Tehran Contemporary Sounds Festival 2026

Tehran Contemporary Sounds 2026
7th Edition · 11–15 November 2026 · Berlin

Tehran Contemporary Sounds returns for its seventh edition from 11–15 November 2026, bringing together experimental music, sound art, cinema, visual art, performance and interdisciplinary practices connected to Iran and its wider transnational contexts.

The festival opens at Moviemento Kino with two evenings of experimental cinema. The first presents selected films by Iranian filmmakers working in Iran. The second is presented in collaboration with Experimental Film Society (EFS) as part of our Cinematic Synesthesia programme, featuring a selection of films by The Intuitive FilmLab, an independent film collective from Lebanon.

From 13–15 November, the festival moves into a three-day mixed-media exhibition bringing together Iranian artists working inside and outside Iran, alongside presentations by independent sound-art collectives and artists based in Iran.

The live programme brings together a wide range of experimental practices, from electronic music, improvisation and sound art to Persian and Finnish instruments, traditional weaving, turntablism, contemporary jazz and audiovisual performance.
Artists include Gnäw, Saba Arat, Nadia Tehran / TEHRAN, Abdullah Miniawy, Iman Jesmi, Herr Spectre, LABOUR, Elshan Ghasimi & Joss Turnbull, Ava Rasti, Shiva Feshareki & Kit Downes, alongside showcases curated with Mosaic, the Berlin-based series for experimental jazz, improvisation and contemporary music.

The seventh edition closes with a panel discussion and the final day of performances, continuing TCS's ongoing exploration of artistic practices that move between disciplines, geographies and cultural contexts.

TCS 2026 brings together artists connected to Iran, its diaspora and wider international experimental scenes, as a diverse field of practices, collaborations and encounters.

------------------Music Program---------------------

Friday: 13th November

Tezgah (Saba Arat, Tarxun & Karlo Sono)
Gnäw
Tehran
Abdullah Minawy (Mosaic Showcase)

Saturday: 14th November

Iman Jesmi
Herr Spectre
Babak Ahteshamipour
Gropper/Kosack/Henkelhausen/Lichtenberger (Mosaic Showcase)
Labour

Sunday: 15th November

Joss Turnbull & Elshan Ghasimi
Contagious
Ava Rasti
Shiva Fesharaki & Kit Downes

-------------------Kino Program---------------------
TBA

-------------------Exhibition Program---------------

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------------------Panel Discussion------------------
TBA