Independent magazine events Spring 2026 edition
Events inside the independent magazine space continue to grow in numbers, with traditional launch parties to celebrate a new issue and bring together communities to masterclasses to help ideas flourish and evolve with expert guidance. Here are five events to invite us into Spring and beyond.
Print-First Futures – March 2026
Print agency In Real Life media (IRL) hosts ‘Print-First Futures’ this month in Brooklyn, New York. The print symposium aims to be a gathering of women whom are “building what lasts—editors, publishers, creatives, and brand leaders shaping the next generation of print media,” IRL note.
“Co-hosted by In Real Life Media and Head Hi, the symposium brings together cultural and commercial voices to explore how print magazines continue to shape community, belonging, and brand value in our ever-changing world.”
Hosted on the 20th of March, ‘Print-First Futures’ includes a strong panel of experts – from Attia Taylor (founder of Womanly), Beth Mach (Co-founder and COO of Spacely Media) and Mimi Sheng (Partner at Bedford Media), to name a few.
All the details are over at Head Hi: Event link
The Flatplan 2026 – March 2026
The Flatplan by magCulture returns this month on the 21st and 22nd of March. This online masterclass event is the eighth edition and features 9 speakers across the two half days.
magCulture wrote, “We’re bringing together some of the best indie magazine-makers to provide an inspiring introduction to creating a successful publication, along with specialist printers and distributors who’ll pitch in on the practical side. You’ll leave with the knowledge needed to develop an abstract idea into a real-life magazine others will want to enjoy! Every year, we see new magazines launched by attendees.”
See all the details via this link.
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Cover to Cover – March 2026
Held on the 22nd of March, Issue Magazine Shop’s very own ‘Cover to Cover’ is a single day of magazine inspiration. They describe the event as a “conference that celebrates the people, ideas, and stories shaping magazines today—across independent titles, commercial giants, and the many voices and businesses that support them.”
The event has a packed schedule including talks by Whitney Mallett (Founder of The Whitney Review), Isaac Nikolai Fox (Founder of Lore), Anja Charbonneau (Founder of Broccoli) and many more.
Tickets are still available at time of writing, head over to Eventbrite here for all the details: Event link.
Excess Baggage by Paper Bag Archive – March 2026
Paper Bag Archive is an independent zine curating Tim Sumner’s colossal collection of paper bags. The project, as noted on their website, “is devoted to the collection, conservation, and celebration of these once ubiquitous items. This archive provides us with a rare and timely insight into our relatively recent consumer past.”
Hosted by Dorothy, a Liverpool-based store and design agency, ‘Excess Baggage’ opened on the 5th of March and is the debut exhibition from Paper Bag Archive. The archive boasts the world’s largest collection of paper bags and with 250 bags on display out of over two thousand, the exhibition is a nostalgic, curated trip down the British high street of the last 100 years. You can buy the zine and a selection of merchandise at the event.
Head down to Dorothy before the exhibition closes on the 27th of March. All the details can be found here.
Toronto Review launch party – April 2026
This April sees the launch of Toronto Review, a new literary magazine. The party is on Thursday 23rd April and features an evening of readings and dancing, along with a silent auction fundraiser, bookselling by TYPE Books and more.
“We see criticism as a vital mode of community building,” their website reads. “Toronto Review fosters local writers’ voices, shines a spotlight on work by Canadian creatives, and creates a hub to connect readers to a vibrant literary scene. While we place an emphasis on Canadian and Torontonian voices, TR engages in conversation with all kinds of books and writers and thus we welcome contributors from all over the world.”
Tickets are sold out but keep an eye out for future launch events via their Instagram or their website here.
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