For four vibrant days, Groningen transformed into a career-launching stage for Europe's brightest emerging artists, with over 300 acts seizing their moment to shine. From nervous soundchecks to triumphant performances, each showcase embodied ESNS's vital role in propelling European talent onto the global stage.

Anna van Nunen, Managing Director of ESNS, expressed satisfaction with the success of the 39th edition: "ESNS25 has once again proved that music is both our cultural heartbeat and an investment that pays dividends. Across Groningen this week, from intimate venue showcases to major performances at De Oosterpoort's main stage, and through inspiring sessions at the ESNS Conference, we've seen how our European music ecosystem thrives when properly supported - connecting grassroots venues with international talent agents, major festivals with sustainability experts, and emerging talent with industry professionals. To maintain this momentum, we must support the fundamentals: the rehearsal spaces, the small venues, and the talent development programmes across Europe. ESNS continues to show that when we invest in music's foundations, we create both cultural and economic prosperity."

"The diversity of European music was brilliantly showcased at ESNS25," says Program Director Robert Meijerink. "We witnessed outstanding performances from Daniela Pes, Big Mama and Bassolino from our Focus country Italy, MRCY (uk), Sylvie Kreusch (be), Maquina (pt), Meule (fr), CVC (uk), Personal Trainer (nl) and Kosmonauci (pl) among many others. It's especially exciting to see artists like Music Moves Europe Awards winners YAMÊ (France), Judeline (Spain) Kingfishr (ire), Naomi Sharon (nl), Night Tapes (ee), Uche Yara and nominees like Loverman (be), Woomb (bg) and Zimmer 90 (de) breaking through internationally.”

The immediate impact is clear. Anna van Nunen points out: “Artists are already securing festival bookings through the European Talent Exchange, and from the data we receive through ESNS Radar and Analytics, we see that their international fanbases are growing rapidly. ESNS remains committed to presenting not just future headliners but also those diverse sounds that make European music so rich and diverse.” Robert Meijerink adds: “This is exactly why festivals rely on us to discover their final programming pieces, whether for main stages or more intimate settings."

The best-emerging talents from across 33 European nations commanded the stages at a sold-out Eurosonic, turning Groningen into a showcase of Europe's most promising musical acts from Wednesday through Friday. The festival once again proved its reputation as a crucial platform for discovering tomorrow's headliners.

Industry professionals widely recognise an ESNS performance as a mark of excellence, with 130 music festivals participating in the European Talent Exchange programme already highlighting their top discoveries. Notably, the ESNS maintained its commitment to championing artists from emerging music markets alongside established scenes.

Focus country Italy was well-represented and significantly impacted the festival, with sixteen breakthrough Italian acts taking the stage. Well-attended business networking events and speed meeting sessions successfully connected these artists with the international music industry, while the ESNS Conference programme featured in-depth discussions about Italy’s flourishing music scene and industry developments.

The Dutch-focused and sold-out Noorderslag festival, which concluded the event on Saturday, successfully introduced an expanded afternoon programme this year. The showcase featured over fifty homegrown talents, with memorable performances from artists including Frenna, Hannah Mae, Hiqpy, L.A. Sagne, Lenny Min Taka, Monsou, de Niemanders, Parker Fans en S10,

The event celebrated excellence through various awards, with Yamê (fr) claiming the Grand Jury Award and Judeline (es) the Public Choice Award at the Music Moves Europe Awards. Additional MME Awards went to Kingfishr (ie), Naomi Sharon (nl), Night Tapes (ee), and UCHE YARA (at). Roxy Dekker (nl) was honoured with the prestigious Popprijs.

Groningen transformed into an international music hub as more than 4,000 music industry professionals gathered from 41 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America, underscoring the event's global reach. Among those Delegates ESNS welcomed European Commissioner Glenn Micallef and Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins, along with representatives from nearly every influential music agency operating in Europe

The ESNS Conference programme featured an impressive roster of 500 speakers addressing crucial industry challenges and innovations. ESNS Delegates tackled the topics that matter most—shaping a more sustainable, safer, future-proof, and resilient industry. The research paper titled “The European Music Ecosystem,” which examined the structural shifts in the European music sector, was presented at ESNS25.

Mental health and social safety emerged as central themes, with several sessions exploring their implications for the industry's welfare. Delegates also discussed the live music business, including strategies for entering new markets, managing rising festival costs, and the complexities of losing (or stealing) an artist.

Developed by Soundcharts in collaboration with ESNS and supported by the Creative Innovation Lab (funded by the European Commission), the highly anticipated beta launch of EMERGE - a groundbreaking sync music and discovery tool powered by an AI-driven chat interface - has officially premiered at ESNS25.

Applications for the upcoming edition—for all European artists—will open on May 1 via ESNS.nl