It’s time for Eurosonic Noorderslag 2023 – Northern Times

From 18th to 21st January 2023, the Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) festival returns to Groningen in its traditional form after being held online twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Tickets are already on sale and the final line up ESNS brings together 290 up-and-coming European artists from 38 countries, ensuring it’s the place to explore and discover groundbreaking acts before they hit the big time.

European artists perform at 40 locations in Groningen from Wednesday to Friday, with upcoming Dutch artists on Saturday at De Oosterpoort. The festival will also host panels, interviews and keynotes on the state of the music industry and its latest developments. Sessions will be devoted primarily to music-related topics such as industry business, sustainability, innovation, and mental health.

Founded in 1986, ESNS aims to discover and promote new European and Dutch music. A combination of new musical performances and innovation-driven conferences attract over 4,000 industry professionals and his 40,000 music lovers each year.

Acts performed at Eurosonic Noorderslag become part of the ESNS exchange programme. This is an initiative to facilitate the booking of European acts at festivals outside their home countries and to increase their media exposure. 2022, ESNS Exchange Supported Nearly 200 festival gigs for ESNS acts.

focus on spain

Each edition is “focused” on a European country. This year, ESNS chose Spain in collaboration with talent export project The Spanish Wave. “Focus on Spain” features performances by a diverse range of Spanish artists from different regions. Among them are Ghouljaboy (Andalusia), Kokoshca (Navarra), Lava Fizz (Baleares), Maestro Espada (Murcia), Marta Knight (Catalonia), Shanghai Baby (Madrid), Tanxugueiras (Galicia), Yo Diablo (Valencia), and Zetak. (Basque). The focus theme will also be reflected in the conference programme, which includes lectures and panels dedicated to the Spanish music industry.

Regarding the reason for choosing Spain, Robert Meijerink, head of the ESNS program, explained the growing interest in music in Spanish, Europe and other countries. Meijerink said the festival hopes to shine a spotlight on Spain’s multifaceted musical landscape.

award

ESNS is also the organizer of two of Europe’s major music awards ceremonies, the European Festivals Award and the Music Moves Europe Award (MME).

The European Festival Awards, an annual celebration of continental Europe’s most famous festivals, are scheduled for the first day of ESNS (January 18th), with 16 accolades.

The MME is the European Union’s award for emerging artists announced on January 19th. Fifteen candidates will compete for the Grand Jury Prize worth €10,000 and his €5,000 tour voucher. In addition, he has five €10,000 cash prizes and a Public Choice Award worth €5,000. The MME Awards aims to promote international careers for new talent. Past winners include hitmakers such as Dua Lipa, Stromae and Rosalia.