34th Annual Cutting Edge CE Conference
The 34th Annual Cutting Edge CE Conference returns to New Orleans from August 26 to 30, bringing five days of music industry education, networking, live performances, and artist showcases to venues across the city.
The conference is headquartered at the InterContinental New Orleans Hotel, with additional events taking place at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, House of Blues, Good Measure, and The Broadside.
For more than three decades, Cutting Edge has connected musicians, songwriters, producers, attorneys, and other entertainment professionals through workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities designed to explore current trends in the music industry.
This year's conference will feature Music Business Sessions covering topics such as music licensing, artist marketing, touring, streaming, artificial intelligence, metadata, and entertainment law. Other highlights include the invitation-only Songwriters Camp, the NewWorks Artist Showcase featuring performers from across the United States, the Roots Music Gathering, and Creators House, which offers free workshops focused on music, film, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Wendell Brunious
One of the event's biggest highlights will be the presentation of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award to acclaimed New Orleans trumpeter and Preservation Hall Musical Director Wendell Brunious. The award ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 28 at the New Orleans Jazz Museum and is open to the public with RSVP encouraged but not required.
Admission varies by event. Conference registration is required for the Music Business Sessions and other conference programming, while select events, including Creators House and the Lifetime Achievement Award presentation, are free and open to the public. Registration information is available through the Cutting Edge CE Conference's website.
Parking is available at the InterContinental Hotel for hotel guests and visitors, with additional paid parking garages and surface lots located throughout the downtown and French Quarter areas near the conference venues.
