This year’s festival season kicked off with a bang in the Netherlands: The Eurosonic Noorderslag Festival (ESNS), Europe’s largest live music showcase event, took place in Groningen from 17 to 20 January. Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg was actively engaged in promoting artists, networking, and participating in various conferences to gain insights into the future trends of the industry. A delegation of professionals from Luxembourg (including den Atelier, de Gudde Wëllen, Kulturfabrik, opderschmelz, Rotondes, Beast, Cooperations, Them Lights, Konektis Entertainment amongst others) also attended the showcase festival to foster connections, engage with industry experts, and explore emerging talents. Two Luxembourgish artists stood out in the packed festival line-up: CHAiLD and C’est Karma.
On the opening night of the festival, CHAiLD wowed the international audience with a phenomenal performance at Simplon UP. With his appearance at ESNS and Reeperbahn Festival in September last year, CHAiLD has played both of Europe’s major showcase festivals in the space of just four months. This underlines his growing prominence on the European music scene.
C’est Karma (selected by Luxembourg’s public radio station 100,7) took the stage on Thursday in front of a packed house of delegates and fans at VERA, a legendary venue that hosted bands like Nirvana, U2, Sonic Youth and Soundgarden in the 1980s. As is common practice at showcase festivals, each performance at the ESNS is limited to a maximum of 40 minutes. In this short period of time, C’est Karma was able to completely captivate the audience and allow them to lose themselves in her fascinating musical cosmos. The performance was recorded by the German public TV channel WDR and is set to air on their renowned program Rockpalast on the 18th of March 2024.
Playing at ESNS not only means playing at the festival in January. Acts that play at the festival also take part in the ESNS Exchange programme. ESNS Exchange facilitates the booking of European acts at festivals outside their home countries and works with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), export offices and local media (the Luxembourgish partner is 100,7) to generate significant media exposure for these artists. This way, ESNS Exchange aims to give a boost to the international careers of European artists.
The coming year will certainly have a lot in store for CHAiLD and C’est Karma.
As the anticipation builds for the Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) 2024 festival in Groningen, Netherlands, music enthusiasts and industry insiders alike are gearing up for a spectacular showcase of emerging European talent. Scheduled from January 17 to 21, the event promises a platform for 294 artists to captivate the audience of 4,000 delegates and around 40,000 visitors.
Young rising electro pop artist and singer-songwriter CHAiLD will join C’est Karma on the line-up of the 2024 edition of ESNS. Influenced by the likes of Troye Sivan, Sam Smith, Julia Michaels, and Mø, CHAiLD has crafted a distinctive pop style that integrates his Italian roots, creating a sonic journey that resonates with authenticity. Beyond his musical prowess, CHAiLD is a generational voice for the queer youth, offering a channel for self-expression through his evocative melodies.
Artists who perform at Eurosonic will also be included in the ESNS Exchange Programme, which helps European acts to be booked at festivals outside their home countries and gives them extensive media exposure in collaboration with the EBU (of which radio 100,7 is a member), export offices (including Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg) and local media.
More information here.
Shortly after the turn of the year, Groningen (NL) will be the place to be for international music lovers and music industry professionals. From 17 to 21 January, ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) will present more than 350 emerging European artists who will have the opportunity to perform in front of 4,000 delegates and around 40,000 visitors. Two acts from Luxembourg are part of the selected line-up. C’est Karma has already been announced on the recommendation of radio 100,7. The musician, passionate activist and pasta lover will be making her ESNS debut. The second act will be announced in the coming weeks.
Artists who perform at Eurosonic will also be included in the ESNS Exchange Programme, which helps European acts to be booked at festivals outside their home countries and gives them extensive media exposure in collaboration with the EBU (of which radio 100,7 is a member), export offices (including Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg) and local media.
More information here.
