Last month, it was announced that Output Belfast and AVA Festival were joining forces to host a music conference in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.

Set to transpire next week on Thursday, June 1st, the conference is meant to be a convergence for music industry specialists and aficionados alike to come together - a free event, it's open for anyone to attend.

Finishing the conference out will be the just recently announced Lydon Stephen's Closing Keynote speaker, Tim Wheeler. The frontman for the iconic Northern Irish rock band Ash, he'll recount the intricate details of Ash and U2's historic concert at Belfast's Waterfront Hall on May 21st, 1998 after the Good Friday Agreement in a conversation with BBC's Marie-Louise Muir.

He'll speak from 4 to 5 PM in the Downstairs Theatre at The MAC. The conference will also take place at the Oh Yeah Music Centre.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Tim Wheeler attends THE OUTNET celebrates Julia Restoin Roitfeld for Iris & Ink launch dinner at The Waverly Inn on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for THE OUTNET)

Supported by Belfast City Council and the Belfast City of Music and Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the conference will take place from 10AM to 5PM and will feature over 80 music industry specialists. There, they will host more than 30 panels, workshops, and offer other sessions for people to learn from experienced professionals in a number of fields.

For those interested in creative ventures, there will be specialists available to talk to about writing, performing, and producing. For those interested in business, there will be opportunities to learn about management, streaming, music and image, networking, and wider creative industry partnerships.

Afterwards, the conference will be followed by an evening musical showcase, starting at 7:30PM and going late into the night. The showcase's line-up includes 36 phenomenal Irish acts from both the North and South of Ireland playing across the Cathedral Quarter's venues.

💫 OUTPUT BELFAST x AVA CONFERENCE CLOSING KEYNOTE 💫

We’re honoured to announce Ash frontman, Tim Wheeler, alongside Marie-Louise Muir (BBC), will be joining us for the Lyndon Stephens Closing Keynote!

🗓 1.6.23
📍 The MAC
🎟 Free

Sign up 👇 https://t.co/9RpMbCU5iX pic.twitter.com/7xZAVW3dnS

— Output Belfast (@OutputBelfast) May 19, 2023

Free to attend, expect the night's acts to be found at the Duke of York, the Bullitt Courtyard, the Tetto Rooftop, the Oh Yeah Music Centre, both the Upstairs and Downstairs of the Ulster Sports Club, the Dirty Onion, the Black Box, and The Deer's Head.

Among the performing acts are two special guests and live performances from the winners of the Output Belfast Emerging Artist Stage competition, Róise, Brother Vice, Susi Pagel, and Con and the Éire Jordans. They'll be on-stage at the Dirty Onion from 8:30 PM on.

While the events are free to attend, guests and delegates are asked to sign-up online prior to the event so that the proper accommodations can be made.

You can sign up for the Output Belfast & AVA Music Conference, here:

Find the keynotes, panels, and sessions schedule here: