MIDEM · 2027

Agoris analysis · updated October 2026

Key takeaways

• MIDEM is the international meeting point for the music industry: three days of panels, professional networking, innovation and live performances at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, now broadened to the whole of the cultural and creative industries (CCI).
• An unusual set-up for a market of this standing: the official 2027 press release presents it as "an event by the City of Cannes", "co-produced by Live Nation & Palais des Festivals et des Congrès".
• Next edition: from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 January 2027, at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes.
• Four pillars since 2025: MIDEM AGORA (debates), MIDEM CONNECT (networking for artists, brands and professionals), MIDEM ACADEMY (training and employment) and MIDEM LIVE (concerts and showcases).
• Last published figures (2025 edition): 1,100 accredited professionals, 330 young professionals and students at the MIDEM ACADEMY, more than 12,000 spectators at MIDEM LIVE, for a total of more than 13,000 participants.
• Professional content on a paid pass, public rates: €250 for the 3-day professional pass, €60 for under-25s and jobseekers. Concerts and showcases are covered by a separate ticketing system open to the general public.

Who exhibits

Typical profile

MIDEM is not an equipment trade show: it is a market for meetings and deals. It brings together independent labels and majors, publishers, distributors, live show producers and promoters, venues and festivals, platforms, managers, professional organisations, public institutions from the sector, brands and entrepreneurs. Since the 2025 relaunch, the organiser has openly broadened the event to the whole of the cultural and creative industries, not just recorded music.

The visitor base is overwhelmingly professional: industry executives, programmers, label managers, venue and arena directors, rights managers, specialist journalists. A distinct student population is added via the MIDEM ACADEMY, with 330 young professionals and students welcomed in 2025.

The Startup Village, the exhibitors' entry point

Exhibiting works mainly through the Startup Village, presented by the organiser as the event's innovation hub. The official FAQ describes a paid startup offer including an equipped exhibitor space (counter and seating), professional accreditations giving access to the conferences, networking and professional lounges, and access to the MIDEM Startup Circle held after the event.

Access is also granted by selection, via the Startup Challenge. For 2027, the call for applications was open until 17 July 2026 across five themes: music and artificial intelligence, ticketing, Web3 and fan engagement, XR and immersive experiences, gaming and entertainment, sustainable and inclusive innovation. In 2026, the scheme's first year, ten startups were selected: Happaning, Billy, Vocast, AdAlong, Rezzonation, Mantis AI, Seeqnc, Planyster, E4.0 and MVEO.

Quality of the audience

This is the point that should guide an exhibitor's decision. The relaunched MIDEM is not playing a volume game: with 1,100 accredited attendees in 2025, it represents a fraction of what the historic market was in the 2010s. On the other hand, the density of decision-makers is high and the short format concentrates the meetings. For a young music technology company, the ratio between the cost of access and the calibre of contacts present is the main argument. For a catalogue looking for a high volume of international buyers, the scale remains nowhere near that of the major content markets.

Events & community

Programme

The 2027 programme announced by the organiser is built around masterclasses and keynotes, panel discussions broadened to cover sector trends and their environmental and societal impacts, professional meetings with an international focus, immersive experiences and live performances conceived as discovery spaces for emerging talent. Two elements are highlighted: the Startup Village, already described, and a MIDEM FOR AFRICA focus, announced in keeping with the event's international opening.

The MIDEM ACADEMY, for its part, is reinforcing its role as a bridge between training and industry: the virtual job dating launched at the previous edition is being repeated and reworked for 2027, with the stated aim of connecting students, young professionals and recruiters from the cultural and creative industries.

Awards and accolades

The MIDEM Awards were created at the 2025 edition, with a ceremony hosted by Thomas Ngijol. The 2026 edition honoured sixteen winners, in categories covering the whole chain: Prix de l'innovation (Blive), Prix des métiers de l'ombre (Ekhoscènes), Prix de la salle de spectacle de l'année (Seine Musicale), Prix de l'arena de l'année (Accor Arena), Prix du label de l'année (Ed Banger), Prix du festival de l'année (Hellfest), Prix de l'artiste de l'année (Théodora), Prix de l'export (Gojira) and Prix du coup de cœur du public (Zaho de Sagazan).

Alongside the Awards, the Road to MIDEM springboard returns for a third season, dedicated to the emerging metal and rock scene. The schedule published by the organiser set applications open until 30 September 2026, a live final on 18 November 2026 at Les Étoiles in Paris before a jury of professionals, and a slot for the winner on the MIDEM 2027 stage.

Community & networks

MIDEM belongs to the ecosystem of major international markets hosted by the Palais des Festivals, alongside MIPIM for real estate in spring and MIPCOM for audiovisual content in October. This is a direct legacy: these markets were built by the same company, Reed Midem, which became RX France and organised MIDEM until 2021. MIDEM is now the only one of the three no longer operated by that group.

On the industry side, the event has re-established itself as a meeting point for French professional organisations: SACEM, Ekhoscènes and the Centre national de la musique were among the speakers at the 2025 edition's debates.

On site: what you need to know

For access, parking and accommodation, see the venue page: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes.

Specific to the event: on-site parking, bus stop 2 minutes' walk away, Cannes railway station 10 minutes' walk away, Nice Côte d'Azur airport 27 kilometres away. No shuttle service is planned, with the organiser explicitly encouraging walking, cycling, public transport or car-sharing, as most hotels are within walking distance of the Palais. At the time of writing, the opening hours and the list of 2027 partner accommodation were listed as "coming soon" on the official website. The organisation's single point of contact is contact@midem.com.

One point to note: the professional content is aimed at music industry professionals and students, but the concerts and showcases are covered by a separate ticketing system open to the general public. The two audiences coexist during the same week.

How much it costs to take part

Preparing your visit

For the exhibitor

• Decide early on the mode of presence: the paid Startup Village offer, or an application to the Startup Challenge, whose submission deadline for 2027 was 17 July 2026. The two routes differ in both cost and visibility.
• Check the number of accreditations included in the chosen offer: beyond that, each additional person goes through ticketing at the professional rate.
• Plan ahead: the MIDEM Startup Circle extends contacts after the event, an asset to build into the follow-up sales plan.

For the decision-making visitor

• Weigh up the €250 3-day pass against the daily pass: the first day's rate, €70, is markedly lower than the following two, which shapes the arrival schedule.
• Check eligibility for reduced rates: the under-25 pass and the jobseeker pass, the latter in partnership with France Travail, require proof of status at entry.
• Identify the useful MIDEM AGORA sessions in advance: this is the format where industry debates take place, rather than a stand-prospecting venue. That said, do not neglect MIDEM LIVE: some contacts are made during those moments too.
• Plan to travel without a car: the organiser has no shuttle in place and is pushing active, low-carbon mobility.

Policy & CSR initiatives

The most directly verifiable commitment at event level concerns mobility: the organiser stands by the absence of a shuttle and asks participants to favour walking, cycling, public transport or car-sharing, justifying this choice by the reduction in carbon footprint.

The social and environmental component runs mainly through the content. The MIDEM ACADEMY built its 2025 programme around four explicit themes: inclusion and diversity, ecological transition and the notion of materiality, employability and entrepreneurship, mental health. The 2027 edition announces panel discussions broadened to cover environmental and societal impacts in the cultural and creative industries, and a jobseeker pass in partnership with France Travail paired with job dating. This is a programming commitment, to be distinguished from a quantified organisational commitment on the event's footprint.

One point goes beyond communication: the M.A.T.R.I.C.E. project, a collective response to the music industry's ecological challenges, was officially launched at MIDEM AGORA in 2025, carried notably by Ekhoscènes, Bleu Citron Productions, Live Nation, S-PASS TSE and The Talent Boutique.

At co-producer level, Live Nation Entertainment has published its Green Nation charter since 2019: halving carbon emissions by 2030, eliminating single-use plastics, zero waste to landfill, 100% renewable energy. This charter covers venues and festivals owned and operated by the group, not MIDEM specifically.

The venue, lastly, provides the most formal guarantees. The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, operated by SEMEC, has been ISO 20121 certified for responsible event management since 2022 and ISO 9001 certified since 2009, labelled Tourisme & Handicap since 2012 and Destination Innovante Durable since 2023. In December 2022 it became the first congress centre to adopt "société à mission" (benefit corporation) status.

How the event has evolved

Trajectory analysis

MIDEM is a rare case: a leading brand that disappeared, then was taken over by a local authority. Created in 1967 as the Marché international du disque et de l'édition musicale, it was organised for decades by Reed Midem, which became RX France. In December 2021, RX France announced the cancellation of the 2022 edition and the discontinuation of the event. The City of Cannes took over the brand and relaunched a tighter format from 2023 onwards, under the name MIDEM+. In 2025, Live Nation joined the partnership alongside the City of Cannes and the Palais des Festivals, and the event reverted to its original name.

The figures tell the story of the rebuild. The 2025 edition brought together 1,100 accredited professionals, more than double the previous edition according to the results published by the Palais des Festivals. That is strong growth from a low base: the historic market counted several thousand international delegates in the 2010s. The relaunch's bet is to offset volume with breadth, bringing together recorded music, live entertainment, technology and creative industries.

Two signals to watch for 2027. The format first: the 2026 edition, presented by the organiser as the 60th, ran over four days, from 4 to 7 February; the 2027 edition reverts to three days in a January slot. Internationalisation second, which the organiser is pushing as the edition's main thrust, with a more open programme announced and a MIDEM FOR AFRICA focus. This is the point on which MIDEM's credibility as an international market, rather than simply a French industry gathering, will be decided.

All data not attributing a source comes from the organiser's website.

Unless otherwise stated, all factual data in this listing comes from the organiser's official website (midem.com).