This year’s Audio Academy Festival will focus on how audio connects with audiences, bringing together broadcasters, business leaders and innovators.
The event takes place at the Royal College of Physicians in Regent’s Park, London on Thursday, 1 October.
Sessions will explore the ways audio content creators engage listeners, with practical demonstrations and immersive sonic experiences designed to highlight why audio remains central to communication and storytelling.
Attendees can expect to hear from BBC Radio 1’s Greg James, who will discuss his tandem bike ride with HRH Prince William and his ARIAS Gold-winning Breakfast show.
Simon Myciunka, President of Audio at Bauer Media Group and CEO of Bauer Media Audio UK, will be in conversation with Steve Jones, CEO of Stingray Radio, Canada, to discuss the future of commercial radio.
Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty will share insights from her ARIAS Gold-winning BBC Sounds podcast ‘Fame Under Fire’, while broadcaster, DJ and producer Nerm will examine the future of AI in music.
Victoria Glover from Hits Radio will talk about her true story podcast ‘My Stalker Moved in Next Door’, and Beano Brain will present on engaging Generation Alpha through audio.
Paul Gerrard, Content Director of Hits Radio, will reflect on the station’s recent UK Station of the Year win at the 2026 ARIAS.
The festival will also feature cutting-edge acoustic art in the Dolby Library, immersive sonic experiences, and opportunities for individual career conversations with experts from organisations such as Audio Always, Audible, Bauer, BBC, Spotify, Times Radio and others.
The event will honour those lost from the audio industry this year, announce new Audio Academy Fellows, and conclude with an after-party supported by PPL and PRS for Music.
Audio Academy Managing Director Aradhna Tayal Leach said: “The Audio Academy Festival is a rare opportunity to come together for deeper dives and discussions exploring the future of the global audio landscape.”
Executive Producer Chris North added: “This year, we’re putting audio first. In a world full of distraction, there’s something uniquely powerful about the way sound informs, entertains, challenges and connects us.”
Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks. More information is available on the Audio Academy’s website.
