European Talent Exchange reports strong interim results

The European Talent Exchange Programme (ETEP) has released its first interim results following the 2025 edition of the Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) showcase festival. As of now, 110 emerging artists from 29 countries have secured a total of 240 bookings at 77 festivals across 30 countries. While the program primarily supports European festivals, the latest round of bookings also includes international events such as the Coachella Festival in the United States. Notable European festivals participating in the initiative include Reeperbahn Festival (Germany), Ypsigrock Festival (Italy), Paléo Festival Nyon (Switzerland), Rock for People (Czech Republic), Rock Werchter (Belgium), Electric Castle (Romania), Roskilde Festival (Denmark), Mad Cool Festival (Spain), Best Kept Secret (Netherlands), and Øyafestivalen (Norway). Among the most-booked acts so far are Luvcat (UK, nine bookings), Cliffords (Ireland, eight bookings), Big Special (UK, seven bookings), Sylvie Kreusch (Belgium, seven bookings), and Boko Yout (Sweden, five bookings). Other frequently booked artists include Judeline (Spain), Daufødt (Norway), Erika Rein (Slovakia), Carpetman (Ukraine), Woomb (Bulgaria), and Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers (Netherlands). Organizers say these bookings highlight the program’s effectiveness in helping new talent reach broader audiences. Artists performing at ESNS are eligible for inclusion in the exchange program, which is connected to a network of around 130 partner festivals. The ESNS Radar tool tracks these bookings in real time. Coordinated by the Dutch ESNS festival in Groningen and supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme, the initiative is run in cooperation with Yourope (the European Festival Association) and the European Broadcasting Union. It also involves 23 member organizations, five associated partners, and 26 national export offices. Meanwhile, submissions for the 2026 edition of ESNS are now open. European artists can apply to perform at the next showcase in Groningen, set to take place from January 14 to 17, 2026, marking the festival’s 40th anniversary. Applications are open until September 1, 2025. Picture: Boko Yout at the Grand Theatre by Ben Houdijk