Parallel Society has revealed the first participants and artists for its 2026 edition in Lisbon, Portugal. The two-day event will take place on 6th and 7th March in Lisbon’s Marvila neighbourhood, a former industrial area now renowned for its vibrant cultural environment. The event brings together hacktivism, practical technology, and cultural pioneers, activating local and international civic tech experts, researchers, academics, activists, and international artists, including Apparat, Gilles Peterson, Clark, Moses Boyd, Calibre and Kode9, to explore and reimagine society for the digital age.
The unique gathering is an experiment in social structure design aimed at laying the groundwork for a more prosperous and just future for all. It is the culmination of the work of Logos, a social and technological movement to revive civil society and defend freedoms through technology. Logos is developing a complete, decentralised technology stack including messaging, storage, and blockchain to empower community self-determination and self-governance in parallel to inefficient and often corrupt state institutions.
Collectively and organically curated, Parallel Society is run as a not-for-profit event by an emergent coalition of international and local allied groups, including Logos, Tor Project, MoneroKon, PsyDAO, Charter Cities Institute, Zanzalu, ZuGramma, Zano, Shutter Network, dEdu, The Block, Delta Y, LayerX, EthRome, Urbe.eth, Kleros, and Funding the Commons.
Day 1, 6th March, is an “[un]conference” focused on nurturing and expanding the technologies, tooling, and cultures that are central to Logos’ mission. Co-organised by the coalition, it will feature a series of talks, discussion circles, protocol labs, hackspaces, workshops, co-design sprints, and hands-on experimental sessions distributed across thematic zones, including the Decentralisation, Privacy, FOSS, Culture and Community Zones. Broadly, the Day 1 programme focuses on privacy and decentralisation, community autonomy, open source culture and infrastructure, and tooling and network stewardship. The programme comprises workshops, talks, hackspaces, and cultural labs that explore community autonomy, privacy, decentralisation, and open source culture and infrastructure.
Jarrad Hope of Logos, the organisation initiating the event, commented on Parallel Society’s unique approach:
“Parallel Society connects the people designing new civic systems, technologists, researchers, activists, building practical alternatives to centralised institutions. Day 1 is structured as a collaborative lab: workshops, governance prototypes, research sessions, and cultural experiments. The aim is simple: build and test tools that strengthen autonomy, privacy, and community.”
Following the [un]conference, Day 2, 7th March, transforms the gathering into a community-focused cultural celebration, where groundbreaking international artists share stages with Portugal’s underground talent. The music programme defies genres and is already taking shape, spanning the UK jazz revolution with Moses Boyd, experimental bass culture with Kode9 and Calibre, avant electronic with Apparat, and cultural ambassadors including Gilles Peterson, with many more acts still to be announced. Confirmed Portuguese acts include Maria Amor and Shcuro of Disco Paraíso, Chima Isaaro, Afrojamslx performing live, Nelson Makossa, and Collective Unconscious presenting an audiovisual performance. A culture-first counterpoint to the corporate consolidation sweeping the global festival landscape, the event is independent, led by the community, and not for profit. With more than 60% of the lineup sourced from Lisbon’s active and diverse homegrown talent pool, it actively supports the city’s underground music scenes.
Louisa Haining, Curation Director, commented on Parallel Society’s approach:
“We believe culture and festivals should serve people, not corporations. Parallel Society is built as a commons: an open space where underground sound, grassroots creativity, and new cultural and technological imaginaries can thrive. With talent of this depth and diversity, both local and international, the event feels like the human expression of the technologies we build.”
From Lisbon’s grassroots communities to international heavyweights, Parallel Society builds bridges between Portugal’s sonic innovators and global pioneers. It reflects the DIY energy that built underground scenes, from pirate radio to post club collectives.
Co-curated with a coalition of Lisbon-based cultural organisations, Parallel Society draws on their communities and perspectives to form a truly collective programme. This cultural coalition includes Fábrica Moderna, Rare Effect, and Manja, with more joining.
Call to contribute. Parallel Society is an experiment in co-creation and cooperation. The entire event is curated collectively by a coalition of aligned projects spanning technology, culture, and community. Those wishing to be involved can propose sessions or other elements of the programming through an open call, via Parallel Society’s website. Coalition members will select which proposals will make up the programme according to their merit and alignment, not how much they contribute financially.
Taking place on 6th and 7th March 2026 in Lisbon’s Marvila neighbourhood, Parallel Society invites participants and audiences to join a celebration of culture, technology, and community. Early access tickets are available now to secure your place at this innovative two-day gathering.
Phase 1 Music Programming:
The Terminal:
Apparat (Live) | Gilles Peterson with MC Rob GallianoClark (AV) | Moses Boyd (Live)
Afrojamslx | Nelson Makossa
The Lab:
Calibre | Kode9 | Chima Isaaro
Collective Unconscious (AV) | Maria Amor & Shcuro
Dates: 6th-7th March, 2026
Location: Marvila, Lisbon
Early Access Tickets: Available Here