And that’s a wrap on ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) 2023! MAZ, Francis of Delirium, and TUYS, all made Luxembourg proud through their performances throughout the Groningen, Netherlands-based showcase festival. For Francis of Delirium and TUYS, this was their first live-and-in-person event at ESNS after being presented digitally the past two years due to the pandemic. MAZ on the other-hand (selected with Luxembourg’s public service radio station 100,7) made his ESNS debut.
“It was an honour to be at Eurosonic this year,” said MAZ. “I’ve played a lot of showcases around Europe over the years, yet everywhere you go, ESNS is always talked about as ‘the spot to be,’ so I was really glad I was chosen to perform.”
We kicked off the festival week on Wednesday, January 18th with a late-night News Café session featuring psych-pop band TUYS, who have been part of the ESNS Exchange program for a couple of years now. Playing at ESNS not only means playing at the festival in January. Acts that played at the festival also are a part of the ESNS Exchange programme. ESNS Exchange, the European Talent Exchange Programme, was introduced in 2003 to make the ‘exchange’ of European artists across Europe possible on a greater scale than ever before. An initiative of ESNS, ESNS Exchange facilitates the bookings of European acts on festivals outside their home countries and generates extensive media exposure for these artists in cooperation with Euroradio, export offices and local media (our local media partner is 100,7). This way, ESNS Exchange aims to give a boost to the international careers of European artists.
Yann Gengler (Bass and singer) of the band mentioned they “had the chance to play at least three ESNS Exchange festivals last year through the program (Iceland Airwaves, FOCUS Wales, and Reeperbahn Festival). It was an amazing experience to perform shows and get to meet new artists and professionals in various markets.”
We continued on Friday with three more shows. Francis of Delirium performed a few songs to a packed Plato Records Store performance in the afternoon followed by their official ESNS showcase at the mythical and sold out VERA. The band’s two shows arrived off the back of their live performance last year at ESNS’s Music Moves Europe Talent Awards, of which the band was nominated.
“We got to come up to Groningen to perform at the awards ceremony, however due to the pandemic the city was completely shut down, so we didn’t get to perform in front of an audience.” Lead singer and guitarist Jana Bahrich mentioned. “So it was really exciting to be at ESNS23 this year and to see the city buzzing with the eclectic mix of acts playing around the city.”
MAZ finished the musical portion of the week with a full house of fans and delegates at the Grand Theatre Main, a strong performance that Dutch public broadcasting company, RTV Noord, gave an “11/10 (!).”
WHAT THE MEDIA ARE SAYING
“It’s the weekend and everyone feels [the enthusiasm], because there is plenty of dancing and jumping. Also by this reviewer.’ His verdict: 11/10 (!).” – RTV Noord
“Francis of Delirium ripped through an impressive show of 90s inflected alt-rock with all the fervour and grit of a teenage nightmare.” – The Line Of Best Fit
“…[Francis of Delirium] showed some real emotion in ‘Quit Fucking Around’ that really clicked. Bahrich is only 21, there is still room for growth. What she has already said makes us look forward to more.” – HUMO
“At the Grand Theatre, MAZ delivered an energetic show and wowed the room with an epic performance. His rhymes came as if from the flint. His stylistic jumps from rap to metal to emo kept one on edge. We are curious how things will continue for our famous rapper.” – 100,7
We’re kicking off 2023 with one of the most exciting showcase festivals of the year! MAZ, Francis of Delirium, and TUYS, are all headed to ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag), which is set to take place live-and-in-person from 18-21 January, 2023. Francis of Delirium and TUYS both were presented digitally during the festival’s online conference the past two years due to the pandemic while MAZ (selected with Luxembourg’s public service radio station 100,7) will make his ESNS debut. This will be a unique year in that it’s the first time ESNS has confirmed three Luxembourgish acts at the annual event (in years past only two were sent).
More info on each of the artists can be found here.
Discover the schedule below.
