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Video Games and Music

Photo : © DA & Design : Feelings / CGI : Périmètre

Oct 13 – Nov 1

Video Games and Music

Forget simple 8-bit beeps; video game soundtracks have evolved into sophisticated masterpieces that turn players into active conductors of their own soundscapes. Step into an immersive world where music and gameplay collide, offering you the chance to explore legendary scores and experimental sonic landscapes. This is an interactive playground where the melody is quite literally in your hands.

Philharmonie de Paris (Paris 19th)

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About

Discover the evolution of sound design at the Video Games and Music exhibition, hosted by the Philharmonie de Paris from September 30 to November 1, 2026. This immersive experience traces the journey from nostalgic 8-bit melodies to complex symphonic scores, framing video game music as a dynamic, interactive art form. Designed as an open world, the exhibition features over twenty playable games, archival footage, and rare instruments. Visitors act as the primary catalyst, shaping their own sonic journey through the gallery. Please note that this is a ticketed event, requiring payment for entry.

Musical technologies and inventions

Through more than twenty playful and interactive installations, this exhibition traces the evolution of video game music. From the privacy of 1960s research laboratories to its status as the world's leading industry, from the technical limitations of the first sound chips that forged its identity to its current cultural reach, the "Video Games & Music" exhibition offers, from Pong to League of Legends, a sensory journey into the heart of half a century of musical innovation.

Interacting with sound

Beyond its ability to invoke nostalgic memories, video game music redefines our relationship to listening and creation. It is characterized by its adaptive nature, reacting in real-time to the player's actions, who becomes a participant in its creation. Through the immediacy of its sound responses and the constant adaptation of its melodies, the video game makes the player a "musician".

When music becomes a game

From the arcades of the 1970s and 1980s to the motion sensors of Just Dance, and the virtual presence of David Bowie in the video game Omikron, the Video Games & Music exhibition showcases this participatory dimension through a series of installations that renew the gaming experience. Each device shows that video game music transcends its primary function to become a physical and cultural experience.

From beeps to philharmonic

Beyond pixels, video game music is conquering new territories of expression. Alongside prestigious concert halls where the epic orchestrations of Final Fantasy and Assassin's Creed resound, the creative spaces of the demoscene and chiptune are reinventing the 8-bit aesthetic. Major artists such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, or the Wu-Tang Clan are appropriating this medium to play with its own codes.

Curators: Fanny Rebillard and Jean Zeid

Our take on this event

The Philharmonie de Paris presents Video Games and Music, an expansive exhibition exploring the cultural significance of gaming soundtracks. Curated by Fanny Rebillard and Jean Zeid with design by La Sagna & Racine, the exhibition highlights how game audio has evolved from functional bleeps into an inventive, experimental creative field. The space is structured as an open-world environment, encouraging guests to navigate through thematic zones at their own pace.

Interactive stations allow you to engage with over twenty playable games, providing a hands-on look at how player choices trigger musical responses. The exhibition is enriched by a curated collection of consoles, original artworks, and historical photographs. Opening hours are structured as follows: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12:00 to 19:00, Fridays from 12:00 to 21:00, and weekends from 10:00 to 19:00.

Admission is paid. Whether you are a long-time fan of gaming history or simply interested in modern composition, this event offers a unique opportunity to experience music that is meant to be played and lived rather than just heard. An accompanying playlist featuring one hundred tracks is available to continue the experience beyond the venue.

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