Open Call for European Artists to Showcase at ESNS 2025

01 May 2024 - Press release

Starting today, applications to showcase at ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag), the key exchange for emerging European music, are open for all European artists at ESNS.nl

From 15 to 18 January 2025, ESNS will host around 40,000 enthusiastic music fans and professionals in Groningen, the Netherlands, for four days of exploring European talent. During the day, around 4,000 music professionals will gather at the annual ESNS Conference to meet with key players in the European industry, discuss the latest trends and create new opportunities for European artists. By night, passionate music lovers wander between the dozens of stages scattered around the city, looking for new talent to discover.

Apply to play at ESNS25
ESNS invites all European artists to showcase at Eurosonic Noorderslag by submitting the online application at ESNS.nl before September 1, 2024.

ESNS traditionally books acts from across the continent, offering a broad and proportionate programme. Performing artists must hold a passport issued by one of the eligible countries, and only acts from European countries are eligible to play at ESNS.  

Focus on Italy
In 2025, Italy will be the focus country for ESNS. Each year, ESNS highlights the best emerging acts from a European country, showcasing the diversity of musical talent across Europe. The focus on Italy will bring the latest musical acts from Italy to the ESNS stage and put them in front of an audience of industry professionals, media and music lovers.

Automatically enrol in the ESNS Exchange programme
ESNS Exchange, co-funded by the European Union's Creative Europeprogramme, facilitates the booking of European acts at festivals outside their home countries and works with the EBU, Yourope, export offices and local media to generate significant media exposure for these artists. In this way, ESNS Exchange aims to boost the international careers of European artists. 

Artists who are invited to showcase at ESNS are automatically enrolled into the ESNS Exchange programme. To date, ESNS Exchange has supported 2,259 European artists from 37 countries, enabling them to perform at an impressive 5,533 shows across 196 partner festivals in 44 countries.

ESNS Exchange stood at the base of numerous successful careers such as Editors, The xx, Anna Calvi, AURORA, Phoenix, Shame, Sigrid, Fontaines D.C., MEDUZA, Altin Gün, Priya Ragu, Alyona Alyona, Go_A, Uche Yara, Chalk, Fat Dog, yunè pinku, Sekou and many more.

A complete charts overview, including a line-up archive of about 130 Exchange partner festivals counting ESNS Exchange alumni and the rest of the bookings, are available at ESNS Radar at radar.esns.nl/bookings-artist-chart 


Open Call for ESNS Conference
ESNS welcomes ideas for panels, keynotes, workshops and other programme contributions for the ESNS conference and will be launching an open call later this year.

ESNS25 Delegate Passes
A limited amount of Delegate Passes for ESNS25 are now available at a Medium rate at ESNS.nl
Purchase a Delegate Pass