Dublin's Bloop Groop Weekender Brings Hardware Synth Community Together in March

Belgian live-electronic collective ALEA(s) opened Dublin's first hardware synth weekender Friday night at FLUX D2 Gallery, headlining a two-hour show built around industrial/acid techno and live drawings and animations alongside special guests TDK and LAST EDEN. The event marks the debut Bloop Groop Weekender, running Friday 20 through Monday 23 March 2026, organised by founders Caroline Swords and Gary Byrne.

TDK, the all-modular improv duo of Karl Burke (Karl Him) and Trev O'Reilly (Colonel Modules), joined Aileen Wallace performing as LAST EDEN, who weaves dark loops on modular, hardware and DIY builds over industrial beats. The FLUX D2 Gallery show ran 7pm to 9pm, setting the tone for a weekend designed around the community's "Hang, Jam, Play" ethos.

Sunday's programme moved to The Digital Hub for the Bloop Groop Hang, Jam, Play Show + Tell Edition, running 5pm to 9pm. Local makers Between Machines, ATK Modular, Phantom Instruments and Tolm are demoing gear, with talks from Synthdad and Peter from Circuit3 among the scheduled speakers. The organisers pitched the afternoon with zero barrier to entry: "No gear needed, just show up! Learn, dance, make new pals, and catch up with old ones."

Monday closes the weekender with a Shakmat DIY Module Workshop at The Digital Hub, led by Shakmat maker François, though that session sold out well before the weekend arrived.

Bloop Groop has been a fixture of Dublin's electronic music scene since late 2024, when Swords and Byrne began hosting informal meets where newcomers and experienced players share short, loud hardware sets to a friendly crowd. The community has since hosted over 150 live performances across Dublin venues including The Digital Hub and Trinity College Dublin. Membership now runs into the hundreds, organised in part through what the group itself describes as a "surprisingly civilized WhatsApp community."

The group frames its purpose plainly on its own site: "We're about learning, sharing, and collaborating, rather than going it alone." That philosophy extends to the gear economy too: "The gang shares knowledge, support, and collaborates on music. And, of course, buys and sells each other gear!"

Sonicstate, which covered the event ahead of the weekend, billed it as Ireland's first synth weekender. Tickets for remaining sessions and further information are available through Bloop Groop's Eventbrite listing, YouTube channel, and Instagram.