9–11 April 2026
Have you ever felt like music is less and less about the actual music this year? You’re not alone. At this year’s Budapest Ritmo we will be focusing on musicians and garnering real connections.
Since the beginning sustainability and inclusion have been guiding lights when it comes to conference topics and participants, so we’ll dive deep in at a workshop, powered by UPBEAT, the project where the best minds on the topic are gathered.
Politics in music and about music can be polarizing topics and it can feel like there’s something uniquely new about the way we look at this issue. But is there really? We’ll be focusing on this question as well, while also discussing the many frontiers where resistance shows up in music and vice versa, how or whether it can be turned into action and the role it plays in movements.
Encouraging a multidisciplinary approach and the basic fact that music rarely stands alone, Ritmo Kultúr Pitch is giving a platform to new and up and coming projects to secure funding for their cultural project, from films to festivals, from community spaces to public education projects. The programme will be focused on Hungarian projects.
The conference however wouldn’t be a conference without speed meeting sessions. Following tradition at one of them delegates will be able to meet and get to know the showcase bands and artists. And true to its name, the other will provide a chance to Meet the Serbs. Both of them will allow participants to connect with industry professionals, festival organizers, and agents. Our signature ‘Ritmo Meets’ talks will be back too where Simon Broughton will delve into the work and inspiration of South-Korean virtuoso duo, dal:um’s visions, their path so far and the road ahead.
While music is always team work, we believe in honouring the people who work round the clock for the future of world music and nurture its legacy as well. Attendees will have a chance to get to know them better, diving deep in their work and career during a discussion moderated by Ritmo’s own Balázs Weyer.
For the first time Hangvető has the honour of hosting Classical:NEXT parallel to Budapest Ritmo, so naturally we’ll provide our delegates with a chance to meet professionals from the contemporary classical music scene at a joint networking event.
Venue of Budapest Ritmo Conference and Showcase programme
The center planned by Japanese star architect Sou Fujimoto is an iconic contemporary architectural masterpiece. The diverse range of events in House of Music Hungary provides a plethora of musical experiences, including exhibitions, concerts, playing music together, singing, dance, exciting music education workshops and lecture courses. The mission of House of Music is to promote music, the values of Hungarian folk, classical, popular music and other global genres.
