Steve Coogan and Andy Burnham are set to participate in events for Manchester’s Beyond The Music 2026. Find all the details below.
This year’s edition of the festival is due to take place across multiple spaces within MediaCity in Salford between October 6 and 9.
BMT’s core ethos is to “raise, discuss and solve some of the biggest problems facing the creative industries” currently. The event will bring together major voices in music, tech, film, gaming and content, as well as various political figures.
The 2026 instalment will kick off with a special 24th anniversary premiere of 24 Hour Party People, ahead of the 2002 comedy-drama’s 4K rerelease in cinemas worldwide.
The screening will be accompanied by an exclusive keynote conversation with director Michael Winterbottom and actor Steve Coogan, who played Manchester music pioneer Tony Wilson in the story of the city’s iconic Factory Records.
Speaking on bringing the film back to Greater Manchester, Winterbottom said: “24 Hour Party People was made as a celebration of the spirit and music of Manchester and Factory Records under the chaotic leadership of Tony Wilson.
“So, Beyond the Music is the perfect place to premiere the re-release of the film, just 24 years after we made it.”
Coogan added: “24 Hour Party People is the work that is closest to my heart. I haven’t seen it for nearly 25 years. It captures the creative spirit of the town I am proud to have grown up in. I feel very sentimental about it all, which Tony Wilson would have deplored.
“Like Anthony HW and all those working-class musicians, when it came to tell the story, Michael Winterbottom and [writer] Frank Cottrell Boyce made something special. ‘A vague plan wrapped in an impossible dream’, but it worked.”
Tickets for Beyond The Music’s exclusive premiere of 24 Hour Party People are limited – sign up here to register your interest.
Elsewhere at BTM ’26, newly appointed Labour MP for Makerfield and former Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, will convene the ‘All Content Global AI Summit’. This is scheduled to close the conference on October 9.
The session will see practitioners, rights holders and policymakers from every corner of the music and creative industries come together for the first time to align on a shared, rights-based position on AI.
They’ll explore ways to protect art and its creation, whilst ensuring commerce can grow and flourish alongside modern technology.
Front L-R: Sarah Pearson, Sally Cook, Andy Burnham, Rose Marley, Alice Webb and Manchester musicians celebrate the launch of Beyond The Music at MediaCity – Credit: Mark Waugh
You can find more information about Beyond The Music 2026 here.
Burnham recently launched his Labour leadership bid after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation last month. He has since shared plans to spend some of his working week in Manchester, should he become the next PM (via BBC News).
This spring, Burnham helped confirm that Beyond The Music – which he helped found – would be returning in 2026. He said it would continue to explore current issues facing the music industry via keynote conversations, industry showcases and networking opportunities.
“Greater Manchester has always been willing to take a stand on the issues that matter – standing up for the people behind the music, making sure they are recognised, rewarded and able to build sustainable careers,” Burnham explained.
He also spoke to NME along with other figures from the music industry in 2024 about the festival, and highlighted the dire need to support grassroots music venues and new artists across the UK.
NME asked him for his reaction to Coldplay making their own ticket levy, after the band announced they would donate 10 per cent of their profits from their 2025 UK stadium shows to save the grassroots.
With the move, Chris Martin and co. followed in the footsteps of Enter Shikari, and it came in the wake of recommendations from MPs to add a £1 levy on arena and stadium gigs.
“I wholeheartedly support it,” Burnham told us. “I made a call here last year that the industry needs to do more to give back to support its own grassroots venues, rehearsal spaces and talent development systems. I think it’s brilliant, and I applaud Coldplay for doing that.”
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