The currents Festival for contemporary music culture 2026 took place at Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich University of the Arts, Tonhalle Zurich, Moods and EXIL.

Currents is a biennial festival and initiative devoted to contemporary music culture based in Zurich, Switzerland. Rooted in a Swiss-American partnership with the Brooklyn-based label New Amsterdam Records, it fosters artistic exchange between Swiss and US artists and ensembles while also engaging collaborators from across the globe.

The festival serves as a platform for developing currents in contemporary music, with a focus on commissioning and presenting new works. Artists are encouraged to move beyond the boundaries of their usual practice and to blur the lines between genres, disciplines, and communities. Rather than aiming to represent the full spectrum of contemporary music, currents is driven by a spirit of exploration and discovery, continuously seeking new constellations of sound, collaboration, and experience.

While the main festival takes place biennially, currents remains active between festival-editions through concerts, performances, workshops, and participatory projects in collaboration with local and international partners. Community engagement is a key aspect of its mission, connecting artists with audiences, collectives, and educational institutions, and creating shared experiences beyond the traditional concert format.

Following this approach, the festival does not limit itself to fixed venues. Its main hubs include Moods and EXIL in Zurich, complemented by site-specific collaborations with partner institutions, allowing each edition to unfold in new spatial and social contexts.