“The 2026 NAMM Show once again delivered an incredible week of unity and energy for our global NAMM members, and while showcasing products are an important element of the show, it’s also where business strategies, partnerships, and new technology such as AI are discussed,” said John Mlynczak, NAMM president and CEO. “NAMM continues to be the global stage for our industry where products go from vision to groundbreaking announcements to impacting the global music industry in real time.”
NAMM marked its 125th anniversary at The 2026 NAMM Show with a week that did more than celebrate history—it clarified where the music products industry is headed next. Concluding on Jan. 24, the five-day gathering combined education, live performance and high-level networking with three full days of exhibits and brand activations, setting the tone for the year ahead and beyond.
The 2026 show brought together more than 1,650 exhibitors representing over 5,400 brands, alongside 200-plus educational sessions designed to support NAMM’s global member community. Across the show floor and campus-wide events, manufacturers, retailers, artists and media converged to exchange ideas, launch products and assess emerging technologies and trends shaping the future of music making.
Innovation was a central theme throughout the week, with new product introductions and evolving music technologies on display in an environment built for connection and collaboration. As an international meeting point for the industry, NAMM 2026 reinforced the role of in-person engagement in strengthening business relationships and growing the global music ecosystem.
NAMM SHOW 2026 BY THE NUMBERS
- 60,000+ total attendees, including 8,670+ international attendees from 122 countries, regions and territories
- 1,650+ exhibitors representing 5,400+ brands, a 25% increase over 2025
- Nearly 15,000 artists demonstrating and endorsing products and brands
- 200+ education sessions featuring 550+ speakers
- 1,600+ media, influencers and content creators reaching more than 200 million followers, a 50% increase over 2025
The 2027 NAMM Show is scheduled for January 26-30, 2027 at the Anaheim Convention Center
Voices from the Show Floor
“NAMM 2026 was a big year for JAM, as we significantly expanded our presence across our booths, training areas, demo rooms, performance stages, and special events. Attendance felt well balanced, with strong representation from dealers, consultants, and artists alongside the general public. Longtime favorites like the Allen & Heath University console training once again highlighted just how valuable in-person interaction remains. While online certification and training videos absolutely have their place, the consistently overflowing AHU sessions made it clear that hands-on time with the gear is still essential.
With more than 75 new products launching across JAM brands this year, it was especially important to take full advantage of opportunities like the Pre-NAMM Hang, TEC Tracks sessions, and the new JAM Experience Stage at the Hilton. These events allowed us to better connect with a wide range of attendees and showcase our products in a variety of real-world environments.
“Overall, the show delivered great conversations, strong visibility, and excellent support from the NAMM operations team. We were also honored to receive multiple JAM Best in Show awards (Allen & Heath, BASSBOSS, and On-Stage), along with two MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards for Allen & Heath and NORD. Rock and roll!”
Jeff Hawley
Vice President, Marketing – JAM US MI/Pro
AA&V | AM&S | D&H Pro | KMC | Owned Brands
“This year’s NAMM – particularly the first two days – felt incredibly energized. Attendees were highly engaged and focused on products that were both innovative and genuinely useful to their specific applications. They were looking not only for solutions to today’s audio challenges but also for tools that could open up new possibilities in their future workflows.
“NAMM was extremely productive for me and our team. I connected with key marketing partners, strengthened relationships, and had strategic conversations that will help us collaborate more effectively and deliver meaningful content for MMR’s readership and the broader MI community. I also learned a great deal about the opportunities ahead. By aligning on strategy first and tactics second, we built a strong mutual understanding, and I’m excited about the partnership and the work it will generate moving forward.”
Jeff McQueen
Sr. Manager, Marcomm
Pro Audio
Yamaha Corporation of America
“From my perspective, the 2026 NAMM show was about the same as last year. It continues to be an efficient way for us to meet with a lot of our retail and wholesale customers, as well as key vendors, artists, etc. However, it remains difficult for us to justify going back to having a sizeable booth on the show floor, which is why we will likely continue with our discrete, meeting room format for the foreseeable future.”
John D’Addario III
CEO
D’Addario & Co.
“The show seemed to run well this year and from what I hear, attendance was up slightly. But the wider aisles made it feel less congested.
However it felt very spread out with more ‘concrete’ showing between the booths than ever before, which was strange. Loud, too!
“Felt like there were more ‘non-industry’ people there, too – general public – which I’m 50/50 on.
{Otherwise, we were busy most of the time, although I think the expectations of dealers and vendors have changed through the years. It’s definitely not the show for writing business like it used to be. But still good for reconnecting with the dealers and industry to help get a barometer on the year ahead.”
Al Maniscalco
Director of Sales & Marketing – Group Keilwerth Product Manager
Buffet Crampon USA
“NAMM 2026 felt more focused and more intentional than last year, with a noticeable shift toward deeper, more substantive conversations. The industry has clearly moved beyond recovery and is now centered on sustainable growth, relevance, and long-term partnerships.
“What stood out most was the quality of dialogue with our dealers—open, candid discussions about changing customer expectations, real-world challenges, and how manufacturers and retailers can work more closely together to support musicians and drive the category forward.”
Brian Piccolo
Senior General Manager of Sales
Casio, Electronic Musical Instruments Division
“NAMM 2026 was an extremely positive experience for us. It gave us the chance to connect in person with our dealers and distributors, celebrate our artists and partners, engage with creators and the media, and spend time with our fans. It was also a meaningful way to start 2026 together as a team.
“This year, we took a slightly different approach, extending the experience beyond our booth with live busking performances using our CUBE Amp Series in authentic, real-world settings. Attendees engaged hands-on with products, spoke with experts, and experienced them in live performance contexts. We showcased select museum-style pieces alongside our current lineup, from the legendary TR-808 and TR-909, through the TR-8S, to our new flagship TR-1000, highlighting decades of innovation and the heritage behind our products.
“And through NAMM-exclusive activations, we recognized select artists and partners with Lifetime Achievement Awards and shared some special, one-of-a-kind moments with our dealers.”
Katherine Wing
VP of Channel Marketing
Roland Americas
“While I didn’t get to see as much of the show as I usually do, I do know that the crowds were awesome for Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt of Green Day on Friday. Mix Master Mike over at the Alpha Theta (PioneerDJ) booth had a huge crowd. And I know Miles the Music Kid demo/performed up at the InMusic booth with Jimmy Jam to a good size crowd.
One of my big projects for this year’s show was bringing in Billy Corgan as an honoree at the TEC Awards. It was great to see all of that come to fruition Thursday night. His performance was great and he was playing through his new Laney amp pedal which sounded amazing. Even in a room like that, the note separation in those chords was so impressive. Especially considering all the gain/overdrive/distortion he had on his signal.
“The Bass Magazine Awards over at the Observatory was fun. Great artists were recognized and obviously, watching Primus with all of those all star appearances was great. Green Day killed it. Robert Trujillo on My Name is Mud. Marcus Miller on Tommy the Cat. Those were so good. It was nice to see that style of event again. They’ve been missing the past few years. I really want to make sure we keep that going.
“But nothing was better than when Chad Smith walked into the green room Saturday morning before the Grand Rally. All the kids were in there waiting to perform. They immediately went silent and were in awe. He took the time to acknowledge all of them. He and Victor Wooten even gave them insights during while tey all warmed up and gave encouragements for how they were all to perform on stage. Seeing the kids light up in the presence of Chad and Victor was my highlight. And those girls who sang! Holy cow! Can they sing. Getting to listen to them warm up vocally in the green room was heavenly. Man, they can sing.”
Josh Vittek
Artist Relations Director
NAMM