The 2027 NAMM Show is returning to the Anaheim Convention Center January 26–30, bringing five days of music, gear, education, networking, performances and industry celebration to Southern California. The main exhibition floor will run January 28–30, but NAMM is expanding the experience well beyond the traditional trade-show floor.
Presented by NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants, the 2027 event is designed to bring the many corners of the music ecosystem under one roof. Musicians, manufacturers, retailers, educators, creators, audio professionals, technology specialists, and other industry leaders will have five days to connect, learn, and discover new products.
The show officially kicks off Tuesday, January 26 with education, professional development and networking. Among the programming are financial summits focused on business succession and financial health, as well as the inaugural Music Education Advocacy Summit. Wednesday continues the professional-development push with the NAMM AI Marketing Summit, TEC Tracks Studio and Live Sound Summits, the Entertainment Technology Summit, Women of NAMM Leadership Amplified and the Music Education Leaders Summit.
Thursday marks the transition into the full NAMM experience, with the exhibition halls opening and the familiar sensory overload of instruments, audio equipment, lighting, technology, and demonstrations taking over the Anaheim Convention Center. A new Percussion Showcase will give percussion brands a dedicated space for live demonstrations, while more than 250 educational sessions are planned across the event, covering everything from recording and live sound to the creator economy, A.I., and emerging technologies.
There is also a new reason for artists and music supervisors to pay attention: the inaugural NAMM Sync Summit arrives Thursday, focusing on music placement and sync opportunities. The program is specifically designed to serve the more than 24,000 artists.
And then there are the awards. Because if the music industry is going to spend several days talking about innovation, someone should probably hand out some hardware. The 2027 schedule includes the TEC Awards, Backline Talk Awards, Bass Magazine Awards, Parnelli Awards, Best in Show and She Rocks Awards, alongside live performances and other special events. The Bass Magazine Awards will move into the Anaheim Convention Center Arena in 2027, bringing the celebration directly onto the NAMM campus. Past editions have featured artists and bands including Tool, Green Day, Primus, Khruangbin, Metallica, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
The numbers behind the event help explain why NAMM continues to position the show as much more than a conventional trade gathering. More than 60,000 people from 122 countries, regions and territories attended the 2026 NAMM Show, representing an estimated $9.8 billion in buying power. More than 8,650 international attendees participated, while creator-generated content from the event reached more than 70 million social-media views.
For companies, that global visibility is a major part of the appeal. John Mlynczak, NAMM president and CEO, puts it bluntly: “The NAMM Show is the only platform where companies can make a profound statement to a global audience of thousands of media, influencers, creators and both international and U.S. business attendees, that will greatly enhance their own business narrative.”
The digital side of NAMM is also becoming increasingly important. The 2026 online exhibitor directory drew more than 150,000 unique visitors, while the NAMM Show mobile app generated 31,000 downloads and 330,000 launches. The organization says those digital touchpoints will continue building visibility around the 2027 event before, during and after the physical show.
Friday will bring another full day of exhibits, education, networking and performances, along with the Grand Rally for Music Education and Parnelli Awards. Saturday closes out the show with additional floor programming before the Best in Show and She Rocks Awards bring the five-day gathering to a close.
In other words, NAMM is leaning into its role as the industry's annual reunion, product-launch frenzy, professional-development conference, and music-business networking marathon all at once. The gear is still the star attraction, but the 2027 schedule makes it clear that the show is increasingly interested in the people, ideas, careers and technologies surrounding that gear.
With the 2027 NAMM Show running January 26–30 and the exhibition floor open January 28–30, the countdown to Anaheim is officially underway. And if previous years are any indication, there will be plenty to see, hear, test, and debate.
Learn more about the 2027 NAMM Show here.
