SBC has booked The Script to headline the SBC Summit 2026 Opening Party on Tuesday, 29 September at Lisbon’s Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, and Tiësto to headline the closing night at the MEO Arena on Thursday, 1 October. The two bookings sit at either end of an event that expects 40,000 industry professionals, and the Irish band is one of the largest artist signings SBC has made.
The Script have six UK number one albums, 14 billion streams and five million album sales worldwide. Their catalogue includes “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved,” “Breakeven,” “For the First Time” and “Hall of Fame.” The Opening Party is powered by 1xBet.
The party has a capacity of 3,000 guests. Entry for eligible pass holders is subject to that limit, so SBC is advising attendees to arrive early. Guests holding VIP Area Opening Party Wristbands are guaranteed entry.
Rasmus Sojmark, founder and CEO of SBC, said the band’s reach was the reason for the booking.
“We couldn’t be prouder to welcome The Script to headline our Opening Party. Their songs are instantly recognisable to people all over the world, but what makes them the perfect fit for this stage is their universal appeal. They transcend genres in exactly the same way SBC Summit transcends borders, bringing together every corner of our industry. I can’t think of a better way to bring this global community together on night one.”
Two decades of chart records
The Script released their self-titled debut in 2008. It reached number one in both the UK and Ireland, carried by the singles “We Cry,” “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved,” “Breakeven” and “Before the Worst.”
Their second album, Science & Faith, arrived in 2010. It topped the charts in the UK and Ireland and reached number three on the US Billboard 200, and produced “For the First Time.”
The band’s third album, #3, followed in 2012 and included “Hall of Fame” with will.i.am. That track became their first UK number one single and is still one of the biggest of their career.
Four more albums followed: No Sound Without Silence in 2014, Freedom Child in 2017, Sunsets & Full Moons in 2019 and Satellites in 2024. In 2026 the band released the single “Man in the Arena,” announced a new world tour and put out their album The User’s Guide to Being Human on 14 August, six weeks before the Lisbon date.
Tiësto closes the week at the MEO Arena
The week ends with INFINITY Lisbon on Thursday, 1 October at the MEO Arena, SBC Summit’s closing celebration. Tiësto headlines, with Dutch duo BlasterJaxx and Marc Vedo also on the bill.
The MEO Arena is a considerably larger venue than the Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, which is capped at 3,000 for the Tuesday. The arena also hosts part of the conference itself, alongside the Feira Internacional de Lisboa.
Evening programme tied to pass tiers
Both parties sit inside a week of networking events open to attendees with a VIP, Networking or Business pass, plus Affiliate Leaders Summit VIP pass holders. Access is tied to pass tier rather than included with every ticket, which puts the evening programme on the commercial side of the event as well as the social one. The Opening Party has become a fixture of the SBC Summit format, with complimentary drinks, live entertainment and networking on the first evening.
SBC Summit returns to the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena from 29 September to 1 October for its third edition in the Portuguese capital. The event covers betting, gaming, payments and affiliate marketing across three days of conference sessions, networking and exhibition floor time. Suppliers are already positioning ahead of the show, with companies such as Infingame setting out their pitch for Lisbon.
With 40,000 professionals expected in Lisbon and 3,000 places at the Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, the opening night will fill quickly. Attendees without a VIP Area wristband are being told to arrive early or risk being turned away.
Source: SBC
