Photo by Lex Hernandez
Audio By Carbonatix
The annual Winter Music Conference (“WMC”), an electronic music industry gathering, returns next year for its 36th edition from Tuesday, March 24 through Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the Kimpton Epic Hotel in Downtown Miami.
According to a press release sent to New Times, this year’s edition turns a “new chapter for this legendary institution, reaffirming its place as a global hub for music, technology, education, and culture.” Last year, WMC took place at Eden Roc Miami Beach; each edition usually moves locations across Miami.
The Conference will be bisected between “two curated programming tracks (Industry + Creators).” The industry side caters to professionals in the music and live events sectors. There will be various “panels, workshops, and networking sessions designed to dive deep into the business of music, event production, emerging technologies, and the evolving landscape of dance culture.”
The creator’s side will feature DJs, producers, and content creators “shaping today’s and tomorrow’s scene.” An attendee can expect gear demos and showcases, artist-led workshops, and “career path breakout sessions designed to inspire and inform” both veterans and the next generation.
Will you step up to support New Times this year?
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If Miami New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
Additionally, the Epic Hotel will have daily rooftop pool parties, and a collaboration between Bridges for Music, a nonprofit organization that uses music and education to strengthen underserved communities, and the International Dance Music Awards for a special gala (tickets will be sold separately from the Conference badges).
Louis Possenti and Bill Kelly founded WMC in 1986. The inaugural Conference took place in Fort Lauderdale and moved to Miami the following year, where it helped propel the city to a dance music Eden. The Conference reached a zenith in the ‘90s and early aughts, where legends like Danny Tenaglia would travel to, and a young Damian Lazarus was covering the Conference as a journalist. As New Times writer Jose Duran remarked, “At that time, a WMC badge granted access to most parties in the city. Notably, one of WMC’s most renowned parties featured Daft Punk performing at the Cameo Theater in 1999.”
In 2018, Ultra Music Festival acquired WMC to revive the legendary Conference after a period of stagnation in the 2010s. Ultra continues to manage the Conference and divides the week between WMC, Miami Music Week, and the festival into a comprehensive week-long pilgrimage. During the day, attendees can network and learn, while they can catch a set by night.
Winter Music Conference 2026. Tuesday, March 24, through Thursday, March 26, at Kimpton Epic Hotel, 270 Biscayne Blvd Way, Miami; wintermusicconference.com. Tickets cost $295 via feverup.com.
