Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency (CEA) has opened two programmes that will place 33 Thai artists at 34 international festivals across 14 countries in 2026, backed by direct funding for artists and record labels.
- Music Exchange 2026 is designed to expand Thai music internationally.
- CEA’s Music Lab focuses on business and copyright management skills for music industry personnel.
Funding and training#
The initiative provides a combined 1.5 million Thai baht (£33,000) to artists and record labels seeking to develop creative skills and pursue international opportunities.
The programmes were developed with music industry experts. Selected artists take part in a 32-hour intensive business development programme, and a separate intellectual property (IP) management masterclass covers buy-out agreements and copyright management.
Festival bookings#
So far in 2026, Music Exchange 2026 has helped book Thai artists onto line-ups including Head In The Clouds Tokyo in Japan, Playtime Festival in Mongolia, and Round Festival in the Philippines, among others.
