After celebrating its 30th anniversary in Manchester last year, the 2025 Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX) returns to Tampere, Finland – a country often named as the happiest in the world, and a city where vibrant cultural life meets natural calm.
From 22 to 26 October, artists, delegates and music professionals from nearly 90 countries will converge on this Nordic hub for five days of showcases, conferences, films and networking. IAM catches up with WOMEX Director Alexander Walter
WOMEX returns to Tampere this October, after first hosting the event there in 2019. What makes this Finnish city the right setting for WOMEX’s next chapter?
We are thrilled to be back in Tampere! The 2019 edition was an unqualified success, giving a lot of our community their first taste of the rich culture the city offers. We are proud to once again work with our local partner Tapio Korjus from Rockadillo Production Oy, who has been such a key player in creating space for global music over the years. And Tampere City has been very supportive and helped to open the necessary doors to bring us back. Tampere is such a special city – a thriving music scene coupled with incredible venues, and a really friendly, open vibe.
It’s a perfect fit for WOMEX.
Beyond Tampere itself, Finland sits at the crossroads of the Nordic and Baltic regions. How does this location open doors to these regional networks, and what opportunities does it create for international delegates and artists?
It’s such an interesting region because Finland really does sit at that crossroads, linking these worlds together. That gives it direct access to the wider cultural ecosystem across Northern and Eastern Europe: the artists, organisations and venues that make up this really vibrant network.
For artists, it’s a great opportunity to build contacts and start planning tours or co-productions across neighbouring countries, such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. We’ve seen from organising WOMEX that the collaborations in this region are quite well connected, so projects can take shape quite easily across borders.
For international delegates, it means discovering not just Finnish talent, but also new and emerging acts from across the Nordics and Baltics. And of course, WOMEX as a focus point in Tampere this year helps to boost cultural exchange and tourism across the whole region.
This year’s conference sessions explore themes from sync licensing and artist residencies to climate action and AI. Which discussions do you feel will most influence how the international music community thinks about the future?
The conference programme goes from strength to strength, and we are really excited about all the sessions happening in Tampere. Although the global music industry has been facing huge challenges, there are lots of areas to be excited about, and many ways to tackle the difficult stuff. Sync licensing continues to reshape how artists and labels generate revenue and reach new audiences globally. Artist residencies foster cross-cultural collaboration and professional growth, strengthening networks across countries and genres. Meanwhile, sessions on climate action and AI from the perspective of the Global South challenge the industry to consider sustainability, ethical innovation and the future role of technology in music creation and distribution. Together, these conversations help artists, delegates and industry professionals anticipate challenges, seize new opportunities and shape a more resilient and forward-thinking global
music ecosystem.
The showcase programme features over 60 acts from more than 50 countries. For delegates navigating such a diverse line-up, what advice would you give on discovering both headline names and emerging voices?
That is a tough one! This WOMEX is very special to us as we’ve just hit a new high in terms of country representation. Artists from 52 countries will be on stage!
It shows how the global music ecosystem is thriving in all corners of the world, and our programme really reflects that. You will find hidden gems as well as rediscover some classics, so there will be something for everyone, we hope. We don’t have headliners as a matter of principle – all artists have equal billing which makes it hard to give recommendations. One unmissable event is this year’s Award showcase by Noura Mint Seymali from Mauritania on Sunday afternoon!
WOMEX’s networking sessions range from music managers and labels to dedicated spaces such as Women of the World and Queer Connections. What advice can you give to delegates hoping to turn these meetings into lasting collaborations?
Networking Sessions at WOMEX are spaces to meet people and connect around shared themes and interests. We make sure these sessions are open, welcoming and always bring in fresh faces and new perspectives. Delegates are encouraged to make the most of them, and to come with open minds and curiosity – and plenty of business cards.
This year’s schedule also features sessions focusing on Africa and the Americas, as well as festivals, labels, pan-Indigenous perspectives and a dedicated gathering for international music managers. Each year, these sessions spark great conversations, ignite new ideas and often lead to exciting collaborations and projects – whether they take off right away or grow into long-term partnerships that come to life months or even years later. More than formal meetings, they’re about creating a space where people can exchange, inspire one another and start building together.
This year’s programme includes initiatives such as Empowered Voices: Pacific Women, Music and Social Change, and the Africa Networking Session. How do platforms like these support WOMEX’s wider mission of cultural exchange and inclusivity?
More than ever, organisations like WOMEX need to be intentional about living up to their values. For us this means creating targeted spaces for under-represented voices and trying to bring about meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.
These discussions allow artists, industry professionals and delegates from diverse regions to share experiences and explore collaborative opportunities. By highlighting marginalised or emerging communities, WOMEX promotes inclusivity within the global music ecosystem and strengthens cultural exchange, ensuring that new perspectives, musical traditions and socially engaged projects gain international visibility. These sessions are embedded in our DNA and are concrete expressions of WOMEX’s commitment to inclusivity and international collaboration.
After celebrating its 30th anniversary in Manchester last year, WOMEX now looks to the future in Tampere. What do you hope will define this next phase of its evolution?
I feel that having such a significant anniversary brings home the generational aspects of the event, the community and the active legacy. It is about embracing “the wisdom of the elders”, while recognising that after 30 years we now have a whole generation of artists, professionals and creatives who were born after WOMEX began. This generation will carry on WOMEX’s legacy, shape it, and make it forward-thinking, current, exciting and their own. We want this, and we welcome this.
WOMEX takes place in Tampere, Finland from 22 to 26 October 2025. To discover the full programme and to book tickets, visit www.womex.com
