Kansas City Kansas Community College
The festival space at Kansas City Kansas Community College is the Performing Arts Center on the main campus, a full theater holding up to 365 people with a sound system, stage lighting and a grand piano. EMM's concerts here are free and open to the public, and the festival returns for its 25th annual edition in 2027, running Thursday to Saturday with afternoon and evening concerts. Mass transit in the area is virtually non-existent, so plan to drive or rent a car.
Before you go
- Capacity
- Performing Arts Center 365
- Indoor or outdoor
- Indoor: the Performing Arts Center on the main campus
- Official site
- kckcc.edu
- Next festival here
- Electronic Music Midwest, Feb 4 to 6, 2027
Worth knowing before you go
- Campus parking requires a sticker; the college issues a free one through Admissions.
- Mass transit in the area is virtually non-existent.
- Campus hours are 8am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday; festival concerts run to their own schedule, including evenings.
- The theater holds up to 365.
- Alcohol on campus needs separate approval, so any bar at an event is permit specific.
Festivals here
Venue basics: Parking needs a college sticker · Almost no public transport; rent a car · Wheelchair accessible theater.
Is it for you
Choose it if
- You want a free, seated, indoor listening room with an immersive sound system.
- You are after electronic media performance rather than a big outdoor stage.
Think twice if
- You are relying on public transport: there is virtually none in the area.
- You want a big crowd: the theater holds up to 365.
- You are planning to camp: there is no visitor camping at the college.
Getting there and parking
EMM uses the Performing Arts Center on KCKCC's main campus. Mass transit in the area is virtually non-existent, and the festival advises visitors to rent a vehicle.
Parking on campus requires a sticker; the college provides a free parking sticker and handbook through Admissions. The campus's normal hours are 8am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, and the festival's concert schedule runs separately.
Festival-specific · EMMThe 2027 festival runs Thursday to Saturday with afternoon and evening concerts.
Accessibility
The Performing Arts Center is wheelchair accessible. Across campus, KCKCC's facilities include elevators, braille signage, tactile paving, ramps, automatic doors and accessible parking, and Student Accessibility and Support Services provides accommodations.
Confirm your specific needs with the venue before you travel (kckcc.edu).
Camping
No camping identified. KCKCC has student housing, but that is not visitor camping.
Food, water and what you can bring
On-campus dining is available through the Blue Devil Café and Brew Devil Coffee Shop. Alcohol on campus needs separate approval under the college's rental policy, so any service at an event is permit specific.
Sound and sensory
EMM is built around electronic media performance and uses a 12-channel immersive system in the Performing Arts Center, which has its own sound system, stage lighting and a grand piano. An independent review of the 2023 festival described the sound as superlative, crisp and well balanced, the seating as comfortable and the audience as attentive: a listening room rather than a field.
Quick answers
How many people does the KCKCC Performing Arts Center hold?
Up to 365. It is a full theater with dressing rooms, a sound system, stage lighting and a grand piano.
Is the KCKCC Performing Arts Center wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The campus also has elevators, braille signage, tactile paving, ramps, automatic doors and accessible parking.
Can I get to KCKCC by public transport?
Realistically, no. EMM says mass transit in the area is virtually non-existent and advises renting a vehicle.
Is there food on the KCKCC campus?
Yes. The Blue Devil Café and Brew Devil Coffee Shop are on campus.
Can I camp at KCKCC?
No. The college has student housing, but there is no visitor camping.
What is the sound like at EMM?
The festival uses a 12-channel immersive system, and a 2023 review called the sound superlative, crisp and well balanced.
A little history
EMM returns to Kansas City Kansas Community College for its 25th annual festival in 2027.