A new electronic music conference is coming to Hong Kong as Asia Music Event brings global electronic music industry leaders together this November

Hong Kong is set to host a new electronic music industry conference this November with the launch of Asia Music Event (AME). The inaugural edition will take place at Soho House Hong Kong on November 26 and 27, bringing more than 1,000 music professionals and 200 companies together for two days of panels, keynotes, workshops, networking and showcases. Beatport, Warner Music, Zamna Festival, Ismaya Group, Djakarta Warehouse Project and The Magic of Tomorrowland are among the names already involved, giving the first edition a mix of global companies and major players from across the Asian market. As electronic music continues to grow across the region, AME is launching with the aim of creating a dedicated industry meeting point in Asia, where labels, festivals, artists, agencies and platforms can meet and do business in one place.

What to Expect From Asia Music Event 2026

Across two days, Asia Music Event (AME) will feature more than 30 sessions looking at different parts of the electronic music industry across Asia. Keynotes, panel discussions and workshops will cover topics relevant to artists, labels, festivals, promoters, agencies, platforms and brands, with more than 100 speakers and industry figures expected to take part. The first group already includes names from Beatport, Warner Music, Ismaya Group, Djakarta Warehouse Project, Lisbon Dance Summit and The Magic of Tomorrowland, with further speakers and session details expected ahead of November.

Attendees will also have access to curated networking and matchmaking sessions, creating more direct opportunities for companies and professionals from Asian and international markets to meet. Showcases and brand activations will also give the conference a live music component across the two days. The two-day event will conclude on November 27 with the AME Official Closing Party, with its artist lineup set to be announced separately.

Meet Some of the Speakers at Asia Music Event 2026

A major part of Asia Music Event (AME) will be the range of people contributing to its discussions, with the current speaker list already covering several sides of the electronic music industry. Becky Yeung, Regional VP of Brand Partnerships, Sync and Business at Warner Music APAC, brings experience across 13 markets, giving the conference insight into how music, brands and commercial partnerships operate across the region.

 

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Ayudita Hariadi, Head of Artist Bookings at Ismaya Group, adds the perspective of large-scale live events through her work with Djakarta Warehouse Project, where international bookings and Asian talent development are both central to the festival’s growth.

 

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That range continues with Jesper Skibsby, founder and CEO of WARM and Co-Founder and Head of Vision at Lisbon Dance Summit, whose work combines music data, radio tracking and conference development across international markets.

 

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Leo Arbez brings the discussion closer to Hong Kong through Magic Room, Nodes Rec. and 22Systm Studio, covering events, releases and nightlife within the city itself. Together, those different backgrounds give AME more than a speaker lineup of executives, because the conversations can draw from people working directly across recorded music, festivals, data, artist bookings and local nightlife. More speakers and further session details are expected to be announced in the lead-up to the conference this November.

 

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Why Asia Music Event 2026 Matters for Asia and Beyond

For Asia, the importance of AME comes from giving the region’s expanding electronic music sector a dedicated place to meet on its own terms. The region already has major festivals, labels, promoters, artists and nightlife markets, but they operate across countries with very different business structures, audiences and opportunities. Bringing those parts of the industry together in Hong Kong gives regional companies more direct access to international partners, while also giving global businesses a clearer understanding of how electronic music operates across different Asian markets.

That access becomes more valuable when considering how different those markets can be from one another. Markets across Asia can differ significantly in their booking structures, audience habits, local partners and commercial realities, which can be difficult to understand from outside. A conference like AME gives those differences space to be discussed directly by the people already working within them, while creating more opportunities for artists, promoters and companies to form relationships across borders. If the event continues to grow in the years ahead, its importance could extend well beyond Hong Kong by giving the wider electronic music industry a more direct way to engage with Asia.

Aura Bay Open Air to open on Óbudai Island in Budapest with HUGEL headlining grand opening on September 18

A new open-air dance music venue is opening in Budapest this September, with Aura Bay Open Air set to launch on Óbudai Island on Friday, September 18. Located on the same island that hosts Sziget Festival, the new venue will sit partially within the recently opened Aura Bay Light Park, bringing electronic music events together with large-scale light installations, illuminated gardens and sculptures. The first event will run from 3:00 PM until 11:00 PM, with HUGEL confirmed as the headline act for the grand opening and making his first standalone headline appearance in Hungary.

 

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A New Open-Air Venue On Óbudai Island

Aura Bay Open Air forms part of the wider Aura Bay destination on the Danube, which combines indoor and outdoor spaces with light installations and interactive features. The open-air venue will occupy part of the outdoor section of Aura Bay Light Park, allowing events to take place among several of the installations already built across the site.

One of its largest features is a 20-metre illuminated LED whale, which will sit alongside a walkable illuminated pyramid, the botanical light garden of Blooms Park, Crystal Garden, the twin 4,000-LED face sculptures known as Talking Heads and the interactive Kickit light-ball court. With the venue incorporated into part of the light park itself, these installations will remain visible around the event grounds as the night continues.

