So you've booked your pass. Now what?
Whether you're a podcast creator, a brand marketer, or someone who's simply curious about the industry, walking into a 10,000-person festival for the first time can be a lot. This guide covers the practical stuff — getting there, what to expect on the day, and how to make sure you leave with more than just a tote bag full of stickers.
Before You Go
The Podcast Show takes place on 20–21 May 2026 at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. Registration opens at 8:30am and sessions run from 9am to 6pm each day.
The BDC is a five-minute walk from Angel station (Northern Line). If you're coming from further afield, Highbury & Islington (Overground and Victoria Line) is also close. There's no dedicated parking at the venue, so public transport is your best bet. If you're driving, there are NCP car parks nearby.
If you're travelling from outside London, the visit page on the TPS website has hotel recommendations in the Islington area. Book early — May is busy, and the hotels closest to the venue fill up fast.
What to Wear
The dress code is "podcast industry" — which in practice means smart casual. You'll see everything from trainers and jeans to blazers, but the general vibe is relaxed professional. Comfortable shoes are non-negotiable. You'll be on your feet most of the day, moving between stages and the exhibition floor.
Planning Your Day
With eight stages running simultaneously, you cannot see everything. Don't try. Instead, pick 4-5 sessions per day that genuinely matter to you, and leave gaps between them for the exhibition floor, networking, and the spontaneous conversations that tend to be the most valuable part of any festival.
Here's a rough framework:
Start your morning with a keynote or big-name session on the Origin Theatre — the energy is high and it sets the tone for the day.
Mid-morning and early afternoon, go deeper on the stages most relevant to you. If you're a creator, that's the Creator Stage and Creator First Stage. If you're in advertising, the Brand Works Stage. If you're interested in global markets, the International Stage.
Leave your late afternoon open. By 3pm, you'll have met people, overheard something interesting, and your plan will have changed. That's fine. Go with it.
If you have a Gold 2-Day or Platinum pass, don't try to cram everything into Day 1. The two days are designed with different programming. Use Day 1 for discovery and Day 2 for follow-up conversations and deeper sessions.
The Exhibition Floor
Over 100 companies exhibit at TPS, from major platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Acast to recording equipment brands, hosting services, and production studios. The Creator Village is a hub for hands-on demos, and Ask The Experts (with BetterHelp) offers free one-to-one guidance sessions — popular and worth booking early in the day.
Don't rush the floor. The exhibition is where you'll find tools, services, and people that you didn't know you needed. Budget at least an hour on each day just for browsing and chatting.
Networking (Without Being Weird About It)
TPS is a festival, not a sales conference. The best networking happens naturally — in the queue for coffee, at the Hub Bar, or in the corridor between sessions. A few practical tips:
Bring business cards or have your LinkedIn QR code ready. It sounds basic, but you'll meet people faster than you can type their names into your phone.
If you want to meet someone specific — a speaker, a brand rep, an exhibitor — go to their session or their stand. Don't cold-DM them asking for a meeting; show up where they are.
The evening events are where relationships move from professional to personal. The Creator Mix (Day 1, for creators), the Official Party (Platinum pass), and the various partner receptions are all designed for this. If your pass includes evening access, use it.
What to Bring
Keep it light. A phone charger (portable battery, ideally), a water bottle, a notebook if you're the type. The BDC has Wi-Fi, food vendors, and cloakroom facilities. Don't bring a laptop unless you genuinely need it — you'll be standing and moving more than sitting.
Making It Count
The single biggest mistake first-timers make is treating TPS like a content consumption exercise. It's not. The sessions are excellent, but the real value is in the people you meet, the conversations you have, and the follow-up you do in the weeks after.
The single biggest mistake first-timers make is treating TPS like a content consumption exercise. The real value is in the people you meet.
Set yourself three goals before you arrive: one person you want to meet, one question you want answered, and one thing you want to learn. If you leave with all three, you've had a good festival.
