It's the most experimental time of the year for Montreal: MUTEK is when the city core is immersed in waves of future-forward encounters, with six days of boundary-pushing music and immersive audiovisual shows, 14 days of free public circuits of digital installations and workshops, and three days of cutting-edge talks and networking events.
This guide explains all of it.
Wait, what's MUTEK? (and why it’s not like other festivals)
Now in its 26th year, MUTEK is one of Montreal’s most quietly progressive institutions that turns the city into a test site for what’s next in sound, art, and technology.
At its heart is the Festival: Every set is live, and artists build their performances in real time, improvising with modular synths, custom code, and gear that looks more like a science project than a DJ booth. You might hear techno, ambient, glitch, drone, jazz, or noise—sometimes all in the same night. Visuals are equally immersive, tightly synced to the music and motion-reactive on occasion.
Creating space for emerging talents and renowned veterans that have evolved in underground scenes, MUTEK represents a pinnacle for many artists: It's where reputations are made, where people take risks, and where the weird stuff gets a standing ovation.
Beyond the clubs and theatres, MUTEK also includes a Forum (a sort of creative-tech conference-meets-lab) and the Village Numérique or 'Digital Village', a free outdoor circuit of installations that transforms the Quartier des Spectacles into a playground of digital art.
Most of all, MUTEK is a vibe. It’s curious. Human. Exploratory. It doesn’t ask what technology can do, but what it should do and—perhaps most importantly—what it makes you feel as artists bend it into something meaningful.
When & Where
MUTEK Festival: August 19–24, 2025
MUTEK Forum: August 20–22, 2025
Village Numérique: August 14–28, 2025
Main venues include:
- MTELUS (Métropolis series): Peak-time energy and dancefloor action
- Théâtre Maisonneuve (A/Visions): Immersive AV and large-scale experimentation
- SAT + Satosphère (Nocturne): Cutting-edge sound and domed visuals
- Esplanade Tranquille (Expérience): Free open-air shows every evening
- Théâtre de Verdure: Ambient lakeside bliss (one night only—August 20)
- Monument-National, SAT, OASIS Immersion, DASA (Forum venues): Talks, networking, installations
From Montreal to the World
Montreal is the mothership for MUTEK, which has grown to become an international network known for blending homegrown innovation with global experimentation. Over the years, it's accumulated satellite editions in Mexico City, Barcelona, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, and Dubai.
Since its founding, MUTEK has supported over 1,100 artists in Montreal alone and hosted 2,500+ performances across 49 cities.
Octo Octa (left) and the DJ Virginia (right) performing at MUTEK 2024. | Photograph: Bruno Destombes (left) and Frédérique Ménard-Aubin (right)
Who is MUTEK for?
- Curious newcomers: Come for the outdoor shows, stay for the weird and beautiful stuff inside
- Art & music nerds: If you live for modular synths or experimental film, you’ll find your people
- Designers, coders, creatives: The Forum is packed with ideas that travel beyond the stage
- Families: The Village Numérique and Esplanade Tranquille are free, public, and stroller-friendly
- People who think they “don’t get” electronic music: This is the gateway. It’s not about names—it’s about experience
- Electronic music fans: From ambient to bass, house to glitch—basically everything except the mainstream EDM circuit
MUTEK Festival: The programming explained
MUTEK’s festival is divided into distinct programming streams, each with its own vibe, setting, and curatorial focus.
- A/Visions: Boundary-pushing audiovisual performances in seated venues: Large-scale, sensory-heavy performances merging sound and image. Think multi-channel audio, surround visuals, abstract narratives. Good for AV nerds and cinematic thinkers.
- Nocturne: Intimate indoor sets and large-scale, late-night, and/or high-sensation club nights, often leaning experimental at the SAT with visuals, energy, and room to move. Expect synths, sweat, fog, and surprise.
- Métropolis: The festival’s biggest party, filling MTELUS with high-energy live acts on Friday and Saturday night with high-octane sets from forward-thinking artists. Dance-focused, with a broad range of styles from deconstructed bass to hypnotic techno.
