London Synth and Pedal Expo 2026 Brings Two Days of Vintage Gear to the Community

Hosted in a 5,000-square-foot canal-side space in the Hackney marshes, the London Synth & Pedal Expo 2026 ran more like a gear party for geeks than a trade show, and with a roster spanning Moog, Mellotron, Synclavier, Elektron and close to 50 pedal brands, it delivered exactly that across two days at Studio 9294 on March 21 and 22.

Delicious Audio Events, in collaboration with KMR Audio and guitarguitar, organized the weekend-long gathering dedicated to synthesizers, stompboxes, modular systems, and electric and electronic creative sonic devices. Saturday ran 12:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 10:30 to 17:00, with the venue sitting just off the canal in Hackney Wick, E9 5LN. Studio 9294 is right around the corner from Hackney Wick station, one stop from Stratford on the East London Overground's Windrush Line, with Stratford serving the Central, DLR, Elizabeth, and Jubilee lines, and only about five minutes on foot from the platform.

The headphone-only format was non-negotiable. Rather than a typical trade show, the expo served as a strictly-in-the-headphones playground of synths and pedals, meaning every demo ran through cans regardless of what was on the table. That's the right call for a 5k sq ft shared space, and it keeps the room from turning into the wall of noise that kills most gear expos by hour two.

The exhibitor lineup brought together partner stores guitarguitar and KMR Audio alongside synth and pedal brands including Arturia, Elektron, Erica Synths, BOSS, Chase Bliss Audio, Walrus Audio, Eventide, and Source Audio. The synth room went considerably deeper than those headline names: Buchla, Dreadbox, SOMA, Moog, Mellotron, Synclavier, ASM, Expressive E, Joranalogue, Korg, Music Thing Modular, Pittsburgh Modular, RYK Modular, and Genki Instruments were all confirmed on the floor, alongside smaller outfits like Knobula, Leaf Audio, Chompi, and Clacktronics. Around 50 pedal brands were represented at the show, some independently and others through distributors, including Chase Bliss Audio, Fairfield Circuitry, Death By Audio, Old Blood Noise Endeavors, Strymon, Meris, Origin Effects, Thorpy FX, Rainger FX, and Eventide.

Discounts of 10 to 30 percent off most gear on display made the show a genuine buying opportunity, not just a hands-on preview session. Tickets ranged from £5 to £17.50, with under-18s entering free. DIY soldering workshops and talks on the heated terrace rounded out the programming, with electronic performances listed as scheduled but to be confirmed.

The canal-side setting is particularly spectacular on a sunny day, and Hackney Wick has become an artist community with around 250 ateliers, studios, and workshops that have turned the surrounding streets into an open-air mural gallery. Guitar Pedal X served as media partner for the show, covering both days. Sonicstate also committed to filming and chatting across both Saturday and Sunday.

The expo drew close to 2,000 visitors in 2024, and the 2026 edition scaled up accordingly with a ticketed entry model, the largest exhibitor roster to date, and giveaways added to the program. The series doesn't stop at Hackney Wick either. The upcoming schedule extends to Portland with Control Voltage and Hank's Music Exchange in April, Toronto and Montreal with Steve's Music in April and August, Los Angeles with Truetone Music and Vintage King in June, and Brooklyn with Three Wave Music in October.

For a community that spends most of its year hunting down gear on secondhand forums and waiting weeks for modular shipments, getting Buchla, Mellotron, and Chase Bliss Audio under one roof with a soldering iron and a discount tag is about as good as London gets.