Welcome to SAW25

From 27 June to 5 July, Middlesbrough will come alive with experimental sound installations, street interventions, a series of evening gigs, family workshops, and more.

In our signature style, Sonic Arts Week transforms the town into a sonic playground, with installations and performances taking place in unexpected spaces. SAW25 will present the UK premier of WETRIP by Daisy Dickinson & Simon Fisher Turner which fuses together abstracted sound and visuals in an immersive installation.

Daisy Dickinson is famous for her visionary visuals for musicians such as Samaural Kerridge and Snapped Ankles. Simon Fisher Turner is actor, musician & composer best known for his scoring of Derek Jarman films Caravaggio, The Last of England, The Garden, Edward II and Jarman’s final, poignant film, Blue.

You can encounter roaming performers from The Junkoactive Wasteman & The Tin Can Twins, The Doom Orchestra, Ed Devane and Noisy Toys amongst others - ready to surprise passers-by across the town centre with surreal street performance, mobile sound experiments and invented instruments. 

For a SAW teaser, enjoy the curious meandering spectacle of Rimski Piano who’ll be making an appearance at Orange Pip Market on 31 May for a special lead up event to this year’s festival. Everything’s free or affordable, and open to everyone. Let your ears lead the way