ISMIR 2026: International Society for Music Information Retrieval Conference

ISMIR 2026, the 27th conference of the International Society for Music Information Retrieval, is held 8–12 November 2026 at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi — the first time this conference comes to the Arab world. Its theme, "Crossroads," reflects the region's historic position between East and West.

What you gain

ISMIR is the largest research venue for music information retrieval — the interdisciplinary field that processes, analyses, generates and organises music data. It draws computer scientists, electrical engineers, musicologists, cognitive scientists and industry practitioners, with 2026 special sessions exploring MIR's intersections with the humanities, other senses (synaesthesia) and health. It runs as a hybrid event; sponsors include MBZUAI, NYU Abu Dhabi, Moises and Adobe.

Where it fits

Generative-audio models have thrust music AI into the spotlight — and into thorny questions of creativity, copyright and evaluation. ISMIR is the rigorous research community behind it, and bringing it to the Gulf widens the field's geographic and cultural reach.