Flickr’s new MODE festival is set to flip downtown Minneapolis into a three-day playground for photographers and live music from September 18-20, 2026. Headliners Vince Staples, Tycho, and Minneapolis-born guitarist Cory Wong are lined up for evening sets at Loring Park.
The company laid out the music lineup in a June 9 blog post, according to Flickr. The post says the festival will pair concerts with hands-on workshops and citywide photo experiences, listing supporting acts including Washed Out and Infinity Song and naming BALTHVS for the Creator Stage. The announcement also added photographers Matthew Rolston, Jonathan Mannion, Steve Sweatpants and YK to a lineup organizers describe as a mix of industry programming and public-facing events.
Music across downtown
The bulk of MODE’s live music is planned for Loring Park, with more intimate sets along Nicollet Mall and community socials at Peavey Plaza, according to MODE. Organizers say the schedule is designed so attendees can move from afternoon workshops and photowalks into evening performances without ever leaving the downtown footprint. The festival is explicitly pitched as a hybrid: part trade-style industry event, part public arts festival, with stages, installations and photo-friendly moments spread across several blocks.
Photographers and programming highlights
The expanded photography roster and schedule, including keynotes, masterclasses and a Jim Marshall exhibition, were detailed in the festival release, as reported by PR Newswire. That announcement quotes industry names and notes workshops from Sandro Miller, Chris Burkard and Brooke Shaden, while organizers say the program is organized around seven thematic pillars, labeled Change, Next, Money, Motion, Culture, IRL and Earth, to cover both craft and commerce. The cross-disciplinary setup is built so photographers and music fans can overlap during panels, shoots and concerts.
Tickets, passes and perks
Three-day passes are on sale through the festival’s ticket pages, and MODE lists tiers including a 250 dollar general-admission three-day pass, a Flickr Pro Interactive option and a VIP experience with added perks, per MODE. The Flickr Pro package includes access to a Pro Lounge and priority booking for select sessions, while VIPs get curated welcome gifts and exclusive after-hours programming. Organizers note that some workshops and intimate sessions have limited capacity, so certain meet-and-greets and masterclasses may require early reservation.
Why Minneapolis?
Flickr has said it selected Minneapolis for its active creative community and downtown infrastructure, a choice local coverage framed as a match between the city’s festival-ready public spaces and MODE’s ambitions, according to Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Citywide programming, including photo walks, public socials and outdoor concerts, is intended to involve both industry visitors and neighborhood residents, turning everyday blocks into stages and studios for three days.
“There’s something that happens when photographers and musicians are in the same space,” photographer Jonathan Mannion said in coverage of the announcement, adding that MODE “is giving that spirit a home, and I can’t wait to be part of it,” per festival coverage. Organizers say more artists and programming details will roll out in the coming weeks and that passes and session sign-ups are available now through the festival site.
