On a mid-September weekend in 2026, downtown Minneapolis will hum with a different kind of energy. From Friday the 18th through Sunday the 20th, an estimated crowd of photographers, videographers, designers, and other visual storytellers will fill Nicollet Mall and Loring Park—not for a convention, but for something entirely new: Mode, "The World's Photography Festival." Brought to the Twin Cities by the San Francisco–based photo-sharing platform Flickr, this first-ever iteration of the festival is set to be equal parts trade show, education conference, and creative house party. It marks the first time Flickr has organized such an event, and the company has chosen Minneapolis as its permanent home for years to come.
The festival's origins trace to a simple observation at Flickr's headquarters. For years, the platform had been a virtual gathering place for photographers around the globe—a place to share images, exchange tips, and build communities. But co-founder Stewart Butterfield and the team had long felt that something was missing: a physical space where that global community could come together in person. "We wanted to take the spirit of Flickr off the screen," says Ben MacAskill, Flickr's president and COO. "The challenge was finding a city that could hold that spirit." They considered a handful of major hubs, but from the outset, Minneapolis stood out. "It has an incredible arts community and a collaborative spirit that felt like a natural fit," MacAskill says. "Plus, the city's commitment to community and diversity within its art scene made it the obvious choice." Within months, the plan for Mode was in motion.
The festival's programming is designed to bridge inspiration and education. Across three days, attendees will choose from more than 50 workshops and panel discussions led by photographers, videographers, and industry veterans. Sessions will cover street photography techniques, art preservation methods, and a showcase by renowned local photographer Jimmy Steinfeldt, whose work has documented Minneapolis's music scene for decades. Steinfeldt, who first gained national attention in the early 1990s with his shots of Prince and the city's thriving alternative rock circuit, says the festival feels like a homecoming. "Minneapolis has always been a visual place," he said in a preparatory interview. "We don't always get the credit for it, but the energy here is unmatched. Mode lets us show that to the world."
Beyond the classroom, Mode leans into its after-dark side. Local musician Cory Wong—a guitarist and composer known for his genre-blending funk and jazz work, and a frequent collaborator with the band Vulfpeck—will headline a concert on Saturday night. The party, which follows an afternoon of impromptu photo walks and happy hours, is expected to carry into the early morning. Organizers have partnered with a handful of downtown venues to host themed parties each night, turning the festival into a citywide celebration rather than a single-venue affair.
The festival's footprint will be unmistakable across Minneapolis. Most events will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center and the Cowles Center, with satellite activities spreading along Nicollet Mall and into Loring Park. There, a giant outdoor gallery will feature prints from Flickr's most celebrated photographers, and free public talks will be held on small stages. "We didn't want Mode to be a gated community," MacAskill says. "Sure, you can buy a full festival pass for $240, but we've also made sure that the creative energy spills out into the city. People walking by on the mall will see huge prints, hear music, and maybe even run into a photo walk happening on the sidewalk." The pass, while not cheap, grants access to all workshops, panels, and the evening concerts—a value organizers expect will attract both serious hobbyists and professionals.
For local businesses, the festival is a welcome shot of energy in mid-September, a time that typically falls between summer tourism and convention season. Restaurants along Nicollet Mall are already planning special menus, and hotels in the downtown core report that room blocks are filling quickly. "We're expecting thousands of visitors, many from out of state or even overseas," says a spokesperson for Meet Minneapolis, the city's tourism bureau. "Mode is going to put Minneapolis in front of a creative, international audience in a way we haven't seen before."
The deeper story, though, is about what Mode represents for the city's identity. Minneapolis has long prided itself on its arts scene—from the Guthrie Theater to the Walker Art Center to a music legacy that spans rock, punk, hip-hop, and jazz. But its visual arts infrastructure has often been overshadowed by larger coasts. "We wanted to create a festival that amplifies the talent already here," MacAskill says. "But we also wanted to attract fresh voices that might not have considered Minneapolis as a creative destination. That's the dual goal." The festival's name, Mode, reflects that ambition—it's a nod to the way photography captures a mode, a mood, a way of seeing.
The first edition of Mode will also serve as a test run for bigger ambitions. Flickr has committed to hosting the festival in Minneapolis for at least the next five years, with plans to expand its footprint each year. "We want attendees to leave talking not only about Mode but about Minneapolis itself," MacAskill says. "If someone comes for the workshops and leaves inspired to shoot the skyline at sunset, we've done our job." For a city that has seen its share of challenges in recent years, the arrival of a global creative gathering signals a quiet confidence—a belief that the Midwest can be a magnet for international talent. And as the September sun sets over Loring Park, with camera shutters clicking and music drifting through the air, Minneapolis will step into its new role: not just a place that celebrates art, but the home of a festival that celebrates the whole world's view.