Overview: Moving beyond the algorithm
Flickr’s upcoming citywide photography festival aims to foster real-world creative community across Minneapolis through trade shows, keynotes, and live music.
Flickr has officially announced MODE by Flickr (a.k.a. MODE Festival), a three-day, multi-venue festival set to transform downtown Minneapolis into an interactive hub for visual creators.
The event highlights a traditional trade show with live music and interactive arts. The initiative aims to move photography away from algorithm-driven digital feeds and back into physical, community-focused spaces.
Event dates and locations
The festival will run from Friday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 20.
- Loring Park: Main stage for evening live music headliners.
- Nicollet Mall (The Hub): Public daytime hub featuring gear demos and open activations.
- The Marquette Hotel: Educational classes, keynotes, and masterclasses.
- The Alley Project: Host location for late-night “MODE After Dark” programming.
Programming and lineup
Each day features keynotes, hands-on workshops, cyanotype printing sessions, photowalks, and gear demos. Daily programming kicks off at 10 a.m., with music performances at Loring Park continuing into the evening.
For festival updates, venue schedules, and ticket options, visit the official website at modefestival.com.
How community friendly is this MODE outfit? Word is due to a personal relationship with Mayor Frey, they were allowed a ten day permit to close Nicollet Mall from Washington Blvd. past Grant Street, heading southbound. This has displaced many community residents now finding themselves walking many blocks to and from their homes. The events are not free; so much for building community relationships. A one day pass is $99 and the weekend pass close to $200. Blocking off Nicollet Mall and parts of the public Loring Park for this event should be accessible to everyone, free of charge.
If not, then outfits like this MODE event should be renting space at the convention center. That mayor only wants everyone to think the local population is eager to spend their free time in downtown Minneapolis, where nothing exists now.
Looking so forward to the deluge forecasted for the event’s first day.