ESNS 2026

First of all, to summarise everything for you: Eurosonic Noorderslag is an independent platform that scouts emerging artists from all over Europe to put them in the global spotlight. To connect them with people within and outside the music industry, and to support them long-term. As you can probably guess, that means there’s a driving force of passionate people behind the festival. Work that never ends. Money to fund awards and studio sessions. Press, booking. Sound checks and long timetables. Flyers. Marketing. It’s a huge thing — and it works. Since 1986, ESNS has grounded the careers of well-known and undeniably iconic names such as Dua Lipa, Adele, Rosalía, Stromae and Sam Smith. It’s somehow a lovingly, humble thought, imagining someone like Rosalía at Huize Maas in Groningen’s city centre, performing on a stage just one metre above the audience. But everyone started somewhere. And the stars of tomorrow, they start at ESNS, as cheesy as it may sound. 

But before we dive into this year’s talents, let’s stick to the red thread. Usually, ESNS chooses one focus country each year to value its own culture and talents. Except for this year. If you’re good at maths and a focused reader, you may have noticed that 2026 marked the fortieth anniversary of Eurosonic Noorderslag (congrats here, btw!). And to celebrate, more than three hundred artists from overall thirty-nine European countries were invited to perform over the course of four days. From Greece to Iceland. From Lithuania to France, and from Denmark to Ukraine. All under the theme Europe Calling. Because in times like these, when the bad news doesn’t seem to end anymore, solidarity and unity are what count most. 

Everything started on Wednesday night with the Opening Ceremony at Oosterpoort and one special guest: Queen Máxima. Yes, the Queen Consort of the Netherlands, who held a short speech about the importance of musical education and welcomed everyone to Groningen. Alongside her appearance, there were performances by Yin Yin, a Dutch rock band of incredibly cool young guys dressed in black tie. There was Lia Kali, the Spanish R&B singer, as the main act. And there was Alina Pash, a previous MME Awards winner who participated at the ESNS in 2022, now delivering a heartfelt and powerful performance about Ukraine’s current situation.

After that, the festival had officially started, and until Saturday night, guests from all over Europe had the chance to attend panel talks and visit small concerts in venues across the old town: in a nostalgic record store, for example. The Grand Theatre. Or simply a small nightclub. Other special activities included networking opportunities like the House of Europe, or the Pop Walk — a bilingual audio journey that guides you through the city and its musical history. There was food. There were after-parties. There were people chatting and laughing on the streets in all kinds of languages, outside waiting for performances to start, filling the bars. Managers hastening busily through the crowd. Young talents enjoying the atmosphere. And the later the evening got, the more hips you could see being swung on the dance floors. Of course, witnessing every single performance was basically impossible. So logically, the result was that every guest departed on their own kind of journey. In groups, or alone. Following the track through the night. Ending up at a performance here. Ending up at a performance there. As we said: getting lost and experiencing unexpected personal highlights. 

One highlight everyone seemed to agree on, though, was Florence Road, an alternative rock band from Ireland and ‘the next big thing’, as many people whisper. Through gritty vocals, a playful guitar, bass and powerful drums, the band naturally celebrates the power of girlhood and friendship, as well as the Dublin lifestyle. Another highlight, underestimated by many at first but immediately proved them wrong, was the Greek singer Melina. With a mixture of folk and pop, of diva, belly dancer and oud, she enchanted the entire audience within seconds and created one of the best vibes of the entire four days for sure. 

There was also Nejc Pipp & Co. with a small, steamy concert in the back of Oosterpoort. There was Them Flying Monkeys, the punk-rock boy band from Sintra, Portugal. And there was Inspector Spacetime, the carefree, fun and impulsive electronic group from Iceland. When they are on stage, you can definitely bring out your weirdest dance moves without thinking twice. Even if it’s only lunchtime, promise. After their performance on Friday at Plato, the record store in Groningen’s city centre, METAL met them outside in the Dutch, fresh, cold air. Still electrified from screaming their hits Catch Planes and Party at My House into the microphones, and with happy red cheeks, they told us about the feeling they want to create for their audience: “We first and foremost want everybody to dance;” “Dance and sweat;” “Yeah. It would be fun if they also forgot about themselves like we do.” Well, they’re definitely successful with that. 

But that’s not all. There’s even more we have to mention about the 40th ESNS. One of the most important moments during the festival was the Music Moves Europe (MME) Award Ceremony at the Stadsschouwburg in the eastern part of the city. On Thursday night, five MME Awards, one Public Choice Award and one Grand Jury Award were given out to seven of the nominated artists. Among the winners were Camille Yembe, Sofie Royer, and Carpetman, whose award was accepted by his team because the artist himself had to stay home in Ukraine. One nominee who clearly stood out during this evening was Lia Kali. She not only won the Public Choice Award, but also the Grand Jury Award, which focuses on an artist’s unique story and message. Very well deserved, we say. 

In the end, Europe Calling didn’t feel like a slogan chosen for an anniversary, but like a natural conclusion to everything that was happening across Groningen. ESNS feels honest in the way it operates — truly dedicated to giving emerging artists space, visibility and real connections. Without staging moments for forcing narratives. They actively express solidarity through special acts and the support of different foundations. It’s about showing up, listening, and letting music create the links on its own. And in times like these, thinking about Iran, Ukraine, Palestine, Venezuela, the citizens in the US and many other places in crisis, it’s easy to retreat, to protect yourself, and to turn away from what feels distant or unfamiliar. 

Europe is slowly drifting apart, and that makes gatherings like the ESNS even more necessary. For forty years, the festival has quietly or not quietly done the work of bringing people together through music. 2026 was a reminder of why that still matters. So, here’s to the next forty years!