TUYS | Wednesday 18 January
23:35 – 00:15 at News Café
Francis of Delirium | Friday, 20 January
20:45 – 21:30 at Vera
12:50 – 13:10 at Plato Record Store
MAZ | Friday, 20 January
21:30 – 22:15 at Grand Theatre Main
ESNS, the key exchange for emerging European music talent, is thrilled to welcome its visitors back to Groningen in The Netherlands. The festival remains one of the most important events for emerging artists each year, who have the opportunity to perform in-front of a selection of 4.000 delegates and around 40.000 visitors. The organisation also helps to stimulate and push the circulation of European music across the continent and beyond.
Artists who perform for Eurosonic are also added to the ESNS Exchange programme which helps to facilitate the bookings of European acts on festivals outside of their home countries and generate extensive media exposure for them in cooperation with the EBU (of which 100,7 is part of), export offices (including Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg) and local media. As part of ESNS Exchange, Luxembourgish acts Francis of Delirium, TUYS, and Klein, all of which have been part of the recent ESNS Exchange program, were able to perform at festivals like Reeperbahn Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, FOCUS Wales, Maifeld Derby, and most recently all three at Iceland Airwaves.
After two years of the cancelled physical editions of ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag), Francis of Delirium and TUYS, both of which were represented digitally at the festival, have just been announced on the lineup for 2023. The two acts will join MAZ (selected with Luxembourg’s public service radio station 100,7) for the event live-and-in-person from 18-21 January. This will be the very first time that ESNS has confirmed three Luxembourgish acts at the annual event (in years past only two were sent).
ESNS, the key exchange for emerging European music talent, is thrilled to welcome its visitors back to Groningen in The Netherlands. The festival remains one of the most important events for emerging artists each year, who have the opportunity to perform in-front of a selection of 4.000 delegates and around 40.000 visitors. The organisation also helps to stimulate and push the circulation of European music across the continent and beyond.
Artists who perform for Eurosonic are also added to the ESNS Exchange programme which helps to facilitate the bookings of European acts on festivals outside of their home countries and generate extensive media exposure for them in cooperation with the EBU (of which 100,7 is part of), export offices (including Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg) and local media. As part of ESNS Exchange, Luxembourgish acts Francis of Delirium, TUYS, and Klein, all of which have been part of the recent ESNS Exchange program, were able to perform at festivals like Reeperbahn Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, FOCUS Wales, Maifeld Derby, and most recently all three at Iceland Airwaves.
Want to join MAZ, Francis of Delirium, and TUYS at Eurosonic? Professionals can apply for financial support to attend via the Kultur lx “Support for mobility, research and career development.” Deadline to apply is Wednesday, December 28th. More details here.
ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag), the key exchange for emerging European music talent announces the first acts for its 37th edition line-up – the first physical edition after two fully digital editions. The organisation is thrilled to welcome its visitors back to Groningen in January 2023.
The first batch of artists have been selected in cooperation with NPO 3FM and European national radio broadcasters – collaborating within the EBU (European Broadcasting Union). Emo-rap artist, Maz, has been selected in collaboration with Luxembourg’s public service radio station 100,7.
Eurosonic remains one of the most important events for emerging artists of the year, who have the opportunity to perform in-front of a selection of 4.000 delegates and around 40.000 visitors. The organisation also helps to stimulate and push the circulation of European music across the continent and beyond. Artists who perform for Eurosonic are also added to the ESNS Exchange programme which helps to facilitate the bookings of European acts on festivals outside of their home countries and generate extensive media exposure for them in cooperation with the EBU (of which 100,7 is part of), export offices (including Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg) and local media.
Risen out of the ashes of early 2000’s Metal and Rock influences, MAZ is known for delivering a powerful and truthful message to his audiences with a determination to not only scratch at the surface, but to tear through it and see what lies underneath. With a sharpened musical and visual identity, the young rapper wants to give the voiceless not just a voice, but also an uncompromising vision and thus urging his listeners to drop the self-imposed masks and all other unnecessary superficialities to eventually find their true selves.
