Unsound

Kraków, Poland
September 29th to October 6th

Unsound is arguably the world's leading experimental electronic music festival. Now into its 22nd edition, the Kraków event brings together artists from the sonic fringes for a week of global premieres, daring back-to-backs, boundary-pushing live performances and plenty more besides. Highlights for 2024 include Lankum's atmospheric drone folk, Kode9 showcasing the history of Hyperdub and an exciting collaboration between Valentina Magaletti and Nídia. Prepare to come away with new perspectives on our beloved culture.

RA Pick: Expect numerous curveballs when Actress and Skee Mask–two DJs with a refreshing disregard for convention–go back-to-back.

MOGA Essaouira

Essaouira, Morocco
October 2nd to 6th

Now with editions in both Morocco and Portugal, MOGA launched in Essaouira before arriving in Costa da Caparica after the Covid-19 pandemic. The historic Moroccan port town hugs the Atlantic coast, providing a stunning backdrop for the crowds of dance music fanatics who arrive to party in the sunshine and take part in the wider programming of talks, wellness sessions and art installations. This year, the five-day event brings an international lineup with disco, house and techno favourites like Hunee, Seth Troxler and Fumiya Tanaka.

RA Pick: Suze Ijó's sets are incredibly visceral—full of deep, hopeful house grooves.

FORM

Arcosanti, United States
October 4th to 6th

Nestled in the Arizona desert north of Phoenix, FORM returns in 2024 for the first time in five years. The break was intentional: to avoid becoming just another commercial venture. Originally founded by Zach Tetreault and his band Hundred Waters in 2014, the festival began as an independent project focusing on curating intimate experiences. Arcosanti, an experimental city that claims to be the first "arcology prototype" in the world, makes for a spectacular setting. This year's tenth anniversary edition continues the tradition of bringing together pop experimentalists with headline acts, inviting the likes of Jamie xx, James Blake and PinkPantheress.

RA Pick: Swoon over Erika de Casier's dreamy electronic R&B.

Mode Festival

Naarm and Eora, Australia
October 5th and October 12th

Billed as a "springtime cultural ceremony" of art and music, Mode Festival takes place in Naarm (Melbourne) and Eora (Sydney) across two weekends in October. Both are held in striking locations that combine outdoor and indoor stages, and the lineup (which is the same for both editions) finds a middle ground between international talent and local favourites. Resident Advisor will host a stage at the Eora edition, featuring sets from the likes of DJ PGZ, Roza Terenzi and Maurice Fulton.

RA Pick: DJ SWISHA's electrifying club music.

MUTEK MX

Mexico City, Mexico
October 7th to 20th

20 years in, MUTEK's Mexico City edition continues to push the boundaries of art and live music. To celebrate this momentous milestone, the festival is marrying the old and new vanguard: from modular synth pioneer Suzannie Ciani and Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force, to the soft stylings of Natural Wonder Beauty Concept and Paurro & MNTY's bass-heavy club heaters. Specially commissioned performances will include live audiovisual sets, mind-expanding sound installations and experimental dance pieces, cementing what we already know: MUTEK's multidisciplinary approach is the future of electronic music.

RA Pick: A one-off performance by experimental saxophonist Bendik Giske and choreographer Diego Vega Solorza.

Abrupt

Brussels, Belgium
October 9th to 13th

Held across several venues in Brussels, Abrupt is a fast-rising player on the European festival circuit. The annual event, dreamed up by the team behind the venue Reset Brussels, aims to platform a motley blend of electronic talents bound by a commitment to innovation. Witness Danish viola player Astrid Sonne's compositions come to life; plunge into KMRU's ambient sound bath; get your brain rearranged by Kode9's Escapology audiovisual show; or catch a suite of impressive back-to-backs (CCL and Shed, Skee Mask and Actress, Ehua and Mankiyan—to name only a few).

RA Pick: Local crew Brikabrak and Ugandan label Nyege Nyege Tapes link up for a night of percussive rhythms.

No Bounds Festival

Sheffield, United Kingdom
October 11th to 13th

Beloved Sheffield festival No Bounds had to take a year off in 2023, after an extremely challenging period exacerbated by spiralling production costs and a lack of funding. The event, which is run by the team behind local club Hope Works, is back for 2024, with the same commitment to hosting cutting-edge electronic music in striking and unique spaces. Hope Works is the beating heart of the rave programme, while more contemplative shows will take place at Sheffield Cathedral, gallery spaces and even within a sustainable landscape project called Green Estate.

RA Pick: Local legends The Black Dog, who helped cement Warp Records' status in the '90s.

Amsterdam Dance Event

Amsterdam, Netherlands
October 16th to 20th

With 500,000 people attending more than 1,000 events across almost 200 locations, it's hard to summarise Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) in a few short sentences. Put simply: it's a festival, a conference and one of the largest electronic music gatherings in the world, with fans and industry folk flocking from all over to spend five days in Amsterdam attending shows, panels and club nights. RA will be hosting a workshop and a live talk, the details of which are TBA.

RA Pick: Saturday night at The Loft promises a house masterclass from Ogazón, Shanti Celeste and more.

III Points

Miami, United States
October 18th to 20th

Miami festival III Points sits in the lively, graffiti-covered arts district of Wynwood. As the rest of the Upper East Coast begins to chill, South Florida's largest city will remain balmy. This year, III Points will cater to the broadest tastes—from explosive rising acts like horsegiirL and Isabella Lovestory, to artists with careers arching back decades, such as New York staple Eli Escobar, techno pioneer Juan Atkins and the inimitable Massive Attack.

RA Pick: Arca live is an unforgettable experience.

Semibreve

Braga, Portugal
October 24th to 27th

Semibreve goes down across four days in Braga, one of Portugal's oldest cities. This lends the festival a rich religious heritage and plenty of breathtaking architecture–something it makes great use of. Its crown jewel is Theatro Circo, a 20th-century theatre with high ceilings, velvet red seats and an eye-wateringly beautiful gold chandelier. Events also take place at arts space gnration and Capela Imaculada, a beautiful chapel with modern wooden interiors. This year, highlights across the festival—which is always packed with premiers and unique collaborations—include Carmen Villain, Rrose, Nídia and Moritz von Oswald.

RA Pick: Kevin Richard Martin, AKA The Bug, will premiere Black, an ambient show inspired by Amy Winehouse.

Find our full festival listings for October here