The cutting-edge sights and sounds of MUTEK
Music Festivals and events
MUTEK is one of Montréal’s most forward-looking festivals, marking a high point in experimentation and adventurous programming in the city’s busy summer calendar. Spotlighting an international roster of artists, MUTEK takes it to the dance floor and the art gallery in equal measure, with many parties and performances entirely free of charge. With the theme of Amplify and Resonate for its 27th edition, MUTEK 2026 guarantees a mind-expanding late-summer experience.
MUTEK’s eye-and-ear-popping programming
Running from August 25 to 30, 2026, MUTEK brings the latest and greatest sights and sounds from the electronic avant garde to some of Montréal’s most innovative venues. Featuring over 80 live performances from an international cast of luminaries and game-changing upstarts, MUTEK is always a festival unlike any other.
The festival’s marquee events include an unbeatable array of musical exploration and a head-spinning array of digital expression, from DJ sets to immersive experiences. This year’s lineup includes A Guy Called Gerald (UK), Violent Magic Orchestra (JP), Matthew Herbert (UK), Fennesz & Lillevan (AT + IE), Honeydrip (CA/QC), Noémi Büchi (CH), NVST (CH), Ben UFO (UK), gyrofield (HK/NL), Voices From The Lake (IT) and Jeff Mills (US). Find the full festival program, along with listening links and further information here.
MUTEK takes it to the dance floor and the art gallery in equal measure, with many parties and performances entirely free
State-of-the-art spectacle in the Quartier des Spectacles
MUTEK also gives some of Montréal’s most tech-savvy performance venues in the Quartier des Spectacles the opportunity to show off just what they can do. The festival’s home base at Esplanade Tranquille features many free live events under the stars, while the Society for Arts and Technology [SAT] hosts 360-degree shows in its dome and larger hall. And for the first time in 2026, MUTEK will present some of its headliners in the Place des Arts’ Maison symphonique de Montréal, noted for its acoustic engineering.
Fostering new creativity
More than just a performance festival, MUTEK takes an active role in the international digital arts scene with additional programming and opportunities for artists and creative workers.
- The MUTEK Forum brings together the digital arts world in a buzzing network of curators, tech professionals and researchers setting the goalposts for tomorrow’s tech-based arts.
- Through matchmaking initiatives, the MUTEK Market brings companies and digital creatives together both virtually and in-person before and during the festival dates.
- Fostering all-new creation through its AI Ecologies Lab, MUTEK supports beginner and established artists from across Canada with mentoring and space to create. The resulting projects are all presented as part of MUTEK’s programming.
Sound + Vision
Utilizing the latest and greatest in live performance technology, MUTEK’s program always includes performances where the visual takes on as big of a role as the audio it’s there to accompany. A few stand-out bookings include:
- The Japanese collective ELECTRONICOS FANTASATICOS! upcycles old electronics including televisions, old circuitry and other refuse into all-new electromagnetic instruments.
- Noise artist Evicshen is sure to split some eardrums with their DIY instrumentation and staggering visuals.
- The duo Sphaîra (vocalist Sara Persico and artist Mika Oki) present their awe-inspiring audiovisual piece blending architecture, vocalizations and lights inspired by the acoustic properties of modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer’s dome in Tripoli, Lebanon.
Bringing the electronic outdoors
Besides nightly free programming at Esplanade Tranquille, MUTEK 2026 also transforms the Quartier des Spectacles into the MUTEK Village Numérique from August 20 to September 3, 2026. With a series of indoor and outdoor installations, festival-goers can experience an unforgettable self-guided wander through a series of state-of-the-art digital art pieces that welcome participation and reflection in equal measure. There’s also a QR-code driven Scavenger Hunt offering cultural discounts at venues worldwide.
Ahead of the curve
Each year, MUTEK offers playlists on Soundcloud and Spotify featuring a curated preview of the festival’s lineup. Those looking for an even deeper dive into the world of MUTEK need look no further than virtual.mutek.org, stuffed with interviews, recordings and digital documentation from the organization’s international operations in Mexico, Dubai, Barcelona and its home city of Montréal.
Mark Hamilton
Mark Hamilton is the community director for QueerMTL, a musician in the projects Woodpigeon, Frontperson and Brittle Dreams and a curator and historian specializing in LGBTQ+ activism and zinemaking. He’s lived in Montréal since 2015, during which time he’s most often spotted atop a BIXI bike usally running a few minutes late.