Amplify 2026 to convene over 1,000 creative entrepreneurs on ‘The Business of Live’

Amplify Conference, Nigeria’s premier gathering for live event and production professionals, has announced the theme and full programme for its 2026 edition. Taking place on Wednesday, August 6, 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, Amplify Conference 2026 will convene over 1,000 professionals from across the Nigerian and African live event industry under the theme: The Business of Live.

Now in its second year, Amplify Conference has established itself as the defining annual conversation for the people who build live events across Africa, from front-of-house engineers and lighting designers to production managers, artist managers, tour managers, and event producers.

Previous editions have drawn audiences from across Nigeria and beyond, with the
2025 mixer editions in Lagos, Nairobi and Lusaka, and its inaugural flagship conferences held in Lagos and Lusaka Zambia in August 2025.

The 2025 edition was a conversational trigger to address the challenges faced in the live event production industry in Nigeria, and it included a 2nd day with masterclass sessions by renowned leaders in different aspects of the live event industry.

These included Eunice Adeyemi of
Q21 Solutions, Dr Edward Sunday of Azusa Productions, Dr Yemi Amusan of Lucere, and a host of other people.
The 2026 edition marks a significant step forward in scale, ambition, and focus.

The theme, The Business of Live, was chosen to address what Amplify’s organisers describe as the most persistent and underaddressed challenge in Nigeria’s live event industry: the gap between craft mastery and business survival.

“Nigeria has some of the most talented live production professionals in the world,” said Siji Ewedemi, convener of Amplify Conference.

“But talent alone has never been enough. The people building this industry deserve to be as strong on the business side as they are on the stage. That is the conversation Amplify 2026 is designed to have.”

The conference will feature seven sessions across a single day, spanning keynote addresses, fireside chats, panel discussions, and a first-of-its-kind interactive session — each one focused
on a specific dimension of the business of live production.

The keynote address of the conference is titled The Business of Live. This sets the tone for the day. A direct, unfiltered look at what it means to operate in the business of live production in
Nigeria today.

There would be two fireside chats, the first of which is titled Busy But Broke: The Truth About Working in Live Events An intimate, honest conversation about the reality of being fully booked
and still financially stretched, and what it takes to change that.

The second fireside chat is titled Beyond the Gig: Building Wealth From Live. This conversation is about what it looks like to build genuine, lasting wealth as a live production professional in Nigeria and across Africa.

The first panel sessions for the day is titled Funding the Stage: How Money Powers the Live Event Industry. Three panelists unpack where the money in Nigerian live events actually comes from, who carries the financial risk, and what emerging funding models mean for producers and promoters.

The second one, and probably one of the most relatable is titled Still Building: Stories From the Ones Figuring It Out. Three guests in conversation with a moderator about what the middle of a live production career really looks like, including the setbacks, the persistence, and the decisions that matter most at this stage.

To close the day, the convener would be delivering an address titled The Future of Live. The final address of the day looks forward at technology, shifting audience behaviour, the global rise of African music and culture, and what it all means for the people in the room.

“Amplify Conference 2026 is free to attend. Registration is open now at register.amplifylive.io and is required to secure a place. The conference is targeting a minimum of 1,000 attendees on the day,” a statement by the organised read.

The conference is open to all professionals working in or adjacent to the live event and production industry, including but not limited to sound engineers, lighting designers, production managers, artist managers, tour managers, event producers, gear suppliers, entertainment lawyers, and investors