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Spotlight on Ireland

Ireland will take center stage at the 2027 edition of ESNS. Every year, the festival highlights the best-emerging acts from a European country, showcasing the diversity of musical talent across Europe. In close cooperation with Ireland’s leading music organisation First Music Contact and Irish radio station RTÉ 2FM as media partner, ESNS curates a programme that celebrates Irish music success from 13 to 16 January in Groningen. By putting its focus on Ireland, ESNS acknowledges Ireland’s investment in their artists and forward-thinking infrastructure as best practice.

It is the second time in the history of ESNS that the festival and conference are highlighting talent and topics from Ireland. After 15 years ESNS, First Music Contact and RTÉ 2FM feel it is the right momentum to put the spotlight on the Emerald Isle again. First Music Contact runs the annual showcase event Ireland Music Week, and the Irish Music export office, Music From Ireland. RTÉ 2FM is part of Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ.

Angela Dorgan, First Music Contact CEO:

Through significant investment of resources from Culture Ireland and the Arts Council we have been able to invest in education, professionalisation and support for Irish artists and their teams, with follow up tour funding from Culture Ireland to help our artists benefit from the opportunities offered through ESNS, Ireland has taken it’s place as a producer of world class artists.

Over the years, Irish artists such as CMAT, Dermot Kennedy, Fontaines D.C., Dove Ellis Florence Road, Hozier, Inhaler, Kingfishr, Lankum, Madra Salach and The Marry Wallopers took the stage of Eurosonic at the beginning of their careers. After showcasing at ESNS, their chances of getting booked at major European festivals increased by enrolling in ESNS's Exchange programme.

Oskar Strajn, ESNS Head of Music, explains the focus on Ireland for 2027:

Over the past years we have all seen the Irish scene growing exponentially, and right now it's fully blossoming. We want to embrace this moment and celebrate all the amazing artists that have emerged from Ireland as well as focus on future talents. Looking at the past edition of ESNS alone, Irish acts are the ones that benefited from playing in Groningen the most; with Florence Road, Madra Salach and Dove Ellis being the top three most booked acts across Europe since the festival.

Irish music sector comes together at ESNS27

The ESNS Conference provides a platform for influential voices in the music sector, featuring programme highlights that spotlight Ireland. Delegates can explore the Irish music scene and network with industry professionals from Ireland at ESNS27.