The 47th edition of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival got underway over the weekend, sparking 10 inspiring days of performances, talks and workshops from new music’s best and brightest composers, ensembles and music practitioners.

At hcmf// 2024, we are proud to once again open up as much of the festival as possible to ensure this fantastic experience can be shared inclusively. Many events are free for anyone to attend, including both ongoing installations, our fascinating discussion programme, a day dedicated to environmental sustainability in the culture and arts, and as is tradition, hcmf// shorts – our iconic, all-day smörgåsbord of concerts.

Join us as we delve into the crevices of contemporary sound in Huddersfield this November, and find out about how much of this amazing festival is available for you to enjoy for no cost at all in the guide below.

Monday 18 November

Monday means hcmf// shorts day, which in turn means drop whatever else you have planned and come join us for an action-packed day of concerts spread across Huddersfield, all entirely free to attend. Featuring curated events as well as performances from artists selected from our open call earlier this year, not only does this exciting day provide a platform for emerging artists to present new works or innovative interpretations of contemporary repertoire at the UK’s leading new music festival, it also gives audiences a chance to see leading artists in the field show off their chops at absolutely no cost.

All concerts are free entry with no booking required, so whether you want to see Wadada Leo Smith’s Fire-Love Expanse group in action, get to know the maverick, mudlarking antics of David Sappa, witness Lina Lapelytė’s work for retired ballerina and saxophone in person, immerse yourself the Alexander Schubert-composed, neuro-powered Steady State with Zubin Kanga, or experience the poetics of Marie Schreer + Taher Adel, today will have something for you. Just remember to arrive early before the venues are full! Explore the concerts here.

Tuesday 19 November

Tuesday provides a very opportune moment to visit the two installations on exhibit throughout hcmf//. Ääni is a multimedia installation from Birgit Widmer, Martina Morger and Finn O’Hare which considers the aesthetics of the annual ice break-up in Finland and the qualities of the transformation between liquid and solid states. Yrttitarha, meanwhile, is a multimedia concert-installation featuring a herb garden cultivated by composer/performer Tytti Arola. Throughout the festival, the garden’s caretaker will be absent, and it is left to you, the audience, to water, to speak to, to care for the herbs.

Wednesday 20 November

Sound artist, composer and researcher Helen Anahita Wilson delivers a percussion-led workshop combining ideas and concepts from psychoanalysis, sociology and South Asian musics in this session for women and gender minority adults. Jugalbandi drumming techniques render our typically un-sayable feelings playable, and participants will be shown how to tap into this mode of expression. Advance booking is required.

Thursday 21 November

Our ongoing exploration of arts and culture’s engagement with sustainability, The Current Climate, once again provides the theme for Thursday at hcmf//. Finnish composer Matilda Seppälä inaugurates the day with her spoken word/live electronics performance piece, Putkamelodraama. Reflecting on environmental activism, the performance is followed by a conversation between Seppälä and Anu Ahola of Jazz Finland’s Elma.live sustainable music initiative.

Tytti Arola closes Yrttitarha with a performance responding to the condition of the installation’s herb garden, having been taken care of by the audience throughout the festival. Ääni also comes to a close, marked by a performance from sound artist Finn O’Hare channelling the soundscape of melting ice. Lastly, Helen Anahita Wilson combines her electronics, percussion and vocals with the trombone of Amos Miller for the World Premiere of Nightshade – a suite that digs deep into the creative possibilities of composing with bioelectricity, biorhythms and biodata.

Friday 22 November

For the past several weeks, an intrepid group of Huddersfield’s own 11 to 18-year-olds have worked under the guidance of composer Simon Knighton to develop their musical creativity and prepare their own scores for wonderful festival mainstays Riot Ensemble. Join us at St Peter’s Parish Church at 5pm to see their hard work come to fruition at the exciting showcase concert for the Compose It! project.

Saturday 23 November

Come and hear from recipient of the 2024 Ernst von Siemens Composers Prize and composer of last year’s closing concert, Icelandic bassist Bára Gísladóttir. She sits in conversation with BBC Radio 3 presenter and writer Kate Molleson ahead of a concert later in the day.

Sunday 24 November

This one’s for the kids. Live music, sensory play and visual art coalesce for this year’s Music at Play programme. Open to children aged 5 and under (and their accompanying adults), this drop-in session at Heritage Quay features live musicians performing from a giant graphic score which you can contribute to. Alternatively, come along, soak up the colourful, atmospheric lighting and enjoy meeting other families.

hcmf// 2024: How to do the festival for free