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Eurosonic Noorderslag celebrates European and Dutch music

18 January 2026

This year, Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) marked its 40th edition. With all 7,000 festival tickets and 4,000 Delegate Passes sold (representing 25,000 paying festival visitors), this anniversary edition once again proved ESNS to be the leading showcase festival for emerging European talent. Both the conference and the festival were a resounding success.

Europe Calling

Under the theme Europe Calling, people once again gathered in Groningen. For four days, the city in the north of the Netherlands became the epicentre of the European music sector. On Wednesday, 14 January, Queen Máxima and ESNS director Anna van Nunen officially opened ESNS26.

The ESNS Conference

The ESNS Conference welcomed more than 4,000 music professionals from around the world. Over 520 speakers took part in panel discussions, workshops and keynotes, addressing a wide range of timely and thought-provoking topics.

Don’t want to miss the ESNS Conference in 2027? Early bird sales for Delegate Passes start on 30 January 2026. Keep an eye on the ESNS website for updates.

Eurosonic and Noorderslag festivals

Eurosonic continued on Thursday, 15 and Friday, 16 January, spreading across Groningen’s city centre. At 18 venues, emerging European acts showcased their talent to thousands of music fans and industry professionals. On Saturday, 17 January, the conference made way for Noorderslag, where the best emerging and established Dutch artists performed at De Oosterpoort.

Are you an emerging artist and interested in showcasing your music at ESNS? Artist applications open on 1 March 2026. For more information, visit the ESNS website.

Awards

Several awards were presented during ESNS, honouring artists and their music.

The Popprijs was awarded to Suzan & Freek.
The Music Moves Europe (MME) Awards went to Sofie Royer (Austria), Camille Yembe (Belgium), Sarah Julia (Netherlands), Della (Cyprus) and Carpetman (Ukraine).
Both the Grand Jury Award and the Public Choice Award were won by Lia Kali (Spain).

In addition, the European Festival Awards, IJzeren Podiumdieren, Pop Media Prijs and the Pop Stipendium were presented during ESNS.

About Eurosonic Noorderslag

Founded in 1986 in Groningen, ESNS has grown into the annual beating heart of the European music industry. The event offers something for both music fans and professionals. The ESNS Conference, held at De Oosterpoort, brings together key figures from the music sector and creates opportunities for European artists. In the evenings, music lovers can explore various venues across the city to discover new talent.

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