The International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) 2026—organized by the ligeti center, the Hamburg University of Music and Drama, the Hamburg University of Technology, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf—will be held in Hamburg, Germany, from May 10 to 16, 2026. We invite submissions in all areas related to computer music, electronic music, and multimedia.  

This year’s conference theme is “Innovation, Translation, Participation”. Following this theme, we will be reviving the Off-ICMC as a series of satellite events aimed at the general public (see our Off-ICMC call below).  

There will also be special focus on the computer music pioneer Clarence Barlow who organized the first ICMC on German soil in Cologne in 1988 and would have turned 80 on December 27, 2025.  

All submissions will undergo a blind peer review process. Accepted papers will be published in the official conference proceedings. Additionally, all accepted works will be featured in a program booklet distributed to conference attendees and available online. 

ICMC HAMBURG 2026 will be held in a hybrid format. Paper authors who cannot physically attend may present remotely. Composers and Sound Artists whose works are fixed and not performative, may also present remotely.

Due to the technical requirements and experiential nature of performative works, installations, and accepted submissions for the innovation showcase (which combines poster presentations and live demonstrations) it is expected that contributors attend the conference in person. We particularly encourage submissions by artists with disabilities, as well as works that explore accessibility and inclusive practices in music and sound art. 

All submissions are to be made through the EasyChair conference system. Pieces submitted via other channels will not be considered. 

Submit to the ICMC HAMBURG 2026 here.

All submission templates are available for download here. (The download starts automatically. Check your download folder.)

Registration is required of all persons whose work is accepted and intended for presentation at ICMC HAMBURG 2026. Registration fees cover admission to all events at the conference. 

Conference chair: Georg Hajdu