Blip Festival


The Blip Festival was a festival that celebrated chiptune music with musical performances, workshops, and screenings of movies. It was held annually starting in 2006 in New York City. In recent years, there have been international versions of Blip Festival held in Europe, Asia, and Australia. The festival is curated and organized by 8bitpeoples, one of the foremost labels in the chiptune scene, as well as local arts organization The Tank. The New York festival has switched venues several times, beginning in 2006 at 15 Nassau Street in Manhattan, then moving to Eyebeam Art and Technology Center in 2007, and then being held in Brooklyn at The Bell House in 2008 and 2009. It went back to Eyebeam in 2011 and then the Gramercy Theatre in 2012.
The festival was the subject of a 2008 documentary film, Reformat the Planet, made by 2 Player Productions. The documentary was an official selection of the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival, and was shown on Pitchfork.tv.
After 7 Years and 11 Festivals across 4 continents it was announced that the October 2012 Blip Festival in Tokyo would be the last installment for the foreseeable future.

Blip Festival Europe

The Blip Festival Europe was held once only in Aalborg, Denmark on July 24 to 25, 2009. The festival included Bit Shifter, Nullsleep, minusbaby, Hally, Binärpilot, Goto80, Bodenständig 2000, Bu Bu Kitty Fuckers and more.

Blip Festival Tokyo

The Blip Festival Tokyo occurred for three consecutive years and was held for the first time on September 4–5, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan at Koenji High. Artists that played included Goto80, Bit Shifter, Nullsleep, YMCK, Saitone, Hally, Quarta330, Stu, Hip Tanaka, and more. It was consecutively held at Koenji High on October 22–23, 2011 and October 20–21, 2012.

Blip Festival Australia

The Blip Festival Australia was held for the first and only time on February 17–18, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia at Evelyn Hotel. Artists that played included Patric Catani, Bit Shifter, Nullsleep, Dot.AY, Abortifacient, Ten Thousand Free Men & Their Families, _ensnare_, 7bit Hero and more.

Past lineups

2012 lineup