Festival season vibes, Greater Manchester is shimmering in the sunshine and putting the spotlight on Greater Manchester’s musical heritage and exciting developments.
Starting the month in Shoreditch, GM Business Growth Hub colleagues and clients represented Manchester at South by Southwest (SXSW) London. Colleagues from our GM Business Growth Hub Digital, Creative and Technology (DCT) team attended the first ever SXSW London alongside a delegation of music industry professionals from Greater Manchester.
The latest cohort of our Create Growth programme received fully funded passes to join the festival as part of a Greater Manchester delegation and connect with industrial counterparts from Austin, Texas, US, where SXSW began in 1987. The latest Create Growth programme was launched to support local music venues in Greater Manchester following a report by the Music Venues Trust that revealed four out of ten grassroots music venues are operating at a loss.
From SxSW London, the place to be was Greater Manchester as the Austin music delegation headed to our great City. After our inspiring visits to SXSW in Austin over the years, we had the chance to return the warm hospitality and showcase Greater Manchester's legendary musical heritage. Gemma Blades and our Create Growth music cohort were on hand to spend the day with Erica Shamaly, Music & Entertainment Division Manager for the City of Austin and a delegation talented music industry professionals.
This exchange is more than just a visit — it's a growing bridge between two regions with rich, creative DNA. It also builds on the recently signed Friendship Cities Agreement between Greater Manchester and Austin, which aims to deepen collaboration across culture, innovation, and trade.
Adding to the excitement, Manchester will host the BRIT Awards at Co-op Live in 2026 and 2027, marking the first time in nearly fifty years that the ceremony will be held outside London. It’s a landmark moment that firmly places Greater Manchester at the heart of the UK’s music industry.
Huge thanks to the GMCA Culture team for helping to make this connection so meaningful. Here's to deeper collaboration, shared inspiration, and exciting opportunities ahead for our #CreateGrowth music cohort and beyond.
Create Growth is an innovative programme, designed to help businesses unlock and develop their creative potential.
It's been created to further develop what is already a thriving industry, helping creative organisations attract investment to grow their business sustainably.
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