XMTR AUDIO ARTS FESTIVAL FAQs
Ticket Types
These are the main ticket types available for the festival:
Weekend Pass: All inclusive pass to all events at the festival on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2026. Some workshops and events have limited access and will require registration on a first come first come first serve basis. You will receive an email to book these events after booking your pass.
Day Passes: Available for all day access on either Saturday or Sunday. Same applies about registration for limited capacity events as above.
Friday Audio Cabaret: Friday 26th September, 7pm
This is the opening night of the festival and has limited capacity. We advise booking this alongside your festival pass to experience the full festival programme.Dungeness Field Trip: Monday 28th September, 11am-4pm
Join sound artist and musician, Isobel Anderson, on an unconventional tour of some of the most iconic locations across Dungeness and Romney Marsh. We'll head out from Hastings on a specially chartered mini bus and stop at sites including Derek Jarman's Cottage, Dungeness nuclear power station, The Denge Sound Mirrors and St Thomas-A-Becket Church. We'll be hunting for vibes as much as facts as we feel into the inherent liminality of this sparse landscape. A post-festival adventure not to be missed. The cost will be calculated once we have a clear idea of numbers.
Confirm interest HERE
XMTR PULSE
During the day on Friday we are holding an audio arts symposium called XMTR PULSE. A day dedicated to: what’s next for creative audio?
With less traditional opportunities and an exciting surge of independent initiatives, we will take time to connect, unpack, inspire and conspire with like-minded audio folk from the UK and overseas. This is a free event and has a limited number of spaces - if it’s something you would like to be part of, do get in touch directly. (Friday 25th September 11am-5pm)
Travel
The closest train stations to the festival action are:
St Leonards Warrior Square station – for arrivals on Friday/Saturday/Sunday for the day, and departures on Friday evening. The station is a short walk to all the main festival spaces.
Hastings station – for anyone staying in Hastings. Some events are closer to Hastings station but the majority of the festival is nearer to St Leonards Warrior Square station.
Coming from:
London Charing Cross / Waterloo East / London Bridge (1h 20m – 1h 45m) regular direct trains run approx. every 30 mins, or from London Victoria (takes a bit longer, 2h) every 60 mins.
Gatwick Airport: direct train (1.5h) / Heathrow Airport: 2-3 changes (~3h) / Stansted Airport: 2-3 changes (~3h 20m)
Brighton: direct train (~1h)
If you are travelling by Air - the easiest airport is Gatwick Airport with regular direct trains to St Leonards Warrior Square.
Useful app to book trains: Trainline
Car: There is free parking around St Leonard's and paid parking options are available. Most hotels have free parking options.
Ferry: The closest Ferry Port is Newhaven, with daily ferries arriving from Dieppe (France). This is then a 1.5h train journey to St Leonards Warrior Square - changing at Lewes, or a 50 min drive.
Accommodation
The main festival hotel is Royal Victoria Hotel: Marina, St Leonards, Saint Leonards-on-Sea TN38 0BD (11m walk from St Leonards Warrior Square station and walking distance to all the festival events).
If you are a festival participant and have requested accommodation, this is where you will be staying.
We have reached out to our wonderful local community and a number of people have offered to rent out spare rooms for less than hotel and Airbnb rates.
If you would like to be matched up for a local homestay, express your interest and we will endeavour to match you with a local home: HOME STAY
Airbnb - Can get pricey but there are plenty of flats that can be shared between a few of you.
Bank Hotel - Very near everything on the seafront (prices go down in September).
White Rock Hotel - On the seafront and one of the festival venues (prices go down in September).
Travelodge - This is a 20min walk from the main area of the festival but they have some good deals.
There are plenty of other options on booking.com.
Access
The festival venues are spread across St Leonards-on-Sea and Hastings. There is a considerable amount of walking involved between the venues.
Everything is within walking distance and the programme is curated to make the most of the beach promenade and spaces located in the centre of St Leonards-on-Sea and the ‘America Ground’ area of Hastings. If you are unable to walk between venues we can organise transportation.
What to bring
Comfortable shoes
Headphones / Buds
Clothing for every kind of British weather - literally from hot & sunny to raining & windy
Swimming gear if you fancy a dip (shingle beach – sea shoes are handy)
How to get involved ahead of the festival
Audio Flux Circuit 08: Confection
Create a 3 minute audio fluxwork in response to the theme “Confection” and prompts: include a conversation with someone who you don’t know yet, and who lives or works within one mile (or km) of where you live or work; mention chocolate or another sweet treat; incorporate an audible sonic fluctuation inspired by the chocolate-tempering process of repeated heating and cooling. This fluctuation may be conveyed through volume, pacing, tone, language… or something else entirely.
Finalists will be featured at the Audio Flux listening party at XMTR FEST. From the twelve finalists, six will be chosen as Circuit Selects and win prizes!
Submit by 31/08/26 at audioflux.org/circuit08
Be part of an immersive safe + sound installation with 3 Listening Stations on the XMTR beach. Submit audio of any kind <7 mins that connects in some way to the themes:
1. GROUNDING - Centering / connecting yourself to the world around you / considering your place in the universe in a tethered way / thinking about land
2. FLOATING - The times you feel untethered / extraordinary experiences / abstract sound art / non-linear narratives
3. DIVING - Times when you’ve taken the plunge / the fool tarot card / swimming / opportunities to dig deeper into a subject - microscopic takes on niche interests.
Email: safesoundshow (at) gmail (dot) com by 14/09/26
Multi Faith Prayer Room
Add your voice to a time capsule of hope and dreams transformed into a polyphony of recorded messages for the future. Here’s the invitation
XMTR Listening Lounge
There will be several ‘Listening Lounge’ spaces around the festival featuring a curated selection of audio works also featured on xmtr.fm. The theme is MAKING CONNECTION.
Submit work under 10 mins here by 15/09/26