After filling venues, Moogfest sets dates for return to Durham in ’17

Moogfest 2016 has wrapped and Downtown Durham is returning to normal after a weekend of techies roaming the streets looking for action. They found plenty, with interactive art installations – free for all – in every plaza, DJs spinning non-stop in local nightclubs and parks, and future technology being discussed and demonstrated all over town.

Organizers Moog Music of Asheville moved Moogfest to Durham this year, hoping that the city’s technology rich, entrepreneurial environment would prove more fertile soil for an event honoring Bob Moog, father of the analog synthesizer and electronic music. The move paid off, with several ticket categories selling out in advance – including the Engineer package (a $1,000 ticket that included a DIY Moog synth to take home) and VIP packages priced at $499.

Despite many concurrent programs, most venues were packed.

Google Brain Magenta project researcher Douglas Eck told a nearly full venue at the Arts Center, “I expected this room to be empty at 2:30 on a Sunday.”

The festival benefited particularly from associations with RTP companies, as well as local universities and tech incubators. Programs, especially the daytime panels, drew a more mature crowd than you might expect at an electronic music festival. At one discussion of cybernetics, the moderator asked how many people were under 26. Just three hands went up in the packed PSI Theatre.

We did hear many pop culture references during the event, ranging from “Lord of the Rings,” to “Harry Potter,” “Game of Thrones” and “Star Trek.”

Although final attendance numbers are not yet in, Moogfest made enough of a splash to announce its dates for next year: May 18-21, 2017. This is something of a surprise, since Moogfest had been announced as a biennial event not too long ago, and no one was expecting a replay until 2018. Early Bird tickets are already on sale.

The venue for the 2017 festival will once again be the welcoming tech-terrain of Durham, NC. Looks like Moogfest is settling in for a long stay.

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