The location also carries a long history of its own. Óbudai Island, also known as Hajógyári-sziget, was formerly used as a shipyard and is now one of Budapest’s most familiar music locations through its connection with Sziget Festival. Aura Bay Open Air now adds a new permanent event space to the island, with its launch built around a combination of electronic music and the existing light park.

HUGEL To Headline The Grand Opening

Leading the opening event is HUGEL, who will play from 7:30 PM until 9:00 PM. The appearance will mark the French DJ and producer’s first standalone headline show in Hungary.

Born in Marseille, HUGEL has become closely associated with Afro Latin House and runs his own label, Make The Girls Dance Records. His recent schedule has included appearances at EDC Las Vegas, Tomorrowland, BPM Festival, Untold and Coachella, alongside residencies at Hï Ibiza in both 2025 and 2026.

His first album, Twenty One, was released in 2026, while “Movin’ To The Sun” has passed 100 million streams on Spotify since its release in May. His appearance at Aura Bay Open Air now brings him to Budapest for his first Hungarian headline show as the venue opens its doors for the first time.

Full Lineup For The Opening Event

The opening programme will begin at 3:00 PM with Shooma x Guztavo, followed by MELO x Groove Generation, DJ Freespirit, GATANO, HUGEL, Tom Enzy, miirabelle and Budai House Clique.

The lineup brings together international artists and names from Budapest’s house music scene across the eight-hour event. Tom Enzy has previously appeared in the DJ Mag Top 150, while GATANO, Freespirit, Budai House Clique, Shooma x Guztavo, MELO x Groove Generation and miirabelle complete the first programme for the new venue.

Gatano says “I’m really excited to be part of the opening of Aura Bay Open Air and to share the lineup with HUGEL. Budapest has an incredible energy, and playing in such a unique setting, makes this show even more special.”

Miirabelle also added “House music has always been about joy, connection and shared moments. Being part of the opening of a new venue in our hometown, alongside HUGEL and such an exciting lineup, feels like the perfect opportunity to bring that spirit to the dancefloor.”

Aura Bay Open Air will run from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM on Friday, September 18, with HUGEL taking the headline slot from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

3:00 PM–5:00 PM: Shooma x Guztavo
5:00 PM–6:00 PM: MELO x Groove Generation
6:00 PM–6:45 PM: DJ Freespirit
6:45 PM–7:30 PM: GATANO
7:30 PM–9:00 PM: HUGEL
9:00 PM–10:00 PM: Tom Enzy
10:00 PM–10:30 PM: miirabelle
10:30 PM–11:00 PM: Budai House Clique

Aura Bay Open Air opens on Friday, September 18, 2026 from 3:00 PM until 11:00 PM at Aura Bay, Óbudai Island, Budapest. Tickets are available through Fourvenues.

Over 20 years after its original release, DJ Isaac brings back one of hard dance’s most iconic tracks with a fresh Hardstyle edge.

Back in 2003, DJ Isaac dropped an edit and created a white label 12″ record with no name and no real plan for it. On the edit, he sampled a now-iconic Eminem vocal along with a Moby breakdown, and in turn, created one of the biggest hard dance tunes of the 2000. 

Now, over 20 years after its original release, DJ Isaac brings it back to life with the release of ‘Nobody Listens To Techno ’26’. The track takes the beloved 2003 original and retools it for today’s festival and club floors with a fresh Hardstyle edge, keeping the rebellious spirit of the original firmly intact while giving it the force and polish of the current sound.

The 2026 rework actually started out in 2024. DJ Isaac brought the record back with a quick new edit, sending it out to a number of artists who had been playing out his recent releases and they all loved it. It received love from the likes of Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Timmy Trumpet, Wildstylez, Coone, and Brennan Heart while DJ Isaac himself road tested it on mainstages around the world, including Defqon.1, EPIK in Sydney, Aqua Color Fest in Mexico, EDC Mexico, Beyond Wonderland in the US and Basscon: Wasteland. All of these signs almost forced him to turn it from a quick edit into a full scale release.

The original ‘Nobody Listens To Techno’ earned support from some of the most respected names in electronic music such as Carl Cox, Yves Deruyter, and Kutski, a rare crossover achievement that spoke to the quality of the track. The 2026 version aims to bring that same crossover appeal back into focus for a generation that may be hearing it the first time, while giving OG fans a modern version.

It also fits naturally into where DJ Isaac is as an artist right now. A true pioneer of hard dance music with more than 30 years behind the decks, DJ Isaac has spent his career connecting different eras of the genre without losing the character that made him one of its founding figures. From headlining Electric Daisy Carnival, Qlimax, and Defqon.1 to closing the Defqon.1 2024 mainstage alongside TNT with five minutes’ notice and a completely changed set, he has consistently proven that instinct and authenticity matter more than anything else. 

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