Eaton HK's UNHEARD Sound & Music Festival marks fifth year with Proof of Sound theme
Running July 24-August 5, the festival spans 25 events ranging from spatial audio performances in a rooftop pool to a hearing safety talk with custom earplug fittings
Eaton HK returns with the fifth anniversary edition of UNHEARD Sound & Music Festival, running July 24 to August 5, in partnership with Contemporary Musiking HK and dtby.
What began as a way to group sound-related events together has grown into an annual fixture. This year's theme, Proof of Sound, carries forward the curiosity that's shaped the programme since the start, treating sound as a way people process and connect with the world around them.
Speaking on the event, Cheryl Chow and James Acey of Eaton HK tell Mixmag Asia: "We’re proud to host our fifth year of programming and hope to see everyone at UNHEARD at Eaton the next few weeks, whether you’re a professional musician or just a curious, passive music fan looking to deepen your understanding and appreciation of sound and music."
They continue: "Practicing deep listening and doing so together has become more and more rare with the advent of the Walkman and streaming culture, so we hope UNHEARD can inspire us to reconnect with our 'sound minds' and also with each other."
The 2026 edition spans 25 events over two weeks, with programming ranging from the hands-on to the experimental.
Read this next: Community radio takes centre stage for Airtime Asia pre-event in Hong Kong, Mixed Signals
Hyperpop and IDM producer Voel leads Sonic Palette Discovery and Curation, guiding participants through building a personal sound palette from scratch, while New York artist Emmett Palaima's Soundbathing Spatial Audio Performance transforms Eaton HK's rooftop pool into a listening space, using custom omnidirectional speakers to send sound moving as physical waveform through water and air.
The Protect Your Ears! Talk with Phonak Hearing Centre audiologists covers hearing safety, with custom earplug fittings available on site, while Chef West's City Sampling Workshop turns Hong Kong street sounds into hip hop samples.
Read this next: Beyond the booths: Art Week after hours in Hong Kong
There's also a screening of Oliver Laxe's cult-favourite film Sirat, following a father and son chasing a lost rave through the Moroccan mountains.
Running July 26 through August 1, Stelios Manousakis' Interactive Sound and Wi-Fi Workshop explores feedback and musical cybernetics tied to his Wi-Fi sensing installation at Tomorrow Maybe, and Open Ears: Picture Show featuring Cola Ren and Leonwill brings the ambient listening collective's video-and-sound edition to the festival, complete with live and DJ sets.
Past editions of UNHEARD Sound & Music Festival have covered similarly wide ground, from Arturia-backed workshops to Deaf community storytelling and a DIY radio installation by neurodivergent artists.
Some events are free while some require ticket purchases; full info here.
Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.
Never miss a beat. Subscribe to our Scene Report newsletter or follow us on Instagram.
