Synth East 2026 Brings Synthesizer Expo and Live Modular Performances to Norwich

Cabaret Voltaire headlined the Saturday night slot at Synth East 2026, drawing a sold-out crowd for the 8.30pm‑11pm show on 21 February at the Norwich Arts Centre; NAC ticketing listed the event as “SOLD OUT” and the venue price was shown as “Price From: £34.” The festival ran across the weekend of 20–22 February and presented a mix of live performance, film and an Expo that organisers billed as a celebration of synth culture.

Saturday’s Expo was the core of the weekend, opening 10am‑4pm on 21 February and filling “every corner of the Arts Centre” with instruments and builders. NAC event copy promised that “Every corner of the Arts Centre will be alive with bleeps, bloops, flashing LEDs and extraordinary machines,” and advertised hands‑on access to synthesizers with makers present. NAC listed the Expo ticket as “Price From: £15,” and the day included performances by modular musician Ardler Saint and experimental electronic artist e.m.arson leading up to the All‑Star Patch‑Off.

The All‑Star Patch‑Off was highlighted as an improvised pairing of renowned modular performers, described on NAC as “where renowned modular performers are paired up to improvise live - completely unrehearsed - to the delight of all attendees.” A Molten Music Technology YouTube update by speaker Robin provided a partial performer roster in transcript form, saying the all‑star event “features myself, Gaz Williams, Steve Davis, the original three, plus Star Car, Jason Lim from Instu, and Scanner,” preserving the speaker’s phrasing as given in the transcript.

Friday evening programming on 20 February gathered film, podcast and live set elements, with SynthEast listing “Friday 20 February 7pm-10.30pm – A Film About Studio Electrophique | I’ve Got That On Vinyl Live Podcast | Lilly Sphire Live.” Norwich Arts Centre’s October 28, 2025 Facebook announcement carried a similar line-up with a slightly shorter Friday window of “7-10” but the festival’s official page gives the more specific 7pm‑10.30pm time.

Sunday 22 February remained a work in progress in published listings; NAC and the Norwich Arts Centre Facebook post both showed “Sun 22 Feb ~ Workshops to be announced,” leaving topics, times and any pricing unconfirmed at the time event pages were updated. NAC’s supporter scheme was promoted on event pages with specifics: supporters “Save between £1.50-£3.50+ per ticket and 10% off the bar” and tickets were noted as “FREE for under 26s.”

Organisers listed on festival pages were Norwich Arts Centre, Electronic Sound Magazine and Molten Modular; the Molten Music Technology YouTube channel (video dated 17 Dec 2025) carried a spoken update by Robin who said, verbatim, “Synth East, if you haven't heard, is a fabulous synthesizer festival held in Norwich every year in February. in 2026. It's the weekend of the 20th to 22nd…” The YouTube description and NAC/SynthEast pages also referenced community groups and charities, with the video naming groups such as E‑OM and the Norris Synth Club and charities like Music Keys among exhibitors and supporters.

Practical details on booking and enquiries were handled through the Norwich Arts Centre ticketing system and venue listings; festival copy included the NAC contact telephone string captured in organisers’ page content as 01603660352. With the headline night sold out and Saturday’s hands‑on Expo reported to pack the auditorium with manufacturers and home‑spun builders, Synth East 2026 positioned itself as a winter‑tailend festival focused on live modular improvisation and community participation.