The 38th edition of ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag), the key exchange for emerging European music, concluded on 20th January with a phenomenal edition of Noorderslag at the Oosterpoort in Groningen, the Netherlands. ESNS reflects on a successful event where 280 new European acts showcased their talents to around 40,000 enthusiastic music fans and professionals worldwide. ESNS25 is scheduled to take place from January 15 to 18, 2025.
Groningen took centre stage for ESNS from Wednesday evening (January 17), hosting four days of events. Wandering between the dozens of stages scattered across the city, a passionate audience of music lovers and professionals sought out new talent, where the most memorable moments happened by chance: entering a venue and discovering the act of the night, striking up a conversation at the bar that turns out to be a great business connection, or putting a random suggestion from the ESNS playlist on repeat. Dozens of other new artists were ready to be discovered simultaneously.
Frans Vreeke, interim director of ESNS, expressed satisfaction with the success of the 38th edition:
“Once again, Groningen was the music capital of Europe and beyond. Thanks to the dedication and quality of artists, visitors, delegates, and our staff, we had a wonderful week with an amazing atmosphere. ESNS continues to play an indispensable role for the Dutch and European music community, especially for Dutch talent. Eurosonic, Noorderslag, and the conference once again showcased the strength and diversity of European pop culture. We look forward to the year ahead where we will undoubtedly see many acts that have proven themselves at ESNS on the stages of European summer festivals.”
Head of Programme Robert Meijerink is enthusiastic about how the broad and diverse program was received:
“ESNS is the curator for emerging talent on their way to becoming the headliners of the future. The quality of acts from all over Europe is outstanding, with notable performances by artists such as Bulgarian Cartrader (Bulgaria), Fat Dog (England), freekind. (Slovenia), MARO (Portugal), Tramhaus (the Netherlands), YĪN YĪN (the Netherlands), yunè pinku (Ireland), and Zaho de Sagazan (France) resonating well with our audience of music lovers, professionals, and music media. Dutch acts like Elephant, néomi, ROLROLROL, Sarah Julia, and The Vices are gaining traction in the European music sector.”
The impact of ESNS continues even after the event: “We see that acts immediately reap the benefits of their showcase at ESNS. From the data we receive through ESNS Radar and Analytics, we see the fanbases of acts growing. And through ESNS Exchange, the exchange platform for European talent, the first ESNS acts have already been booked for major festivals.”
Acts from forty European countries took the spotlight during Eurosonic from Wednesday to Friday, providing a platform for the most promising acts from the rich and diverse European pop culture.
For many music professionals, a successful show at ESNS serves as a stamp of quality. Festivals participating in ESNS Exchange, the exchange programme for European talent, have revealed their highlights from ESNS. It’s noteworthy that acts from less traditional music countries are also well represented. In addition to the previously mentioned acts, these are the first artists that music fans should keep an eye on this summer: English Teacher (uk-eng), Klawo (pl), LEILA (ch), Loverman (be), Prisma (dk), and Zamilska (pl).
ESNS and Music Export Poland are excited about the Focus on Poland program, with the country being represented by twelve new acts. They were put on the map of the international music industry by two complete packed business mixers, creating attention to the participating artists, thriving Polish scene and its music sector. At the music conference various current and music-related topics from Poland were discussed by speakers and delegates.
Noorderslag, the festival on Saturday focusing on Dutch talent, successfully expanded this year with an afternoon program. Over fifty Dutch acts showcased their talents, including performances by Elmer, Froukje, Kay Slice, Ploegendienst, YĪN YĪN, and Zoë Livay.
Several awards were presented at ESNS24. The Music Moves Europe Awards were awarded to Zaho de Sagazan (fr, Grand Jury Award & MME Public Choice Award Winner), Bulgarian Cartrader (bg), freekind. (si), Giift (dk), Ralphie Choo (es), and yunè pinku (ie). The Popprijs was awarded to Joost Klein.
The international music industry was well-represented in Groningen, with over 4,000 music professionals from Europe plus delegations from countries such as Canada, India, and Mexico.
With over 500 speakers participating in the music conference, diverse and important topics were addressed, including the widely covered report from ‘Taskforce GO!’ on misconduct in the music industry. Various sessions explored the impact of climate change on the music industry. ESNS and Soundcharts proudly announced EMERGE, a groundbreaking AI project for the European music industry connecting European music with sync professionals. ESNS also presented the report ‘The State of European Music’ for 2023.
ESNS, in collaboration with Italia Music Lab, have also announced that Italy is the focus country for 2025. Every year, ESNS highlights the best emerging acts from a European country, showcasing the diversity of musical talent across Europe. Applications for the upcoming edition—for all European artists—will open on May 1 via ESNS.nl