Want to join MAZ at Eurosonic? Professionals can apply for financial support to attend via the Kultur lx “Support for mobility, research and career development.” Deadline to apply is Wednesday, December 28th. More details here.
We’re only days away before artist applications for ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) 2023 close on September 1st.
Why apply?
ESNS highlights the very best emerging acts every year, showcasing the diversity of musical talent across Europe. ESNS is the key exchange for emerging European music talent, with a proven track record of helping to break new acts on the international music scene, with well-known “alumni” such as Altin Gün, Arlo Parks, Alyona Alyona, Celeste, Dua Lipa, and Wet Leg.
Playing at ESNS not only means playing at the festival in January. Acts that played at the festival also are a part of the ESNS Exchange programme. ESNS Exchange, the European Talent Exchange Programme, was introduced in 2003 to make the ‘exchange’ of European artists across Europe possible on a greater scale than ever before. An initiative of ESNS, ESNS Exchange facilitates the bookings of European acts on festivals outside their home countries and generates extensive media exposure for these artists in cooperation with Euroradio, export offices and local media (our local media partner is 100,7). This way, ESNS Exchange aims to give a boost to the international careers of European artists.
This year, our very own ESNS Exchange 2022 band, Francis of Delirium, also had the unique opportunity to represent Luxembourg for the first time at the annual Music Moves Europe Award ceremony. The band has been very active on the road this year, performing at Maifeld Derby, with forthcoming appearances at Iceland Airwaves and Reeperbahn Festival among a number of tour dates this year. The band recently announced their support tour for Soccer Mommy’s entire UK/EU tour, starting August 31 in Nottingham (full list of dates here).
Interested in applying? Head here and don’t forget to apply by Thursday, September 1st.
ESNS 2023 – Eurosonic Noorderslag (Groningen, Netherlands)
Apply here: esns.nl/play-at-esns
Deadline: September 1, 2022
European artists can apply to play at ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) 2023 now! ESNS highlights the very best emerging acts from a different country every year, showcasing the diversity of musical talent across Europe, including our very own Luxembourgish bands and ESNS Exchange 2022 bands, Francis of Delirium and TUYS. The artist applications for the upcoming edition – for all European artists – are open now.
ESNS is the key exchange for emerging European music talent, with a proven track record of helping to break new acts on the international music scene, with well-known names such as Altin Gün, Arlo Parks, Alyona Alyona, Celeste, Dua Lipa, and Wet Leg. Playing at ESNS not only means playing at the festival in January. Acts that played at the festival also are a part of the ESNS Exchange programme. ESNS Exchange, the European Talent Exchange Programme, was introduced in 2003 to make the ‘exchange’ of European artists across Europe possible on a greater scale than ever before. An initiative of ESNS, ESNS Exchange facilitates the bookings of European acts on festivals outside their home countries and generates extensive media exposure for these artists in cooperation with Euroradio, export offices and local media. This way, ESNS Exchange aims to give a boost to the international careers of European artists.
Reeperbahn Festival (Hamburg, Germany)
Apply here: reeperbahnfestival.com/en/info/band-application
Deadline: July 23, 2022
For four days every September, the international music community meets in St. Pauli district. The eponymous festival takes place on and all around the Reeperbahn strip. As colourful and diverse as the area is the choice of locations and international performing artists: concerts will be hosted in places as different as Molotow music club and the St. Pauli church.
With more than 360 different concerts, readings, art happenings and movie screenings, the festival is packed with highlights for every music lover. From heavy metal and punk to indie, hip-hop, jazz and soul: visitors and artists alike will have plenty of opportunity to broaden their musical minds beyond genre boundaries.
Iceland Airwaves (Reykjavik, Iceland)
Apply here: icelandairwaves.is/apply-en/
Deadline: June 30, 2022
Situated halfway between North America and Europe, Iceland Airwaves brings together the country’s brightest emerging musical talent and forward-thinking international acts each November for four days and nights. For two decades Airwaves has shone a spotlight on new talent, with early appearances from the likes of Mac DeMarco, James Blake, Sufjan Stevens, Young Fathers, Sigrid, Florence and The Machine, and many more.
