Get ready to immerse yourself in the northern soul of marketing with this selection of content sessions, parties and meet-ups taking place at MAD//North this week.

Staring at colleagues’ OOOs or entertaining the kids on rainy days is over until next Half Term and this week you can look forward to a little ‘me time’ checking out the northern soul of marketing at MAD//North (that is if you have a ticket - the event is now SOLD OUT).

To help get you in the mood, we’ve compiled a list of content sessions, parties, activations, meet-ups, deep-dives, showcases and demos you won’t want to miss.

CONTENT SESSIONS

Hungry for content from top brands, entrepreneurs, agencies and media owners? You’re in the right place at MAD//North. Highlights include:

  • 150 Years In The Baking - join Jonathan Warburton + Manchester Evening News’ Dianne Bourne for a conversation about how northern roots are baked into the success of Warburtons (25 Feb, 9.55, Factory Stage In Partnership with WPP Media)
  • Northern Soul with Maisie Adam + Little Black Book - comedian Maisie Adam explores the humour, authenticity and everyday moments that shape Northern life with Little Black Book Managing Editor Alex Reeves (25 Feb, 14:10, Factory Stage In Partnership with WPP Media)
  • Born social - the P. Louise story - P.Louise CMO Bridey-Rae Lipscombe shares what makes the gold standard social commerce brand tick (11.55, Social + Discovery Commerce Stage in partnership with TikTok)
  • Good things come to those who…build distinctive brands - Guinness Marketing Director Deb Caldrow shares the black magic with Bauer’s Lindsay Rappachi + Colin Horan (14:20, Media + Tech Stage)
  • Back by popular demand - Gary Neville! Gary Neville returns to the big stage at MAD//North alongside Global Studios’ Sarah Ray to talk about how The Overlap’s talent-led, video-first content creates cultural moments at scale and has delivered 38 million monthly listeners (26 Feb, 9.30, Factory Stage In Partnership with WPP Media
  • No flatcaps in Yorkshire - Head of Brand Marketing Ben Newbury shares the recipe for Yorkshire Tea’s brew of Northern voice that’s all about wit, warmth, and emotional connection (10:45-11:05, Content, Culture Creativity Stage)
  • FIFA World Cup 2026: the greatest show on earth - brands and broadcasters are gearing up for the biggest shared cultural moment of the year, the FIFA World Cup. Don’t miss broadcasters Mark Pougatch and Karen Carney, ITV Programme Editor Stuart Smith and Allwyn Media Director Ben Brown share how the action is hotting up on and off the pitch. (26 Feb, 14:25, Factory Stage In Partnership with WPP Media)

COMMUNITY/NETWORKING/FRINGE EVENTS

If you’ve been to a MAD//Fest or MAD//North event before, you’ll know that bringing communities together and letting magic take its course are in our DNA. Whether you want to meet marketers, dance or get clued up on sports marketing, we’ve got a vibrant community to boost both what you know and who you know. Highlights include: 

  • The Omnicom Media Exchange - Who better than Omnicom - the world’s largest agency group - to host the networking hub of MAD//North? Located at the heart of the show, the Omnicom Media Exchange is the place to swap ideas and meet like-minded marketers over a drink. (25-26 Feb, the Warehouse)
  • THE MAD//Northern Soul Club - throw some shapes as Craig Charles’ favourite northern funk pioneers Smoove & Turrell hop over the Pennines from Newcastle to spin their incredible vinyl collection + perform a live PA alongside Manchester’s Beatnix Soul (25 Feb, the Warehouse, from 16:30)
  • MAD//Sports Clubhouse - sports marketing is hot in 2026 and the MAD//Sports Clubhouse in partnership with SIG is the place to be if you want to explore the latest shifts in fan engagement, women’s sport, what happens when footballers launch an ad agency and much more (25 Feb, from 10:25, Trading Route)
  • VERSA SilverScape live demos - want to have your Mind blown by cutting-edge AI accelerated virtual production? Head to VERSA Studios (right next to Aviva Studios) to learn how the savviest brands, agencies and production companies are leveraging AI production technologies and making budget and logistics barriers less of a pain (25-26 Feb, 12:00 and 16:00 daily)