Under the umbrella theme of Europe Calling, ESNS looks back on a successful anniversary edition. For four days, Groningen became the center of the European music industry.

On Wednesday evening, January 14, Queen Máxima and director Anna van Nunen opened the festival in a spectacular way, after which Eurosonic immediately kicked off in the venues of De Oosterpoort. On Thursday, January 15th, and Friday, January 16th, Eurosonic took the entire city centre of Groningen by storm, with emerging European acts showcasing their talent across 18 stages to thousands of music lovers and industry professionals. On Saturday, January 17th, the ESNS Conference gave way to Noorderslag, where the best emerging and established artists from The Netherlands were showcased at De Oosterpoort.

During ESNS 2026, prestigious awards were once again presented across the entire spectrum of the European music industry.

This year's annual Music Moves Europe (MME) Awards went to Sofie Royer (Austria), Camille Yembe (Belgium), Sarah Julia (Netherlands), Della (Cyprus), and Carpetman (Ukraine). Lia Kali (Spain) took home both the Grand Jury Award and the Public Choice Award. Read more about the MME Awards here.

The European Festival Awards, the IJzeren Podiumdieren, the Pop Media Prijs, and the Pop Stipendium were also presented this year. During Popgala NOORD, on the eve of ESNS, prizes were awarded in honor of the northern Dutch pop sector. In addition, the Pop Media Prijs Noord was presented for the first time at Popgala NOORD this year. Click on the links below to find out more about these awards.

• European Festival Awards
• IJzeren Podiumdieren
• Pop Media Prijs
• Pop Stipendium (Dutch)
• Popgala NOORD and Pop Media Prijs Noord

European Talent Exchange is ESNS’s international programme that helps emerging European artists break through beyond their home borders. Through a strong network of partner festivals, radio stations and music export offices, artists are given the opportunity to get booked at leading festivals across Europe and beyond.

Following the showcase festival, European Talent Exchange asked its partner festivals, EBU radio stations, and music export offices to provide their artist recommendations, resulting in an overview of the artists they endorse. Users can filter these recommendations by festival, radio station, or export office, offering a clear overview of artists currently gaining international momentum through European Talent Exchange.

Find all recommendations here.