Flickr Brings Vince Staples, Tycho, Cory Wong to Inaugural MODE Festival

Flickr’s first-ever MODE Festival is getting a major live music boost.

The photo-sharing platform announced the musical lineup for MODE by Flickr, a three-day photography and culture festival set for September 18–20 in downtown Minneapolis. Vince Staples, Tycho, Cory Wong, Washed Out, Infinity Song, Balthvs and more are slated to perform as the inaugural event expands beyond photography into a citywide creative takeover.

Live performances will take place daily at Loring Park, anchoring a broader festival schedule that stretches across downtown Minneapolis. MODE is designed to bring photography “off screens and into the real world,” combining concerts, workshops, master classes, photo walks, exhibitions, community events and evening programming across multiple venues.

“Photography and music have always been at the forefront of culture,” Ben MacAskill, President and COO at SmugMug & Flickr, said in a press release. “Bringing artists like Vince Staples, Tycho, and Cory Wong to the MODE stage is a true reflection of Flickr’s commitment to creativity, craft, and community.”

The festival’s programming will move through seven thematic pillars: Change, Next, Money, Motion, Culture, IRL and Earth. Alongside the music lineup, Flickr also announced new photography additions including Matthew Rolston, Jonathan Mannion, Steve Sweatpants and YK, who join previously announced names such as Sandro Miller, Chris Burkard, Brooke Shaden and Penny De Los Santos.

Among the marquee events is “Double Exposure: A Conversation with Sandro Miller and Matthew Rolston,” which will bring the two portrait photographers together for a discussion on visual language, influence and identity. MODE will also feature hands-on sessions from Art Streiber and Andy Best, street photography workshops and photo walks with Steve Sweatpants, a citywide street photography challenge led by YK, and a Jim Marshall photography exhibition presented by Amelia Davis featuring rare archival work from Woodstock, the Rolling Stones’ first American tour and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.

The festival will also include a three-part lighting masterclass with Sandro Miller, skate photography workshops led by Canon instructor and Skatefolio Co-Founder Josh Katz, and career-focused conversations with music and celebrity photographer Ro.Lexx.

For Jonathan Mannion, whose work includes some of hip-hop’s most recognizable album imagery, the blend of photography and live music is the point.

“There’s something that happens when photographers and musicians are in the same space,” Mannion said. “Ideas evolve differently, work gets better, and the energy is unmatched. MODE is giving that spirit a home, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Passes are on sale now, starting at $410 for general admission. Flickr Pro Interactive passes start at $500, with an $80 discount available for existing Flickr Pro members, while VIP passes are priced at $900. Ticketing information is available at modefestival.com, with additional speakers, artists and workshops expected to be announced ahead of the September festival.

Find the full lineup poster below: