HairCon 2025 has concluded a groundbreaking two-day run that united creativity, commerce, and connections under one iconic roof. Held on 22–23 June at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, this “No Ordinary Trade Show” lived up to its mission. An immersive event for hair and barbering professionals, HairCon drew over 7,600 attendees and brought together over 50 leading brands and partners from across the industry.
Over the course of one incredible weekend, HairCon truly delivered a festival of hair & barbering. Blending unmissable live shows, standout education, and unforgettable networking opportunities that pushed the boundaries of what a hair industry event can be. HairCon transformed the industrial backdrop of the venue into a creative and colourful meeting of the hair world, continuing long after dark with live bands, fire eaters, performers and DJs sets. With an unmatched atmosphere that rivalled any music festival, HairCon firmly marked its place in the global hair calendar as the must-attend destination event!
Huge heartfelt congratulations to the entire Haircon team on an absolutely amazing weekend. It was so exciting and inspiring to witness the “movement” come alive in person! The energy and passion in the rooms were truly contagious. – Antoinette Beenders, Senior Vice President, Global Professional Artistry Aveda, and Newly crowned Industry Icon at the North American Hairdressing Awards
HairCon 2025 officially kicked off in style with an exciting invitation-only Opening Night that brought together the global greats of hair and barbering for an electrifying evening of creativity, inspiration, and connection. Celebrating a major moment for the global industry, HairCon hosted the International Hairdressing Awards 2025 ceremony live in the UK for the very first time. Welcoming a further four incredible shows, exclusively created for the Opening Night, the evening opened with a creative collaboration between Keune and the Trevor Sorbie Creative Team, who debuted their new collection “RODEO: This Isn’t Our First Time”. This genre-defying performance fused fashion, art, and Texan mythology into a bold, culture-rich spectacle – marking HairCon’s arrival in true creative style.
Another standout performance came from Josh Lamonaca and Menspire with DENSE, who delivered a world-class men’s hair presentation that fused razor-sharp technique with streetwear style, before James Earnshaw brought his fresh approach to colour and styling with a debut of Surreal Colour, inspired by Wella Professionals’ latest trend launch. Closing the show was the one and only Errol Douglas MBE, celebrating craft and conscious beauty, with Innersense Organic Beauty. As the final showcase wrapped, the atmosphere shifted from inspiration to celebration as the venue was transformed by an Underfound takeover, complete with live DJs, dancers, immersive performers, and an after-hours vibe that pulsed across every corner of the Warehouse.
This year has been so tremendous on so many levels, the education has been unbelievable. Meeting your friends from all over the world…it’s a destination place. – Errol Douglas MBE
From the moment the doors opened on this year two show, award-winning Artists, Hair Stylists, Barbers and Founders from the global stage came together at HairCon. Professionals at every level immersed themselves in demonstrations, exclusive product launches, and hands-on product testing. Gathering at HairCon, they enjoyed access to three interactive stages – the Main Stage, Social Stage, and The Fellowship Stage – with over 90 live sessions, from creative showcases to business panels included for every ticket holder, underscoring the event’s mission to be more than just a trade show.
Visitors connected with pioneering brands and household names like Keune, Wella Professionals, Alfaparf Milano Professional, Dyson, Official Tech Partner Vagaro, Revlon Professional, American Crew, Danger Jones, Design Essentials, DENSE, Artero, and many more – as well as key industry organisations such as the Fellowship for British Hairdressing and NHBF, and headline media partners SalonEVO & BarberEVO.
What I love about HairCon – and honestly, it’s one of my favourite hair shows I’ve ever been to – is that it doesn’t feel like a typical convention. I spend so much of my life in these big corporate venues and they can feel really dull. But HairCon has this artistic, creative edge. It understands the artist community in a way most shows don’t. Other events feel like it’s all business—this one feels like a real community. That’s why we’ll be back next year.– David Thurston, Founder and CEO of Danger Jones
The audience have been really professional, lots of really good hairdressers, great line up on the stages. We’ve had a great show. We’re looking forward to coming back next year with Olivia Garden. – Mike Patey, UK Sale Advisor, Olivia Garden
Highlights of the weekend were plentiful. On the Main Stage, a powerhouse lineup of the industry’s top talent delivered world-class inspiration. Keune presented the Trevor Sorbie Creative Team from the VIP opening night with “RODEO”– earning a standing ovation from the crowd. TONI&GUY’s global creative leaders – Cos Sakkas, Efi Davies, and Francesco Fontana – lit up the stage with “PROVOKE,” a fearless celebration of bold expression, cutting-edge technique, and next-level artistry, while The Wahl Creative Team, led by Simon Shaw, dominated with an electrifying exhibition of the hottest barbering trends shaping the future of the industry, featuring stars like Cal Newsome, Alan Beak, Dean Gleeson and others. And that was just the beginning! From Alfaparf Milano Professional’s chic collaboration with the Sanrizz Creative Team and Paul Stafford, to a vibrant colour extravaganza by Crazy Color and Sophia Hilton, to Wella Professionals and James Earnshaw’s trend-forward artistry, the Main Stage shows kept energy levels high throughout the event.