- Expérience: Held outdoors at Esplanade Tranquille, this brings free shows to the public every evening from 5pm—perfect for discovering something new under the sky. Open to all ages. Expect local heat, global talent, and vibey visuals under the sky.
- Théâtre de Verdure: A rare one-night-only ambient showcase on August 20 in Parc La Fontaine.
- Village Numérique: A digital art trail that transforms the Quartier des Spectacles into an interactive gallery. Indoors, outdoors, and mostly free.
MUTEK's Village Numérique, a digital art trail that turns public space into an interactive gallery. | Photograph: Remi Hermoso
& Free events for everyone
- Expérience stage (Aug 19–24): Free every night at Esplanade Tranquille
- Théâtre de Verdure (Aug 20): Free ambient showcase in Parc La Fontaine
- Village Numérique (Aug 14–28): Free installations and workshops across downtown
MUTEK Forum: For the creatively curious
Talks, masterclasses, workshops, and showcases all unfold across three themes at this year's MUTEK Forum. | Photograph: Bruno Destombes & Vivien Gaumand (bottom right only)
Running August 20–22, the Forum is where artists, researchers, technologists, and policy-makers meet to swap ideas. You don’t need to be a pro to attend, only curious.
Talks, masterclasses, workshops, and showcases all unfold across three themes:
- Storytelling: Expanding Realities (Day 1): Immersive narratives, AI poetry, and worldbuilding through sound and image.
- Technology: Future Interfaces (Day 2): From quantum computing and open-source synths to Indigenous game design and glitchy AI art.
- Practices: Ethical Futures (Day 3): Climate justice in music, decentralized platforms, and DIY models for art and ownership.
You’ll hear from figures like Cristóbal Tapia de Veer (award-winning composer behind The White Lotus), Sasha Stiles (AI poet and language artist), McKenzie Wark (writer, theorist, and professor at The New School), Madame Gandhi (musician and activist), Libby Heaney (quantum artist and physicist), and more.
Scenes from past editions of MUTEK Forum. | Photograph: Myriam Ménard
Getting around & Where to eat and stay
Everything is within walking distance in the Quartier des Spectacles, and most venues are accessible via metro (Place-des-Arts or Saint-Laurent).
MUTEK passholders also unlock exclusive discounts at select hotels, bars, cafés, restaurants, record shops, and cultural attractions throughout the city—perfect for stretching your stay and making the most of Montreal between shows. See all participating partners and offers here, or choose your own adventure with these curated guides:
The Main
The Main
Accessibility, inclusion & harm reduction
MUTEK works with accessibility consultants and organizations like CRIP RAVE, GRIP, and PLURI to reduce barriers and foster safer, more inclusive environments.
Key accessibility features:
- All venues have free water and sell non-alcoholic options
- Every show includes a chill zone with seating, softer lights, and volunteers
- Earplugs available at GRIP kiosks and entrances
- Accessibility and potential triggers clearly marked per event (lighting, volume, etc.)
- Harm reduction materials + trained GRIP staff on-site
- Gender-neutral washrooms, active bystander training, and zero-tolerance for harassment
- Free support person tickets for disability-identified attendees
More detailed accessibility info is listed per venue on the official page.
Korea Town Acid with VJ Isotone (left) and Scottish musical artist Kode9 (right), both at MUTEK 2024. | Photograph: Frédérique Ménard-Aubin (left) & Bruno Destombes (right)
Ticketing overview
- Festival Passport (Aug 19–24): Full access to performances
- Forum Passport (Aug 20–22): All Forum talks + installations
- Combo Passport: Festival + Forum access
- Day Passes: For Festival or Forum (sold separately)
- Student Discounts: 15% off for groups of 4+ or students, and special rates for students at MUTEK Forum, with a unique price of $35 for the day passes, and $90 for the three-day passport
Vibe in the Satosphère, soak in sound beneath the trees, or follow a trail of ghosts in the shell downtown—MUTEK invites you to explore what’s possible when art, tech, and people collide.
Come with open eyes, good shoes, and no expectations. The future is unwritten.
Explore MUTEK.
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