Making Time ∞ is coming back in Fort Mifflin

There won’t be an infinite number of acts playing at the MakingTime ∞ festival at historic Fort Mifflin this fall. But there will be a lot.

In its fourth year at the National Historic Landmark near the Philadelphia International Airport, Making Time impresario David Pianka’s outdoor electronic music-plus festival will present over 100 artists performing on five stages from Sept. 20-22.

This year’s attractions at the 42-acre site (with a history that goes back to the Revolutionary War era) include British producer Floating Points; Philadelphia DJ and Blacktronika tastemaker and educator King Britt; a pair of UK duos in Optimo (Espacio) and Bicep; Detroit electro pioneer DJ Stingray; and the Belgian collective 2ManyDJs. Philly dance music makers Universal Cave, Jewelssea, Zillas on Acid, and Rich Medina will also play.

Making Time emphasizes electronic music but also features live bands. This year’s lineup features several sterling bookings, including Los Angeles folk songwriter Jessica Pratt — whose Here in the Pitch is one of the finest albums released so far in 2024 — plus Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti, Brooklyn post-punk dance band Model/Actriz, and Norwegian sax player Bendik Giske.

Ricardo Rivera’s Philly lighting design company Klip Collective will supply the trippy visuals at the Fort, which was captured by the British army in 1777 and housed Confederate army prisoners during the Civil War. It’s located six miles south of Center City on the western bank of the Delaware River.

For the second year in a row, Making Time is happening the same weekend as XPoNential Music Festival, the event presented by University of Pennsylvania radio station WXPN-FM (88.5).

Last year, both fests were hit hard by a weekend-long storm, which caused many Making Time festivalgoers to huddle inside at Fort Mifflin’s many casemates, once used to store munitions that served as chill-out rooms.

After the Fort’s grounds were damaged due to the heavy rain last year, Pianka staged a dance party fundraiser in Brooklyn that raised $20,000 to pay for repairs of the site. In announcing this year’s fest, Pianka said: “Making Time ∞ is about banding together to transcend inclement weather, by-numbers lineups, and corporate overlords of all persuasions. This is what makes Making Time ∞ totally unique and totally unforgettable. Each year, we come to Making Time ∞ for something different, something ambitious, abnormal and, yes, transcendent.”

Thee-day passes are on sale for $225 (plus fees) on Dice.Fm. To avoid fees, tickets are available at the restaurants Middle Child and Middle Child Clubhouse in Philadelphia, and the Lot Radio in Brooklyn.