Palo Alto Seeks Artists for 2027 Code Festival
The city's Public Art Program is accepting applications from artists and teams worldwide for interactive installations at the biennial festival.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Fine Art
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Palo Alto is seeking artists for interactive installations for its 2027 Code Festival, with applications due Nov. 16, 2026. The city's Public Art Program is accepting submissions from artists and teams worldwide.
Why it matters
The opportunity offers project budgets of up to $20,000 for a featured installation and up to $9,000 for additional works, supporting interactive media art in the city's downtown. The festival is a free, biennial event featuring interactive media art, performances and public programming.
The city's call lists a $20,000 project budget for the Lytton Plaza installation and up to $9,000 for each of up to five additional downtown artworks. Selections for these installations have not yet been made.
The players
City of Palo Alto
The city's Public Art Program runs the call for artists and oversees the installations for the Code Festival.
The details
Artists can submit existing works or propose new concepts based on their qualifications and previous projects, with no application fee required. Applications are submitted through SlideRoom and the city is especially encouraging artists from Santa Clara and San Mateo counties to apply.
Timeline
Nov. 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Pacific time: application deadline.
Oct. 13-16, 2027: 2027 Code Festival, the fifth edition, running four nights.
Big Picture
The call follows the Public Art Program's pattern of commissioning works for city-run events, extending that role into interactive media art for the biennial Code Festival. The program's scope now reaches artists working across digital and performance formats.
Artists can apply through SlideRoom with no application fee, making it possible to submit existing works or new concepts before the November deadline. Selected installations will be visible to the public downtown during the festival.
The takeaway
Artists interested in public installations should review the qualifications and submission requirements before the November deadline. The festival offers a platform for interactive media art in a downtown setting.
What happens next
Applications close Nov. 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, ahead of the 2027 Code Festival scheduled for Oct. 13-16, 2027.
Further reading
Explore more Palo Alto Fine Art coverage for context on local public art programs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Patch.
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