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The Expo festival is a free and fun annual event. It is the hub and playground of the experimental music and sound art scene in the UK and beyond.

Like a sonic circus, the festival travels across the UK and this year we make landfall in Plymouth. Join us for a packed weekend of installations, sonic ferry tours, performances, exhibitions, filmscreenings, happenings, a large-scale sonic picnic, workshops and gigs.

Expo presents something for everyone at sites all across Plymouth. You’ll hear new and amazing things, enjoy places and spaces in new ways and be part of a truly unique event.

What's On?

Installations, sonic ferry tours, performances, exhibitions, film-screenings, happenings, a large-scale sonic picnic, workshops and gigs. Find out where, when and what with the full festival programme.

Distributed City

Web based interventions, sound walks and city wide spontaneous performances. We listen to Plymouth and Plymouth listens to us.

Sonic Picnic

Bring a hamper, entertain the kids, walk the dog and enjoy a Sunday afternoon of outdoor sonic art at the stunning Devil’s Point. Highlights of this surreal happening include a pirate mini-opera, a sonic see saw, a voice mangling hot dog cart and giant sound reactive inflatables. See whats on now!

 

At a Glance

Friday

Evan Parker and the
Behaviour Ensemble

8.30pm – 9.30pm
Terraces Café, Plymouth Hoe

As the sun sets, Plymouth harbour becomes the backdrop for this festival launch fanfare. Legendary saxophonist Evan Parker plays with Behaviour, a large group of performers playing bizarre electronic instruments in what promises to be an unmissable sonic adventure.

Louise K Wilson - Contest
Behaviour

9.30pm – 10pm
Tinside Lido, Plymouth Hoe

The extraordinary newly restored Lido provides the setting to Louise K Wilson’s
new Expo commission. Friday evening will feature a stunning sound and light show and for Saturday and Sunday bring your bathers to experience a unique underwater sound installation revealing the hidden aquatic soundscape of Plymouth.

Expo Late - Café Concrete

10pm – 2am
Club Juice (Above the Good Companions Bar), 17 Mayflower Street

Expo teams up with Plymouth’s top experimental night to showcase local artists including Rosie Len, ://Val_Ve, Pathogen, Koombe and Jon Tye.

Saturday

Louise K Wilson –
Contest Behaviour

10am – 6pm
Tinside Lido, Plymouth Hoe

Specially commissioned underwater sound installation (see Friday)

Sonic Ferry

11.30am – 5pm
Tinside Steps, West of Tinside Lido, Hoe Road

Take a seafaring audio ride from Plymouth Hoe to the Royal William Yard festival sites on the Expo Sonic Ferry. Scottish Laptop duo The Splicegirls and a small army of Danish guest artists provide the soundtrack to your seaborne journey.

Lock, Stock and Barrel

12.30pm – 5.30pm
The New Cooperage Building, Royal William Yard, Stonehouse

Expo refills this historic space, once the backbone of the British Navy, with sounds, films and performances. Including a new commission featuring 60 robotic birds by Jane Edden, Dada spirited high jinx from the celebrated Adam Bohman and Patrizia Paolini, amplified marble races, river wading and groundbreaking sonic photography.

Expo Late

6.30pm – 2am
The Hub, 9 Bath Street

A packed evening of international sound and video abuse with a sonic jigsaw and a 6-turntable freakout thrown in for good measure. Headlined by Brighton based digital artist duo Semiconductor. “
Raw yet fragile beauty” -The Wire.

Sunday

Louise K Wilson –
Contest Behaviour

10am – 6pm
Tinside Lido, Plymouth Hoe

Specially commissioned underwater sound installation (see Friday)

Sonic Ferry

11.30am – 5pm
Tinside Steps, West of Tinside Lido, Hoe Road

Take a seafaring audio ride from Plymouth Hoe to the Royal William Yard festival sites on the Expo Sonic Ferry. Scottish Laptop duo The Splicegirls and a small army of Danish guest artists provide the soundtrack to your seaborne journey.

Lock, Stock and Barrel

12.30pm – 5.30pm
The New Cooperage Building, Royal William Yard, Stonehouse

A second chance to check out the sound installation programme from Saturday.

Devil’s Point Sonic Picnic

12pm-6pm
Western King Point, Stonehouse

Bring a hamper, entertain the kids, walk the dog and enjoy a Sunday afternoon of outdoor sonic art at the stunning Devil’s Point. Highlights of this surreal happening include a pirate mini – opera, a sonic seesaw, a voice-mangling hot dog cart and giant sound reactive inflatables. Also includes mutilated trombone and electronic sound from Tom Bugs and Hilary Jeffery and a roving semaphore led orchestra.

Expo Late

7.30pm – 12.30am
The White Rabbit, Bretonside Bus Station, The Viaduct (underneath)

Grizzled noise punks battle with electronic improvisers. Highlights include free electronics trio Portable, manic glitch from Icarus and a showcase from Bristol’s Random Function.

Monday

Expo Conference Day

10.00am-5pm
University of Plymouth, Portland Square Building, Plymouth

Lecture Theatre A day of research presentations exploring sound in space and perceptions of the aural experience with guest speaker Leigh Landy (Organised Sound/De Montfort University). Presented in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research.

Other Expo Attractions

Expo Youth

A diverse range of Plymouth’s young people muscle in on Expo adding a virulent avantlocal twist to our programme. With the support of Creative Partnerships their work, presented at the main festival sites, includes sub bass triggered animated fish, raisin situationism and a junk percussion orchestra.

Distributed City

Web based interventions, sound walks and city-wide spontaneous performances. We listen to Plymouth and Plymouth listens to us. See the website for full information on these real and virtual happenings. Expo Workshops Free introductory and hands-on performance based workshops for all. Visit the website for full details and booking info.