Iceland Airwaves aims for acts who they feel will have a good chance of successful outcomes from their performance (good attendance to their show, good media and industry interest). They do receive some applications from new talent that while very good, are not always relevant to the audience and market. In those cases, it’s less easy to justify putting those artists on the line-up. Please be mindful of this before applying to the festival (or any music festival for that matter) and reach out to your respective project manager should there be any doubts.
MIL Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal)
Apply here: millisboa.com/playmil2022
Deadline: June 15, 2022
Happening in Lisbon on September 28, 29 and 30, MIL Lisboa focuses on the discovery, promotion, valorisation and internationalisation of current popular music. In a showcase and convention format, MIL anticipates future trends and sparks the debate around the issues that will shape the future of music and cultural sectors.
For three days, Lisbon will become the meeting point for hundreds of artists, music and cultural professionals coming from all over the world for a wide variety of networking and training opportunities. More information is available at millisboa.com.
MaMA Festival (Paris, France)
Apply here: mama-musicandconvention.com/en/play-mama/
Deadline: May 31, 2022
From the 12th to the 14th October 2022, MaMA Music will give the chance to agencies, label, publishing or management companies to have their artists – wherever they come from – to play in front of an international audience of music professionals, media and Parisian festival-goers. MaMA Music will showcase over 120 bands taking place across 10 emblematic venues and unusual places of Paris’ Pigalle and Montmartre districts.
With more than 6, 500 attending professionals, MaMA is the greatest French gathering of the music industry. By day, MaMA suggests a conference program featuring over 400 international speakers and 170 panels, keynotes, workshops, match-making sessions and cocktails for music industry actors. Music industry highlights will be covered such as: women in the music industry, sustainability and ecological issues, streaming, finance and values, marketing and communication, innovation and data, entrepreunership, brands and media, international markets, publishing, cultural policies, synchro, creation and autoproduction…bringing together +400 french and international speakers.
WAVES (Vienna, Austria)
Apply here: https://bit.ly/3w1DbRq
Deadline: May 31, 2022
Waves’ motto is “East meets West.” Numerous international alternative, electronic, rock, and club acts will be performing around Vienna’s 9th district. Additionally local artists and sophisticated musicians from Eastern Europe form an essential part of the festival’s programme. Every year, Waves Festival welcomes two countries as special guests. There will be a focus on acts from these countries in the live programme while the Waves Festival Conference devotes a part of its programme to the respective music markets and scenes of these two countries.
Nominated for the Music Moves Awards Europe, presented among the essential artists of the last edition of the Eurosonic Festival which took place from January 18th to 21st in Groningen, the Netherlands, Francis of Delirium looks back on this experience.
1/ Can you tell us about your experience in Groningen and the MMEA Awards ceremony? How did you prepare your showcase?
It was really exciting to get to go to the Netherlands a perform there, even if it was just for a virtual audience. That was our first time playing in the Netherlands and it just made us want to come back and get to see Eurosonic when it’s in its full glory. I think we prepared in a pretty standard way, me and the band met after the New Year and did a couple rehearsals. I painted my pants for the performance.
2/ What does it mean to you being nominated for MMEA?
It was kind of a shock, especially seeing the other nominees. We only realized halfway through the show that we frequently play one of the nominees music in the car when we’re driving to go to shows, so it was cool to get be around other really creative and talented musicians!
3/ Did you have much interaction with the others artists during the event? If so, any particular favorites? In the Netherlands restrictions were pretty tight, so there wasn’t much time for socializing but we got to quickly chat and hopefully will keep in touch with the other nominees.
4/ How did the show go?
I think the show was a success. It’s always good to go out and play, it just makes me want to do it more and reminds me why I play music. So now I really just can’t wait to tour the US!
Want to (re)discover Francis of Delirium’s performance?