FestForums® Announces Expanded Speaker Lineup and Theme for 2026 Conference in Santa Barbara
Photo Credit: Evokra Visuals at FestForums 2025 in Santa Barbara, CA at the Mar Monte Hotel
Santa Barbara, CA – February 11–13, 2026 – FestForums®, the premier North American B2B conference for festival producers, organizers, and industry leaders, returns for its milestone 9th iteration at the stunning beachfront Mar Monte Hotel in Santa Barbara. This exclusive live gathering brings together hundreds of festival professionals from across the globe to learn, network, and celebrate in one idyllic location.
FestForums® 2026 will feature an extraordinary lineup of industry legends, innovators, and decision-makers representing the world's most prestigious festivals. Attendees have included representatives from SXSW, Coachella, Sundance Film Festival, Burning Man, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Global Citizen Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Food Network South Beach Food & Wine Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, Summerfest, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Ultra Music Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival , Glastonbury Festival, ESSENCE Festival, and hundreds more.
Building on its distinguished legacy, FestForums® has previously hosted entertainment legends including Jeff Bridges, Quentin Tarantino, T-Bone Burnett, The Coen Brothers, Matthew Modine, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Alice Cooper, Jack Johnson, Dennis Quaid, Christopher Guest, Penelope Spheeris, Harry Shearer, Bruce Dern, Cat Cora, Chuck Leavell, and Rita Coolidge.
The 2026 conference will address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the festival industry through curated panels and interactive sessions. The theme for 2026 is Celebrating Women in the Festival Industry to honor the phenomenal women driving innovation, creativity, and change across the festival landscape.
Other key topics include technology and AI integration, sustainability and environmental responsibility, safety and security protocols, diversity and inclusion initiatives, evolving brand partnerships, artist-driven festivals, operations excellence, innovative ticketing strategies, and wellness integration.
"FestForums® has always been about more than just business, it's about honoring the creative spirit that drives our industry," says Laurie Kirby, President and Owner of FestForums®. "For our 9th anniversary, we're bringing together the most influential voices from music, film, food, and wine festivals to not only address the challenges we face but to celebrate the incredible diversity and innovation that makes our industry so vibrant."
True to its reputation, FestForums® 2026 will blend serious industry conversations with unforgettable networking experiences. The conference features exclusive cocktail parties, artist showcases, awards presentations, and the legendary closing night celebration that has become synonymous with the FestForums® experience.
The conference continues to earn recognition as an essential gathering for festival professionals. As Kevin Lyman, Founder of Vans Warped Tour and FestForums® Advisory Board Member, notes: "The diversity of the attendees is the key to the success of FestForums® . It seems the attendees are as well curated as the panels."
Grammy Award-winning artist and Advisory Board Member Michael McDonald adds: "The FestForums® annual event is one of the most exciting events we have each year in Santa Barbara. It recognizes and honors those who infuse our community with enthusiasm for artistic endeavor and cultural awareness."
Danny Hayes, former CEO of Danny Wimmer Presents, describes it as "A wonderful environment for experienced festival professionals to share news, flesh out ideas and explore market trends.”
"What makes FestForums® so special is this unique blend of high-level industry education with genuine human connection," Kirby explains. "Year after year, our attendees tell us they leave not just with new knowledge and business contacts, but genuinely inspired by the conversations they've had and the relationships they've built. Between the keynote addresses, panels, trade show, and unforgettable parties, FestForums® is truly a celebration of creativity at its finest."
Location and Tickets
The conference will be held February 11-13, 2026 at the Mar Monte Hotel Santa Barbara, CA. The hotel provides a stunning venue for the conference, located just steps from East Beach. Attendees can explore all Santa Barbara has to offer while networking in a relaxed, collaborative atmosphere.
A full list of this year’s FestForums® speakers can be found here.
Registration for the conference and tickets for all events can be found at the FestForums® website.
About FestForums®
FestForums® is a festival conference for food, beverage, wellness, music and film festival industry leaders that takes place annually in Santa Barbara, CA. Showcasing cutting-edge technology, talent, ticketing, sponsorships, scheduling, merchandising, operations, sustainability, charitable work, innovation, and safety, FestForums brings together festivals and events of all sizes for collaboration and professional development.
For more information, please visit: https://festforums.com/
For any inquiries, questions, or comments, reach us at: Hello@FestForums.com
Laurie Kirby, President and Owner
Laurie@festforums.com
310.993.4114