About Sound Scene

Sound Scene is the DC area’s premier interactive audio art festival. Established in 2007, this annual event is now presented in partnership with the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. In 2019 Sound Scene broke attendance records for the Hirshhorn, attracting more than 13,000 attendees over two days. In 2024 Sound Scene again broke attendance records, attracting more than 19,000 attendees during the first evening alone.

Sound Scene celebrates accessible sound art through multi-sensory installations including sculptural, headphone-based, and multi-channel interactive exhibits. Our live stage features performances of dance, music, performance art and spoken word. Sound Scene’s small group workshops invite audiences to explore acoustics, beat-making, sound production, sonic meditation, group improvisation, and more. Sound Scene features the creative work of artists from across the world.

Sound Scene is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities, Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn, Goethe Institut-DC, The Austrian Cultural Forum Washington, anonymous donors, and the best volunteers!