Winter Music Conference photo
Audio By Carbonatix
Back in Downtown Miami from March 24–26 at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel, Winter Music Conference (WMC) once again will serve as the daytime headquarters for Miami Music Week. Resembling the quimera, WMC is three different animals: a conference, a networking hub, and a pool-party zone.
Each day will kick off at noon, with panels and workshops across two tracks: one geared toward the business side, the other toward creators trying to break through (or level up).
WMC 2026 Schedule and Key Speakers to Know
The biggest draw this year is Wednesday’s keynote, where Armin van Buuren will sit down with Apple Music’s Stephen Campbell and Tim Sweeney to talk about DJ mixes, algorithms, and whether human curation still matters. That starts at 12 p.m., and expect a packed room.
Later in the week, a few can’t-miss panels:
- Sasha, Dubfire, Alison Wonderland, and Danny Daze will break down how DJs actually build a set (Thursday, 4 p.m.)
- Laidback Luke and Joachim Garraud will get into immersive audio and the future of DJ performance (also Thursday, 4 p.m.)
- Sara Landry will join Beatport for a conversation on techno’s global rise
Elsewhere, you’ll find people from TikTok, Warner Music Group, and Discogs talking AI, fan data, and how artists are supposed to survive all of it.
WMC 2026 Pool Parties and Miami Music Week Events
Of course, this is Miami Music Week, so things don’t stay “conference” for long, and pool parties are part of the curriculum.
The Beatport Live pool parties run all three days on the EPIC rooftop, with Danny Tenaglia, DJ Sneak, Radio Slave, DJ Minx, and Skream rotating through. It’s basically the same crowd you’ll see on panels — just with drinks in hand and a view of Biscayne Bay.
There are also daily demos (including spatial audio showcases at 2 p.m.) and mixers where artists, labels, and industry folks can awkwardly-but-productively network; let’s admit it, not everyone was born for it.
Winter Music Conference History and Its Connection to Ultra Music Festival
WMC has been part of South Florida’s dance music DNA for over three decades. It started in Fort Lauderdale in 1986 before moving to Miami, where it helped turn the city into a global clubbing destination.
By the late ’90s, it was the place to be; the kind of week where one badge could get you into half the parties in town and where moments like Daft Punk’s 1999 Cameo Theater set became legend.
These days, it sits neatly inside the Ultra ecosystem. Since Ultra acquired WMC in 2018, the split has been clear: WMC handles the conversations during the week, and Ultra (plus everything orbiting it) takes over towards the end of the week.
Call it the calm before the drop — or at least the part where you could be slightly productive. You can find the full program, speakers, and pool party info on the WMC official website.
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.
