Conference by day, festival by night: why events that mix business and music work

Events that combine talks by day and music by night work because they solve the biggest problem of traditional conferences: people come to meet other people, but the format only lets them listen to talks. When the programme continues after the last session, so do the conversations, in a more relaxed setting.

At a glance

• The format is not new: SXSW in Austin has mixed conferences, music and film since 1987, and Sónar+D has been a tech congress inside Barcelona’s Sónar festival for over a decade.
• Why it works: more shared time, an informal atmosphere and a common theme make networking easier.
• DEXT FORCE applies the idea to finance, AI and startups: a congress at the Poble Espanyol Theatre and an after party until 05:30 on the same ticket.

A format with history

• SXSW (Austin, USA) started in 1987 as a music festival and today brings together tech, film and music conferences over several days.
• Sónar+D (Barcelona) is the creativity and technology congress of the Sónar festival. In 2026 it held its 14th edition at Llotja de Mar, with AI and music as one of its themes.
• Web Summit (Lisbon) complements its conference days with evening meetups around the city, such as its Night Summit.

What they share is treating the event as a full-day experience, not a sequence of talks.

Why it creates more and better networking

1. More time together. A 9-to-6 conference leaves little room between sessions. If the day continues, coffee-break conversations can end on the dance floor.
2. Informal atmosphere. Off stage, hierarchy matters less: it is easier to approach a speaker, an investor or a brand lead.
3. A natural filter. Those who stay for the night tend to be the most engaged attendees, which makes encounters more useful.
4. Brand recall. For sponsors, the full experience leaves a stronger memory than a booth.

How it works at DEXT FORCE

DEXT FORCE is Barcelona’s finance, banking, artificial intelligence and startups congress. At the 2025 edition at Poble Espanyol:

• From 10:30 to 18:25, 29 speakers across 17 sessions in the Theatre: institutional crypto investment with Bitpanda, TradingView, Bitget and Bybit, tax, applied AI and startups.
• In parallel, mindfulness in the Chapel, art in the Cloister and a Gaming Zone by Red Bull.
• From 19:30 to 05:30, a multi-stage after party with artists such as Solardo, Hector Couto and Viviana Casanova.

It is all in the DF25 recap and on the after party page.

How to make the most of this kind of event

1. Pick three or four key talks and leave gaps to talk to people.
2. Message people in advance and suggest meeting at a specific time.
3. Stay for the informal part: that is where many conversations started in the morning get closed.
4. Follow up within 48 hours, mentioning something specific you discussed.

Frequently asked questions

Is an event with a party less professional?

Not necessarily. The daytime content and the audience set the level. The music is a complement that extends the experience and the networking.

Do I need to attend both parts?

No, but with a single all-day ticket, staying for the night is often where the most relaxed conversations happen.

When is DEXT FORCE 2027?

The date will be announced to the waitlist first. If your brand wants to take part, get in touch via Partner with us.