Bristol is to play host to a new 1 day festival for experimental electronic music and digital art this April. 

It will be hosted in two blackout marquees and three geodesic domes in a suburban park and will feature some of the world’s leading audiovisual luminaries alongside a solid mix of Bass, House and Techno artists.

Quoted as being a “fully immersive experience”, the event is a unique collaboration between the RFID production team, award-winning digital experience agency Luma and the Hypercolour and Applepips record labels. 

Arc aims to create a visual playground in Bristol’s Eastville Park, enlisting the support of some of the biggest names in digital art and projection mapping including audiovisual composer Tarrik Barri who collaborates with Atoms for Peace – the experimental supergroup formed in 2009 by Thom York and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

Integrating sound and visuals is what Arc is all about with bespoke shows being created for all of the headliners including Clark, Skudge, Martyn, Roman Flugel, The Black Dog, James Holden, Livity Sound, Pinch and Will Saul. 

With a lineup curated by Hypercolour's Jamie Russell, the futuristic artwork on display will be carefully paired with the next wave of young and experienced experimental electronic musicians, playing AV sets, live and original material wherever possible. 

“Arc is about bringing on board the amazing digital artists we always aspired to work with, and continuing to do something totally unique visually, alongside the very finest music the experimental electronic music scene has to offer,” said Ben Thomson, RFID director. 

“We’ve been touring UK events with the RFID project since 2008 and the queues outside the dome are always insane. We love sharing the joy of total immersion in a 3D environment with festival goers and we wanted to take that to another level in a much bigger space” 

The RFID, or Recursive Function Immersive Dome, is an innovative audio/visual entertainment environment featuring 360º dome projection and surround sound. Already well established on the festival circuit, the team behind the RFID are expert in integrating sound with 3D environments and with Arc, they’re aiming to take the art form to a new level. 

The sight of three geodesic domes and two blackout marquees huddled together in Bristol’s Eastville Park is sure to attract plenty of attention in April but the futuristic layout also offers one important practical benefit – weather proofing the festival! With the entire Arc programme taking place undercover festival goers won’t need to worry about April showers. 

“Arc will be a great addition to the one day festival scene in Bristol,” said Ben Thomson. “What we’ve put together is totally unique and at the cutting edge of audio/visual integration. We’ve been really influenced by the one day festivals we’ve visited around Europe, where thousands of people come out to rave during the day! We think Bristol is the perfect home for an event like Arc.” 

Tickets for Arc Festival are £30-£35 and are on sale from Resident Advisor, Crack Magazine, Idle Hands and The Bristol Ticket Shop. Arc Festival takes place on Saturday, April 27 in Eastville Park, Bristol. The event runs from 11am to 11pm. Over 18s only.