HairCon powered by Fresha brings the global hair and barbering community together in Manchester
HairCon has wrapped an unforgettable 2026 edition, bringing the professional hair and barbering community together for three days of creativity, education, connection and celebration at Manchester’s iconic O2 Victoria Warehouse.
From the invitation only Opening Night on Saturday 13th June through to two packed show days on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th June, HairCon delivered exactly what it promised: no ordinary trade show, but a full-scale festival of hair and barbering.
Across the weekend, nearly 12,000 guests came through the doors to experience major creative shows, close up education, live demonstrations, cultural conversations, new product discoveries, brand activations, live podcasts, social content sessions and entertainment that continued long after dark, as the evening transformed in the heart of this iconic music venue.
“We are incredibly proud to have welcomed over 11,600 guests across the weekend,” says Michael Dynan, Co-founder of HairCon. “More importantly, it was brilliant to see people really immersing themselves in the experience and enjoying that festival atmosphere. HairCon is a new style of trade show where visitors stay for the whole event, planning their weekend, moving from stage to stage, discovering something new and staying to be part of the community. With many brands reporting record sales and visitors staying long into the evening, the whole weekend felt electric. A huge thank you to every guest, artist, brand and partner who helped make it happen.”
That community could be felt throughout the venue as guests found themselves walking alongside their hair heroes, stopping for photographs and conversations with some of the most respected names in the industry. Global icons, leading educators, salon owners, barbers, founders and the next generation of talent mingled throughout the same spaces, while incredible avant garde models moved between stages, backstage areas and the show floor.
The response from the industry was emphatic, with artists, brands and visitors describing the weekend as one of the best live hair events they had ever experienced.
“HairCon is rapidly becoming the best trade show in the world,” says Errol Douglas MBE. HairCon powered by Fresha assembled an incredible collective of industry leading brands from across the professional hair and barbering world. Headliner partners included Fresha, Hairdreams, Paul Mitchell, Moroccanoil, KEVIN.MURPHY, Wella Professionals, The Fellowship for British Hairdressing and DENSE, alongside Signature partners Phenix Salon Suites, EXO-GROW by DermapenWorld, O&M, Schwarzkopf Professional, Beauty Works, Maria Nila, Unity Rollers by Jack Mead, Alfaparf Milano Professional, GLOWWA, American Crew, Revlon Professional, OSMO, Crazy Color, ELEVEN Australia, Andis, Danger Jones and Design Essentials. L’Oréal Professionnel, Sassoon Academy, ghd, Scrummi and Salons Direct were also among the brilliant brands and product partners helping to bring the HairCon experience to life, alongside many more supporting brands and collaborators.
Across every stage and space, an extraordinary mix of established icons, internationally respected artists, leading barbers, educators and rising stars shared their creativity and expertise. James Earnshaw, Richard Ashforth, Josh Lamonaca and the MENSPIRE team, Charlie Le Mindu, Giuseppe Stelitano, Errol Douglas MBE, Suzie McGill, Darren and Jackie Ambrose, Jack Howard, Adam Reed, Tom Connell, Kate Reid, Pascal Van Loenhout, Nick Irwin, Aminata Kamara, Sam Rascals, Cal Newsome, Jamie Benny, Andrea Dorata, Jake Unger, Jack Mead, Lydia Wolfe, Baldy, Jim Williams, Roxanne Batt, and the Fellowship Project teams were among the diverse talent appearing across the weekend.
At the centre of the weekend, the HairCon powered by Fresha Main Stage delivered inspiring high production shows spanning cutting, colour, barbering, texture, fashion, performance and avant garde artistry. The invitation only Opening Night set the tone with a moving celebration of creative culture and world class hair work. Throughout the evening, Trevor Sorbie: Celebrating a Creative Legacy brought different chapters of Trevor’s life and career to the screen through films and interviews with some of the industry’s most respected names, each sharing the impact he had made as an artist, mentor and friend. The celebration culminated in The Final Curtain, the final show Trevor had begun working on. Leaving behind sketches and creative ideas, members of the Trevor Sorbie Creative Team, past and present, came together to interpret and bring his final vision to life on stage. The evening also saw major showcases from Schwarzkopf Professional led by Nick Irwin, Paul Mitchell, Wella Professionals with HOB Academy, Hairdreams with Charlie Le Mindu, and MENSPIRE led by Josh Lamonaca and powered by Fresha.
Across Sunday and Monday, the Main Stage continued to bring together a mix of industry icons, creative leaders, barbering talent and rising stars, with show stopping moments from names including Wella Professionals, L’Oréal Professionnel, Sassoon Academy, The Fellowship for British Hairdressing, Schwarzkopf Professional, KEVIN.MURPHY, Alfaparf Milano Professional, Revlon Professional, American Crew, Design Essentials and many more.
HairCon Unplugged offered a different kind of energy. Raw, intimate and centred on craft, technique and education, the stage brought audiences closer to the artistry before transforming after dark for SHAIR!, Dom Lehane’s open mic inspired platform for emerging artists, new generation teams and expressive live hair performance.
The Social Stage created a cooler, calmer space for conversations designed to help professionals strengthen their careers, salons, barbershops and teams. Across the weekend, founders, educators, social talent and industry specialists shared real world insight into leadership, profitability, social media, legislation, sustainability, team empowerment and the changing professional landscape.
New for 2026, the Social Studio in association with the NHBF gave visitors practical support with lighting, photography, editing, filming and audience growth, while Ask the Expert offered direct access to specialists across areas including tax, apprenticeships, employment, legislation and insurance.
Podcast Live also brought a new vibe to the show floor. Visitors could put on headphones, pause for a moment and listen as leading industry podcasts were recorded in front of a live audience. Amid the buzz, colour and movement of HairCon, it became a welcome place to slow down and hear thoughtful, unfiltered conversations from across the industry. The dedicated wellness area also gave guests space to reset between shows, meetings and education sessions, creating a moment of stillness within the energy of the wider event.
Throughout the venue, brands brought the show floor to life with immersive activations, product launches, live testing, demonstrations and education. Visitors were able to discover new products, speak directly with the teams behind them and explore ideas they could take back into their own businesses.
As the light changed outside the former warehouse, so did HairCon. Shows gave way to DJs and a packed dancefloor within HairCon After Dark, making the venue’s music heritage the perfect backdrop.
“HairCon was inspired by the kind of festivals we love attending ourselves,” Michael continues. “At a great festival, you look at the schedule, circle what you cannot miss and plan your route across the day. Sometimes you are running from one stage to another because there is so much you want to see. That is the feeling we wanted to create for hair and barbering: a weekend people look forward to, plan properly and experience together.”
HairCon powered by Fresha brought every corner of the professional community together, with hairdressing and barbering sharing the same spaces and stages. From established names to new voices, and creative inspiration to technical education and commercial opportunities, there was something for everyone across the weekend.
Michael adds: “The most exciting thing for us was seeing how naturally people used the event. They came to watch, learn and discover, but they also came to meet people, take photographs, reconnect with friends and be inspired by the talent around them. It felt like the industry had taken over an entire music venue for the weekend, which is exactly what HairCon should be.”
With over 70% of brands already reconfirmed for next year and a host of new names already in the pipeline, HairCon powered by Fresha is set to return bigger and better in 2027. HairCon powered by Fresha will return from 12 to 14 June 2027. Mark your calendars and save the date. This is one event not to be missed!
For updates, visit www.haircon.co.uk or follow @hairconshow.
Photography by Mauro Carraro.