“HairCon 2025 took us and the industry to another level! From the Trevor Sorbie X Keune opening show Rodeo, to Lisa Farrall and Lesley Jennison’s beautifully curated, powerful show Doll’s to all the creativity and connection throughout the whole weekend. The energy was electric. It reminded us all why we love our industry and the incredible community we have. It was great to connect with all the brands over the weekend and of course for us at the fellowship to showcase our incredible Projects and the next generation of hairdressers.”– Ashleigh Hodges, President of The Fellowship for British Hairdressing
The iconic Sassoon Academy team returned to HairCon with The Art and Vision of Vidal Sassoon: A 45-Minute Exploration, a show that brought together Senior International Creative Director Mark Hayes, with Sassoon’s newly appointed International Creative Director Richard Ashforth for the first time live on stage. In another debut, Frazer Wallace presented a disruptive and creative masterpiece for his first solo show with L’Oréal Professionnel. And paying homage to HairCon’s home city, ELEVEN Australia celebrated Manchester’s gritty, iconic club culture in collision with the laidback cool of Australian street style, inspired by the legendary Haçienda era.
I came away from Hair Con totally inspired. It was fantastic to see such creativity and talent showcasing the very best in cutting, colouring and styling. HairCon is the perfect place to network and to take in the latest and most innovative brands. Some of which we are continuing to have conversations with as they could be a great fit within our business. – Andrew Collinge, Collinge & Co and previous two-times British Hairdresser of the Year
Meanwhile, the Social Stage (presented by Fresha) was the beating heart of business insight and community connection. Across two days, over 30 talks and panel sessions featured more than 100 influential speakers sharing expertise on everything from social media mastery to salon sustainability. Highlights included “Smashing Social Media to Build a Business,” where digital-savvy stylists Rob Wood, Cal Newsome, and Jaymz Rigby-Marsters revealed how to go viral for growth. BarberEVO magazine hosted a lively “Beyond the Short Back & Sides” panel with some of the UK’s biggest names in barbering, challenging professionals to think outside the traditional barbering box. In “The Big Idea: How to Stay Inspired,” legendary icons Cos Sakkas (TONI&GUY), Antoinette Beenders (Aveda), and Errol Douglas MBE shared personal stories of finding fresh inspiration, in a conversation moderated by Sergi Bancells that left the audience buzzing with creative ideas. Another standing-room session, “Breaking the Mould: Women Redefining Beauty and Hair,” presented by Vagaro, featured trailblazers like Lisa Farrall and Rochelle Raye-Anthony discussing the future of beauty standards in the industry. Wellness brand Glowwa brought together a powerhouse of ambassadors to delve into “The Power of Word of Mouth,” highlighting how authentic buzz can elevate a business. Capping it all off, the NHBF (National Hair & Beauty Federation) took over the Social Stage to unveil the Top 50 Hair Influencers of 2025 live on Sunday hosted by last year’s winner Cal Newsome announcing Efi Davies as top of the charts!
HairCon 2025 wasn’t only about the live shows, it was also about the festival atmosphere. On the show floor, brands staged interactive activations (from product demos to mini workshops and launches unveiled live), backstage saw spontaneous creative collaborations unfold as photographers snapped editorial-worthy looks fresh off the stages, and as daylight gave way to evening on Sunday, the venue transformed into the home of after-dark entertainment.
“I’ve been to many hair shows over the years, but HairCon 2025 was on another level. The energy, the creativity, the sense of community – it’s the best hair event I’ve been to in years,” said one attendee, a veteran salon owner. “It’s so refreshing to see something new like this in our industry; it’s exactly what we needed to stay inspired.” This sentiment was echoed by many who experienced the weekend. Attendees and participants alike lauded HairCon’s innovative format and content rich programme. “HairCon truly felt like a festival for us hairdressers – there was something impactful happening at every moment, whether you were watching a mind-blowing show or learning business tips to take home,” shared another guest.
HairCon 2025’s success in celebrating diversity, talent, and industry growth is a strong indicator that the event has struck a chord in the hair and barbering community. “We set out to challenge the status quo and create a space where creativity, commerce, and connections could thrive together,” said Jane Galpin, HairCon Event Director.“Seeing over 7,600 professionals under one roof, collaborating and learning, confirms that HairCon is more than just an event – it’s the start of something transformative for our industry.”
HairCon 2025 really landed what we set out to deliver for the Hair industry – reimagining trade shows for the next generation of creative professionals. We wanted to rethink and breathe new life into the traditional trade show model. With 3 incredible stages of content, immersive experiences event-wide, and lots of opportunities to soak up inspiration and network, we’ve created something much more dynamic that speaks directly to today’s community of creative minds! – Michael Dynan, Co-Founder, The Assembly Events
HairCon 2026