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From 14 to 17 January 2026, Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) will celebrate its 40th anniversary in Groningen. Europe’s largest showcase festival will bring more than 250 promising European and Dutch artists to over 40 locations in the city centre. For four days, the city will be dominated by new musical talent, transforming Groningen into the beating heart of the European music industry.
ESNS is an independent platform that puts European music talent in the spotlight worldwide. The festival combines four days of performances with a music conference where the international music industry comes together. For many artists, performing at ESNS is a springboard to major European festivals and an international breakthrough.
Eurosonic takes place from 14 to 16 January and showcases talent from across Europe, from Icelandic indie pop to Hungarian jazz hip hop. Noorderslag on 17 January is traditionally dedicated to the best Dutch talent and has been considered a barometer for the Dutch music scene since 1986.
Especially for the anniversary, the free programme is bigger than ever. Even without a ticket, you can enjoy music, art and creativity in the city centre of Groningen.
During Grunnsonic, northern talents perform on the Grote Markt and in various cafés throughout the city. At record shop Plato in Oude Ebbingestraat, you can enjoy Platosonic for free from 15 to 17 January, where artists who also play at ESNS give in-store performances.
The ESNS Popwalk is a free audio walking route that charts forty years of pop history. Using your phone, you can follow more than thirty locations with iconic stories about the festival and the artists. At the Grote Markt and Nieuwe Markt, you can view the development of nineteen ESNS artists in the “Then and Now” photo exhibition. In addition, you can visit House of Connections for ESNS Talks about the music industry, and fans of loud music will find their place at Wolfsonic in De Witte Wolf.
| Date | Wednesday 14 January 2026 untill Saturday 17 January 2026 |
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