ESNS 2026 through five key performances

The 40th edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag returned to Groningen, Netherlands, with a programme packed with emerging talent showcases, panel discussions and industry conferences.

At this year’s edition of ESNS, each morning began with delegates and visitors gathering at the festival and concert hub, Groningen’s De Oosterpoort venue, for a day of panel talks, live podcast recordings and networking sessions designed for first-time discovery, celebration and connection.

Off-site events spread across the city, too – from radio broadcasts to art exhibitions and in-store performances (including one in a bagel restaurant) – before the sun set over the North Netherlands canals, and crowds moved between venues for a night of programming spotlighting the next generation of artists and live acts.

The week was packed with chances to discover new music and pick up industry insight, with in-house bookings and talent exchange schemes bringing together 250+ artists from more than 40 European countries. Here are our five highlights. 

Dove Ellis

Fresh off the release of his new album, Blizzard, and a US support tour with Geese, elusive Irish singer-songwriter Dove Ellis was the immediate talk of the opening evening at ESNS. Taking to the Binnenzaal with his three-piece band, Ellis let the music talk with the quietly commanding stage presence of a natural-born storyteller, his poetic lyricism floating between strings, piano and saxophone. One to watch over 2026 for sure.

Elín Hall

Icelandic artist and actress Elín Hall captivated the Friday night audience with her candidly emotional tales of love, jealousy and growth. Holding onto her own voice while nodding to clear influences, Hall slipped in a cover of David Bowie’s As the World Falls Down, with subtle echoes of Björk’s artistry running through her delivery.

Rethinking Music Consumption panel discussion

Journalist Liz Pelly, author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, Helienne Lindvall, President of the European Composer & Songwriter Alliance, and Austin Robey, founder of Subvert – a cooperatively owned online marketplace for musicians – delved into their shared goal of building an alternative economy for independent music. The conversation moved through big questions: have we maxed out on convenience in music discovery? Can we imagine a future beyond the current streaming model? Or were we always destined for streaming fatalism? Robey closed with the key takeaway, noting that we’ve under-indexed on creative solutions, and underlining Subvert’s push for a more practical path forward.

Snuggle

Danish duo Snuggle, made up of Andrea Thuesen and Vilhelm Strange, arrived on stage straight from a 10-hour journey to a packed-out room at VERA on the Friday night. Weaving in and out of dreamy guitar riffs and soft-tone vocals, they delivered their laid-back shoegaze dream-pop sound, adding to the week’s steady run of standout Nordic acts.

Wesley Joseph

Ahead of his upcoming album, West Midlands artist Wesley Joseph commanded the stage in Groningen, guiding the crowd through tracks like Cold Summer and July, before closing with new cut Pluto Baby. Delivered perched on a speaker, hood up, the track showed off Joseph’s effortless code-switching between rap and vocals. Forever Ends Someday lands on 10 April.