British Council Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific is proud to support the participation of Andy Jones at this year's summit.
Andy Jones has worked within the music industry for over 20 years; as an artist, label managing director, manager, and promoter. He is a co-founder and Head of Music at FOCUS Wales, one of the UK's most vital international showcase festivals.
Going Global Music Summit is Aotearoa New Zealand's premier international music industry event, taking place Thursday 27 and Friday 28 August 2026 at Q Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. Presented by Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ) in partnership with the New Zealand Music Commission, this year's programme runs 23 sessions across the two days, bringing international figures in booking, licensing, management and publishing together with New Zealand artists and industry.
At Going Global 2026, Jones will lead two sessions: one on the current UK festivals and international showcasing landscape, and one on the role of language revitalisation in music identity and cultural export, a conversation with particular resonance here in Aotearoa.
Going Global: UK & Europe - Thursday 27 August, 2.10pm, Rangatira
Andy Jones joins Christina Austin (Cobra Agency, EU), Marie Robinson (The Great Escape, UK), Romy Harber (BELIEVE/B-Electronic, UK) and Tom Brain (JOY Concerts, UK), with moderator Conor Lochrie.
The UK and Europe remain one of the most important markets for any artist with international ambitions. Home to some of the world's biggest festivals, labels and media platforms, it's also crowded, competitive, and what works in Vienna doesn't necessarily work in London or Amsterdam. The panel discusses what it actually takes to navigate the UK and European markets, including working across multiple countries and the practical realities of touring and releasing music thousands of kilometres from home.
Waiata Reo ki Te Ao, Cerddoriaeth Gymreig i'r Byd: A Welsh and Māori Story of Cultural Export - Thursday 27 August, 4.10pm, Rangatira
Andy Jones joins the Māori Music Industry Collective for a conversation about what happens when indigenous languages stop being treated as a limitation on export potential and start being treated as the point. Wales and Aotearoa are both home to languages that were once pushed to the margins and are now being carried onto festival stages around the world. This session unpacks the parallels between Cymraeg and te reo Māori revitalisation, the industry infrastructure, the audience appetite, and the responsibility that comes with it.
A conversation with Auckland Council
Andy is also taking part in an informal conversation with Auckland Council staff and stakeholders in music, creative industries, city-centre placemaking and economic development, followed by a Q&A.
The Wigwam Interviews Podcast
Ahead of the summit, Natasha Beckman, Director from British Council Director New Zealand and the Pacific joined Andy Jwnes on The Wigwam Interviews, talking about the cultural music exchange between Māori and Welsh, and how language, identity and grassroots music are connecting communities in Wales and Aotearoa. You can listen here: The Wigwam Interviews – The impact of British Council New Zealand & its cultural music exchange