Editor’s note: This story will be updated.
The highly-awaited 2026 Billboard Latin Music Week has officially kicked off with a wave of star-studded panels and showcases.
Running from Oct. 19 (today) to Oct. 22 at the Faena Forum and Faena Theater in Miami Beach, the weeklong music event began as early as 9 a.m. ET with welcome remarks from Leila Cobo, Co-Chief Content Officer at Billboard.
In true Latin Music Week fashion, Monday’s programming is, for the most part, dedicated to key business and industry conversations, which this year include Luminate’s CEO Rob Jonas talking about the state of Spanish-language music by the numbers, and a keynote conversation with music mogul Tommy Mottola and Alex Gallardo, President at Sony Music U.S. Latin on the rise of Latin music, globally.
Additionally, attendees learned how to translate a 15-second viral clip into a sustainable community in the “Beyond the Algorithm: From Viral Moment to Global Fanbase” panel, as well as how the world’s fourth-largest music market is finding a global audience for its music in Portuguese in the “Brazil on the Rise: The Sound, Scale & Future of Brazilian Music” panel.
Monday’s roster also included a handful of star-studded conversations: Grupo Frontera talking about its international expansion; Kany García on the stories behind her biggest hits; the revival of salsa music with Tito Nieves and Luis Figueroa; and Quevedo and Kidd Voodoo joining forces on “The New Urban Movement” panel.
The 2026 Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 22 from the James L. Knight Center in Miami on Telemundo and Peacock.
Below, check out the top highlights from every business and industry panel that took place on Monday, Oct. 19.: