Winter Music Conference Unveils Final Wave of Programming Ahead of Miami Music Week

1 week ago 14

Armin van Buuren, Sasha, Dubfire, Alison Wonderland, Laidback Luke, and more round out Winter Music Conference’s final programming slate at Kimpton EPIC in Downtown Miami.

With Miami Music Week now just one week out, Winter Music Conference (WMC) has dropped the final wave of programming for its 2026 edition at Kimpton EPIC in Downtown Miami. Following two prior rounds of announcements that locked in WMC’s dual-track INDUSTRY and CREATORS format, a Label Radar-partnered A&R Pop-Up Lounge, and the official Beatport Live pool party series, this last batch rounds out what is shaping up to be an incredibly ambitious slate from the longstanding electronic music forum.

Headlining the final wave is a keynote conversation featuring Armin van Buuren alongside Apple Music‘s Stephen Campbell and Tim Sweeney. Titled “The Power of the Mix: Artists, Algorithms & The Next Era of Dance Music,” the session will unpack the evolving role of DJ mixes, human curation, and artist-led storytelling in today’s streaming landscape.

Other announcements come from AlphaTheta, which will present “The Art of the DJ Set” with Sasha, Dubfire, Alison Wonderland, and Danny Daze, while L-Acoustics brings Laidback Luke and Joachim Garraud together for “Beyond the Booth: DJs as Spatial Composers.” Beatport will round out the marquee programming with a one-on-one between electronic tastemaker Sara Landry and company CEO Robb McDaniels, exploring techno culture and artist identity.

Full lineups for the three-day Beatport Live rooftop pool party series have also been confirmed. Mood Child will curate the opening day showcase on March 24 with DJ Sneak, Manda Moor, and Sirius Hood on decks. Rekids celebrates its 20th anniversary on March 25, with Danny Tenaglia, Radio Slave b2b DJ Minx, and more. Finally, Hot Creations and Three Six Zero Recordings will close things out on March 26 with Skream b2b L.P. Rhythm, Sidney Charles b2b Fleur Shore, and more. All pool parties will be powered by L-Acoustics, the first spatial audio system built specifically for DJs. Pool party access is included with the WMC Pro Badge, with limited individual tickets available via DICE.

The A&R Pop-Up Lounge has finalized its label roster as well. Balance Music, Brobot Records with Junior Sanchez, Create Music Group (representing mau5trap, Monstercat, !K7, and Cr2 Records), Dirtybird, Dirty Workz, Spinnin’ Records, Too Lost, and Ultra Records will all have representatives on-site for scheduled demo handoffs and curated introductions. The conference will wrap up on Thursday evening with the inaugural International Dance Music Awards ceremony, which has freshly announced its 2026 nominees, and a special Bridges for Music presentation.

Winter Music Conference 2026 runs Tuesday, March 24, through Thursday, March 26. Access, Pro, and the new Social badges are still available on the official website.