Art and tech festival debuts in London

The Southbank Centre will launch Creative Intelligence, a three-day festival exploring the intersection of art and technology, this September in London.

The inaugural event runs from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September 2026, transforming the venue’s 11-acre site into what organizers describe as a “playground of art, technology, and ideas.” It brings together artists, writers, technologists, and the public for installations, performances, talks, workshops, and hands-on experiments.

Artists and installations shaping the festival

The lineup includes major installations like Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s Pollinator Pathmaker and Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler’s Anatomy of an AI System. The festival opens with the Creative Intelligence Summit on Friday, featuring discussions with participants such as musician Holly Herndon, writer Jeanette Winterson, researcher Kate Crawford, artist Love Ssega, and interdisciplinary creator Sougwen Chung.

The summit concludes with a Deep Listening Session led by Herndon, a pioneer in experimental sound. Beyond talks, the festival will host interactive experiments, live demonstrations, and workshops, including the Peckham Digital Takeover, which highlights London’s grassroots creative computing scene with performances, robot combat, and an Algorave.

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This isn’t the first time London has positioned itself as a hub for art and technology. The 1951 Festival of Britain, which celebrated post-war recovery through design and innovation, set a precedent for large-scale cultural events that blend creativity with forward-looking themes. While that festival was rooted in optimism about reconstruction, Creative Intelligence reflects a different kind of urgency—one shaped by rapid technological change and its implications for human expression.

What to expect and how to plan your visit

The Southbank Centre’s location makes it easy to pair the festival with other London attractions. The venue sits within walking distance of the London Eye, Tate Modern, Borough Market, and the National Theatre. Visitors arriving earlier in the month can also catch Playing With Fire: An Immersive Odyssey with Yuja Wang, a mixed-reality concert experience running from 9 September 2026 until January 2027.

No tickets or pricing details have been announced yet, though the festival’s website promises updates in the coming months. For now, the event joins a growing list of London festivals—including the recent arrival of SXSW London—that aim to redefine the city’s cultural identity through technology and creativity.

Organizers have not yet clarified whether the festival will become an annual event, but its focus on emerging trends in art and tech suggests it could fill a gap in London’s cultural calendar. The Southbank Centre, which has long been a staple for classical music and performance, appears to be expanding its programming to reflect how technology is reshaping creative industries.