Montreal, with its historic architecture, colonial ghost stories, and almost obsessive fascination with 1970s American design, is also a city that’s quite up to speed on the latest technologies. Some of the world’s best and most cutting-edge digital artists are in Montreal.
Every fall for nearly 30 years, the city has brought together the very best in digital art, technological performance, and electronic music at MUTEK. This year, the festival’s various events will take place downtown from August 20 through September 3, 2026.
It’s kind of cool, a little cyberpunk, very mathematical, and just futuristic enough for the start of the school year.
MUTEK – THE PROGRAM
MUTEK is a festival of digital creativity and electronic music, and it runs from August 25 to 30, 2026.
The lineup will feature free DJ sets, (digital) art performances, workshops, and plenty of Montreal premieres. In total, 32 artists and 89 performances will be in Montreal for the festival.
Every night, there will be a NOCTURNE featuring music and DJ sets at the SAT and the SATOSPHÈRE. And at MUTEK, you can hear dub played on the best sound systems out there.
The MUTEK Digital Village, which runs from August 20 to September 3, is an exhibition of digital artworks.
Divided into two parts—one at the Quartier des Spectacles and UQAM, and one centered around the Société des Arts Technologiques [SAT]—the Digital Village is an open-air exhibition (sometimes indoors).
Works that use quantum physics, artificial intelligence, and complex algorithms to create highly atmospheric science-fiction pieces—sometimes sublime, sometimes unsettling, and sometimes a bit of both.
The MUTEK Forum, themed “symbiotic frequencies,” runs from August 26 to 28.
It’s at the Wilder Building in downtown Montreal, and it’s three days of discussions, forums, and (digital) summits.
DAY 1 / STORIES, EXPANDING REALITIES
DAY 2 / TECHNOLOGIES, INTERFACES OF THE FUTURE
DAY 3 / SOUND, ECOLOGIES OF LISTENING
During the Forum, artist Honeydrip will also lead a sound lab (SOUNDSYSTEM LAB) featuring artists throughout the week.
We recommend grabbing a large coffee, dressing in black, and catching a screening of *Blade Runner* before heading to MUTEK this year—and then just letting yourself be swept away.
