museinstrumentet

Museinstrumentet is an annual music festival held in the city of Halmstad, Sweden, that celebrates experimental and avant‑garde sound art. The festival was founded in 2012 by a collective of local musicians, sound engineers and visual artists, with the goal of providing an interdisciplinary platform for performers who combine acoustic, electronic and found‑object instrumentation. Since its inception, Museinstrumentet has grown from a two‑day event featuring five local acts into a three‑day program that attracts around 3,000 visitors each year and hosts more than 30 performances.

The festival is organized by an informal non‑profit board, funded through a combination of municipal grants, sponsorships from local businesses and modest ticket sales. Its programming is divided into three main tracks: acoustic improvisation, electronic noise & ambient, and multimedia collaborations. In addition to concerts, the festival features workshops, panel discussions and a public art installation that encourages audience participation. The venue for Museinstrumentet shifts between the historic Ådåkra Theatre, a former industrial warehouse and the Alingsås Outdoor Arena, reflecting the festival’s commitment to both intimate and expansive sonic environments.

Museinstrumentet has been cited in Swedish cultural publications for its role in nurturing a niche community of makers and performers in the Gothenburg–Skåne region. Several artists who first appeared on the festival’s roster, such as duo SoundFlux and solo performer Vibes, have subsequently received national recognition and festival bookings across Europe. The festival continues to adapt its programming in response to contemporary developments in sound and technology, maintaining its reputation as a forward‑thinking event within the Scandinavian experimental music scene.