hack4play: DIY Workshops, Live Music in Fort Kochi [Till Mar 6]

Somewhere on Bazaar Road in Fort Kochi & Mattancherry, a stranger is teaching another stranger how to solder a synthesizer. Next door, someone is building a bridge designed by Leonardo da Vinci — out of sticks. Upstairs, an e-skateboard waits for whoever is brave enough. This is hack4play. It costs nothing. It runs until March 6. And you can walk in any time between 2 and 9 PM.

What is hack4play?

hack4play is not a festival. It's not a conference. There are no keynote speakers, no sponsors on stage, no entry fees.

Think of it as a temporary utopia for curious people. A community-driven, non-commercial un-conference and barcamp where people show up and share what they know. Someone brings a soldering iron. Someone brings a 3D printer. Someone brings a didgeridoo. Things happen.

The whole thing runs on donated time, skills and tools. It is organized voluntarily and democratically. If you want to teach something, you teach it. If you want to learn, you learn. If you want to just sit and watch, that works too.

This year's edition is a Kochi-Muziris Biennale collateral event, running from February 22 to March 6, 2026 at Forplay Society in Mattancherry.

What Can You Do Here?

Every day from 2 PM to 6 PM, the space turns into a hands-on playground. Here is what's happening:

Make things with your hands — Learn to solder. Build a bamboo lantern. Construct a Leonardo da Vinci bridge and dome (yes, the ones that hold themselves together without nails or glue). Try PCB etching. Upcycle glass. Tinker in the temporary makerspace. Try 3D printing.

Make noise — Solder your own DIY noise toy synthesizer and take it home. Learn to perform live-coded music with Strudel. Experiment with electronic sound.

Try an e-skateboard — An electric skateboard is available for anyone to ride. No experience needed.

Watch films — hack4play runs film screenings throughout the event.

Play a game — "World of Us" is a storytelling and interactive arts workshop that runs during the day sessions.

Evening Performances (7 PM onwards)

After the workshops wind down, the rooftop sessions start at 6:30 PM. Here is the performance line-up for the remaining days:

Thursday, Feb 26 — Surprise synthesizer and modular gig. (Yes, today. Just show up.)

Friday, Feb 27 — Vineesh Amin — INTER:FACE, a sound live dialogue performance.

Saturday, Feb 28 — Simon Moritz Geist — TRIPODS ONE // PØNG. Analog synthesizer meets saxophonist.

Sunday, Mar 1 — Kiran, Linus & Vijaya — Didgeridoo Droney Percussion. Deep, earthy, resonant.

Monday, Mar 2 — simar g — An audiovisual performance called "8bit tropical travelogue."

Tuesday, Mar 3 — Anant Rohmetra — DIY electro-acoustic soundscapes.

Earlier performances you may have missed include Leon Eckard's feedback instrument piece, an Oceanscapes & Earth Dives walk-in installation, and Störenfried's noise performance with DIY tools.

Where Exactly?

Forplay Society is on Bazaar Road, Mattancherry — opposite Kaycee Corp. If you are visiting the Biennale venues in Mattancherry, it is a short walk from the Mattancherry Palace area. Over the years, it has become one of Kochi's most important spaces for experimental music, performance art, theatre and independent culture.

Details

Dates: February 22 to March 6, 2026

Time: Drop in any time between 1/2 PM and 9 PM

Workshops: 2 PM to 6 PM daily

Rooftop sessions: 6:30 PM onwards

Performances: 7 PM to 9 PM

Entry: Free. All events free.

Location: Forplay Society, Bazaar Road, opp. Kaycee Corp, Mattancherry, Kochi

Full schedule and calendar: md.ha.si/hack4play

Instagram: @hack4play

Telegram group: t.me/hack4play

If you are in Fort Kochi for the Biennale, check out our complete Biennale guide with daily schedules and venue maps. And for more things to do beyond the Biennale, here are 32 things to do in Fort Kochi this month.