Tehran Contemporary Sounds Festival 2026

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

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

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

The live program 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

In addition, showcases curated with Mosaic, a Berlin-based series for experimental jazz, improvisation and contemporary music.

The seventh edition concludes at Silent Green with a panel discussion and a final day of performances, continuing the ongoing exploration of artistic practices that move between disciplines, geographic spaces and cultural contexts.

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

Music program at Silent Green, Berlin, from 13 to 15 November 2026:

Friday, 13 November:
- Tezgah (Saba Arat, Tarxun & Karlo Sono)
- Gnäw
- Tehran
- Abdullah Minawy (Mosaic Showcase)

Saturday, 14 November:
- Iman Jesmi
- Herr Spectre
- Babak Ahteshamipour
- Gropper/Kosack/Henkelhausen/Lichtenberger (Mosaic Showcase)
- Labour

Sunday, 15 November:
- Joss Turnbull & Elshan Ghasimi
- Contagious
- Ava Rasti
- Shiva Fesharaki & Kit Downes