diplomacy’s Music Cities Convention (MCC) in Calgary from September 29 to October 1, 2026, at the National Music Centre. This convention serves as a global platform for city leaders, decision-makers, and music industry innovators who are shaping how music can drive economic growth, job creation, sustainable development, urban planning, and social impact.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Government of Alberta’s Music Action Plan (released April 30), which signals a strong commitment to growing the province’s music sector. The convention will serve as a prime opportunity for industry leaders and community members to connect, share ideas, and learn from other jurisdictions about how to inform the implementation of the Action Plan across the province.

To celebrate the announcement of the Music Action Plan, West Anthem is pleased to offer Alberta’s Music Industry members early-bird tickets to the Music City Convention until May 14, 2026.

Learn more about the Music Cities Convention and buy tickets here.

“With Alberta taking an important step forward in launching the first ever Music Action Plan, the Music Cities Convention offers a timely opportunity to connect local and regional momentum with global expertise. We’re excited to welcome delegates to Calgary this fall and to open up early access for Alberta’s music community to be part of the conversation,” said Andrew Mosker, President and CEO, National Music Centre; Co-founder and Chair, West Anthem

The Music Action Plan is informed by the Music City Strategy Reports released by West Anthem in 2024. Highlights from the Music Action Plan include priorities for sustained funding, creating connections across sectors, fostering talent and supporting underutilized spaces. The announcement also included an additional $800,000 investment in addition to the $15 Million already invested annually by the Provincial Government.

“At Sound Diplomacy, we believe music and the creative economy are central to how cities grow, govern, and thrive. We are thrilled that the Convention reflects the growing momentum around music in Alberta, especially with the publication of the music action plan. It will bring the international Music Cities community to Calgary, creating space to exchange ideas, inform policy, and turn ideas into action,” said Shain Shapiro, Founder and Chairman, Sound Diplomacy.

Media Contact:
Sydney Duhaime
sydney (at) birdcreatives.com

Contact

Email: info (at) westanthem.com

Alberta spans five treaty territories and eight Métis settlements. Like their ancestors, many Indigenous individuals and families make their homes across the prairies, including the Blackfoot Confederacy – Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika – the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stoney Nakoda, and the Tsuu T’ina Nation. The Métis People of Alberta include the Six Regions of the Métis Nation of Alberta. Many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, both from here and as visitors from elsewhere, have helped care for these lands for generations. We recognize they have traditions and relationships to the land far outstretching the arrival of settlers.

We are extremely grateful for these lands on which we reside, work, and play. We make this acknowledgement as an act of gratitude and reconciliation. While championing the arts in Calgary and across Alberta, we intend for our work to contribute to the valuing of traditional art forms and result in greater opportunity for the creative Indigenous talent who walk these lands today.