AVA London has confirmed Moby, Oklou, and Richie Hawtin as speakers for its 2026 festival, scheduled for 24 to 26 September.
This marks the ninth year for the event, which gathers industry figures from music, art, and technology for keynotes, forums, and workshops.
Moby will join virtually for an EarthPercent session on using music to drive climate action. Richie Hawtin is set to discuss the intersection of music, art, and contemporary culture in a live conversation.
Oklou will attend in person for a live Resident Advisor Exchange. The Avalanches, an Australian group, will participate in a fireside chat regarding their upcoming fourth album. Attendees can also expect a live edition of the No Tags Podcast.
Several brands and organisations are confirmed. The art collective teamLab will run a workshop. Flagship talks include The Art of Brand Partnerships, The Game Changers, Queer Nightlife Beyond Crisis, and Who Builds the Future, presented by Time Out x Gay Times.
Ableton will host an immersive workshop and interactive installation focused on field recording, sonic archiving, and artistic transformation. Developed with the British Library Sound Archive, the session allows participants to manipulate archival sounds using Ableton Push and Move.
PRS for Music will present De-mystifying Music Publishing. This session covers the basics of publishing, from songwriting and collaboration to copyright administration and royalty payments.
Other industry attendees include Bandcamp, Resident Advisor, the Association for Electronic Music, the British Council, Atlantic Records UK, Polydor Records, b:electronic, ChariTea mate, He.She.They, and others.
Sarah McBriar, founder of AVA Festival, describes the move to September as a bold strategic step. She says it offers a longer creative runway to develop partnerships and champion new work, delivering a world-class programme across the full day and night.
What it means
For the people making things, the shift to September changes the rhythm of the event. It moves the festival away from the summer rush, giving artists and industry figures more time to develop partnerships and refine new projects before the programme launches. The inclusion of specific sessions on climate action and sonic archiving suggests a focus on tangible outcomes rather than just abstract discussion.
