2026 marked UNPOP's final journey to the Black Rock Desert. As in 2024, we ran the installation via 100% solar power allowing for maximum quiet & sustainability. This time, with the help of learning from our past mistakes, all of the electronics and audio setup went incredibly smoothly. UNPOP opened around noon on Sunday, August 30, and played continuously, day and night, through rain and high winds, through the morning of Sunday, September 6, when we shut it down just after sunrise.

As in 2022 and 2024, we used an algorithm to generate a randomized playlist, ensuring that all pieces were played before starting a new random playthrough, while also ensuring that no piece was repeated too soon after its last audition.

UNPOP was positioned further out away from the city than ever before, at 7700' from the man, at a radial position of 12:06, as shown on the artery's placement map.

A view of the city-side entrance to UNPOP, from the inside.

UNPOP just before dawn.

On Friday night, we were visited by Evelyn and Rob, the Balloon Chain artists, whose work we have loved for many years.

This year our collection grew to 161 total pieces, created by 113 different composers (or teams). A list of all of the played pieces for 2026 follows:

For your amusement, we have included the log file generated by the installation, showing the date, time, and name of each piece played in 2026.