A Worldwide Guide to October's Best Events
September's chilly weather has put a definitive end to the summer festival season, but we're looking forward to a spate of worthwhile October events that bring the festivities indoors.
Below we pick out some of our global highlights, from an experimental music festival in Krakow to Tokyo's International Film Festival.
1
The Downtown Festival, New York City, USA (9 - 19 October)
Taking the independent spirit of the city’s downtown art scene, The Downtown Festival showcases up-and-coming artists alongside ‘visionary icons’ across a range of disciplines, from film screenings to live music performances. This year’s edition features a special 40th anniversary screening of Susan Seidelman’s iconic New York comedy Desperately Seeking Susan, a programme of shorts exploring New York’s emerging visual voices and a conversation between director Gus Dapperton and actor Lucas Hedges.
2
Unsound Krakow, Krakow, Poland (7 - 12 October)
Unsound’s singular approach to curation, which focuses on the radical edges of sonic experimentation, has led it to become one of the world’s most respected music festivals. This year, the lineup features live performances from post-hardcore group Moin, Norwegian alt-pop duo Smerz and experimental rock quartet YHWH Nailgun. An eclectic range of DJ sets will come from Glasgow-based producer Kavari, gqom pioneer DJ Lag and acid house legend A Guy Called Gerald, among many others.
3
Tokyo International Film Festival (27 October- 5 November)
Japan has one of the most vibrant film cultures in the world and TIFF is the country’s largest film festival. Since 1985, the festival has held premieres, open-air screenings, seminars and symposiums at the Roppongi Hills development. This year, Academy Award Winning-director Chloé Zao will close the festival with her new film Hamnet. Tokyo Taxi, from acclaimed Japanese director Yamada Yoji, will screen as the Centerpiece, the heart of the 38th edition of the festival.
4
MUTEK, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1-5 October)
Since 2017, MUTEK has taken over the Argentinian capital’s iconic cultural spaces and redefined historical buildings to showcase local and international talent that test the limits of digital creativity. This year’s lineup includes Argentinian composer Julian Tenembaum, a collaboration between multimedia artist Jotta.rs and drum & bass DJ itti, and media production studio CLAUSTRO.
5
C2C, Turin, Italy (30 October - 2 November)
C2C returns to Turin this autumn for its 23rd edition. Taking place against the backdrop of Turin Contemporary Art Week, the Italian festival has carved out a reputation for lineups that showcase adventurous contemporary music. In late October, Ilian Tape affiliate Skee Mask, singer-songwriter Maria Somerville and avant-garde musician Jenny Hval will all play at the festival.
6
Unsound NYC, New York City, USA (27 October - 2 November)
As part of their 2025 theme WEB, which ‘refers to the building of cultural networks across borders, zones and scenes,’ Unsound debuts in NYC this October. Performances from footwork pioneer RP Boo, experimental Polish composer Aleksandra Słyż and London-based composer Mica Levi will be held across Pioneer Works and The Lincoln Center, as well as other cultural venues across New York.
7
Southern Gothic, Richmond, Virginia, USA (25 October)
Southern Gothic is a new multi-location music and arts festival. The event is a creative collaboration between Black Ether, See The Tree Productions and Halcyon Veil, underground curators who celebrate the experimental spirit of resistance that defines the american south. Held at Powers BMX Shop, the event will feature visual art curation from Grammy nominated producer and Halcyon Veil co-founder RABIT.