MUTEK is back from Aug. 25-30: The international festival of digital creativity and electronic music

For six days and nights, artists and audiences from every corner will converge in the Quartier des spectacles for an expanded experience at the intersection of sound, image, and innovation. MUTEK, the international festival of digital creativity and electronic music, is back from Tuesday, Aug. 25, to Sunday, Aug. 30.

The esplanade Tranquille will remain the festival hub, hosting free outdoor performances nightly from 5 p.m. This year, the indoor program expands into landmark venues, including the Society for Arts and Technology [SAT], MTELUS, the Maison symphonique, and, for the first time, Les Grands Ballets’ Studio-Theatre.

Offering a broad perspective on contemporary electronic music and digital creation, the 27th edition highlights venues whose technical and sensory qualities enrich the performances. With its striking architecture and exceptional acoustics, the Maison symphonique will host three evenings of performances that blend classical instrumentation with electronic music. As for Les Grands Ballets, the Studio-Theatre will open up a new space for experimentation for the Play series, returning after several years, in an environment conducive to enhanced audio-visual experiences.

“The only time MUTEK has taken over the Maison symphonique was back in 2013, during a memorable evening featuring Nils Frahm and Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory,” stated Alain Mongeau, executive co-director and artistic of MUTEK. “It’s a memory that has left a lasting impression on festivalgoers and our team. Returning today to this exceptional venue, while opening a new chapter at Les Grands Ballets with the Play series, demonstrates our commitment to continuing to diversify and expand the MUTEK experience.”

Nearly 120 artists from 28 countries will appear across 18 programs, most of them Montreal premieres. Spanning live performance, immersive audio-visual works, dance, and hybrid forms, the 27th edition highlights the breadth of contemporary electronic music and digital creativity. Organized into five series, the programs explore varied intensities, aesthetics, and approaches to sound, image, and space.

Nocturne Series

• Society for Arts and Technology
• August 26–30, starting at 10 p.m.
• $40/$45 (+taxes and fees)

The backbone of the Festival, the Nocturne series takes over both the Espace SAT and the Satosphere’s dome, bringing together future revelations and essential pioneers. On the program: groundbreaking works that reinvent contemporary music, enhanced by a state-of-the-art visual environment.

X/Visions Series

• Maison symphonique
• August 27–29, from 7 to 9:30 p.m.
• $45 (+taxes and fees)

Over three evenings at the Maison symphonique, the X/Visions series presents a constantly evolving environment of contemporary instrumental composition and avant-garde electronica. The performances were selected to align with the venue’s exceptional acoustics, which encourage an immersive attentiveness to textures, nuances, and the gradual transformations of sound that shape the experience.

Métropolis Series

• MTELUS
• August 28 and 29, from 11 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. (Friday) and 6 a.m. (Saturday)
• $50 (+taxes and fees)

The Métropolis series returns to MTELUS for back-to-back all-nighters devoted to sensory immersion. A dynamic sequence of rhythmic performances, presented within a spectacular stage design orchestrated by BelleyFERRIS, shaping a space conducive to memorable collective experiences.

Play Series

• Grands Ballets’ Studio-Theatre
• August 29 and 30, from 3 to 5 p.m.
• $25 (+taxes and fees)

The Play series returns with a program dedicated to audio-visual performances, presented in the afternoon. Conceived as a space where sound, image, and technological staging converge, it brings together projects in which the visual experience plays as central a role as the music. Through analogue experiments, DIY interfaces, and digital environments, Play explores different ways of producing images and narratives through performance, in formats that are accessible, spectacular, and rooted in contemporary audio-visual practices.

Expérience Series

• Esplanade Tranquille
• August 25–30, from 5 p.m. to midnight (until 11 p.m. on Tuesday)
• Free admission

Every day starting at 5 p.m., the free outdoor stage transforms the esplanade Tranquille into a lively gathering place where people, sounds, and energy come together. With eclectic discoveries, vibrant atmospheres, and unexpected musical collaborations, Montrealers and visitors are invited to celebrate together throughout the evening. Several surprises, to be revealed in the coming months, will enhance the experience.

Individual tickets for each program and Day passes (Friday and Saturday only) are now on sale on our website. Festival and Forum Passes, as well as Weekend Passes, are still available at an advantageous price until tomorrow evening, along with special offers for students and groups of four or more.

For tickets and information, visit https://montreal.mutek.org/en/box-office

— MUTEK

— A. Bonaparte