From April to October
The 16th Kansai Music Conference (KMC 2025) will be held in Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka for six months, from April to October 2025, in conjunction with Expo 2025. During this time artists from 6 continents will perform on public stages, schools and live music venues in the Kansai area.
Also, as a TEAM EXPO Co-creation Partner, KMC will host a performance at the TEAM EXPO Pavilion on July 24, along with other performances.
KMC 2025 Artists
Hojsak & Novosel
(Croatia)
Francois Essindi
(Cameroon)
Maaya
(Osaka)
Gharana Fusion
(India)
Edoardo Baroni
(Italy)
Sekai no Kotodama
(Nigeria/Kenya)
IndiviDuo
(US)
Simon Hudson
(Australia)
Lee Jones
(UK)
Nilotika Cultural Ensemble
(Uganda)
Manel Ferreira
(Portugal)
Muno Na Baka
(Spain)
About KMC
KMC has earned a reputation as a global annual event that musicians look forward to joining, a year or more in advance.
As a catalyst for countless performances, workshops, collaborations, international tours, and long-term friendships between artists from 6 continents, KMC has created a global community of musicians, industry and music fans like no other in Japan.
See past conferences
Blue Guitar Project
Blue Guitar Project is a nonprofit organization with a goal to encourage underprivileged youth to pursue their musical dreams using music education and new experiences. With the "Blue Guitar Pass" social media campaign, people from around the world share inspiring messages to the youth who have musical dreams: Encouraging them to dream big, and never to give up.
KMC is promoting the Blue Guitar Project in Japan. As a great opportunity to show support for disadvantaged youth, everyone in Japan is invited to take a picture with the Blue Guitar! More details here.
KMC & SDGs
Do You Know About SDGs?
In 2015, UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals to address the global challenges that humanity faces. The fulfillment of these goals can best be achieved if governments, businesses, organizations and citizens all work together.
As a registered Co-Creation Partner with the TEAM EXPO 2025 Programme, KMC aims to increase awareness about SDGs by creating, supporting and promoting co-creation challenges related to the 3 SDGs below.
Provide more opportunities for technical and vocational training to youth and adults, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
By partnering with educators, educational facilities and organizations, KMC will contribute to this objective by providing ways for youth to develop a career music and/or the music industry.
Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
To stress the importance of gender equality, KMC strives to include more women in activities, events, performances and seminars.
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
KMC will continue to focus on creating partnerships with artists, companies and organizations to encourage further involvement to help spread the word through music about these goals for sustainable development.