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The Israel-born, Switzerland-based Omri Ziegele is a self-taught alt sax player, honing his skills in London and at Boston's Berklee College of Music. Ziegele has performed in theatre and with the cir...

Insecure Men is the wacky side project of Fat White Family-member Saul Adamczewski and Ben Romans-Hopcraft (Childhood). First release ‘Karaoke For One’ contains nine stripped cover songs d...

COSMOS x ICRN announce their 2024 Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania Bringing together DIY broadcasters from the Baltics and beyond, the Independent Community Radio Network (ICRN) has created an impactful platform that proves once more, that there is always strength in numbers.  In 2022, a handful of activists and community radios from...

Interview: Aquiles Navarro (River Down Records) River Down Records – a COSMOS 2025 Embassy – is a label from Panamá City, dedicated to documenting and developing the creative sound of Panamá. With over 15 digital releases to date, River Down Records has produced new works and supported artists with an already es...

Something was afoot at last year’s SOUNDSET series in Madrid; so much so that, when Abul Mogard (AKA Guido Zen) and composer, record producer, and mastering engineer Rafael Anton Irisarri serend...

Le Feast invites you to enjoy a feast together with people you don't know (yet). Would you like to join the potluck, invite people to your home in Utrecht as a home-chef or want to be a guest? You can now sign up! “Le Feast is such a great way to bring people together in an atmosphere of generosity and celebrate what unites us.&rdq...

Interview: Seyðisfjörður Community Radio Seyðisfjörður Community Radio (SCR) is a shared digital and analogue broadcasting platform located in the fisher town of Seyðisfjörður. The platform is hosted, nurtured and initiated by an open-ended international community inhabiting various conditions and p...

Widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals, Le Guess Who? exists to promote sounds that are often overlooked and to platform fresh perspectives on what is possible in music. Artists from all over the world offer insight into the unprecedented diversity of human creativity.  Le Guess Who? returns 6-9 November...

After her formative years in church choirs, Julianna Barwick drew on the most celestial qualities of the human voice and choral music to blend them through loops into the wild world of experimental mu...

It takes a few instants to pick up on the explosive and contagious rhythms of Ndagga Rhythm Force. Led by the stunning stage presence of veteran percussionist Bada Seck and singer Mbene Diatta Seck, t...

Merope’s roots lie deep in the soil of Lithuania’s folk songs, vividly evoked through the resonant sound of the kanklės (a traditional string instrument) and their ancestral singing. Joine...

Free jazz improvisation: check. Punk approach: check. Sound art extravaganza: check. Mopcut is the extraordinary trio consisting of experimental vocalist and electronic musician Audrey Chen; one of Eu...

Electronic music composer Heinali, whose work extends Western medieval music traditions through modular synthesis, and  singer Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko,  who practices authentic Ukrainian...

Once again, COSMOS and Berlin-based community radio Refuge Worldwide will take over the radio booth and Foyer space next to Pandora at TivoliVredenburg. Come along and join us for a place to hang out...

Once again, COSMOS and Berlin-based community radio Refuge Worldwide will take over the radio booth and Foyer space next to Pandora at TivoliVredenburg. Come along and join us for a place to hang out...

Last week, COSMOS' first international residency started in Goa, India. Composer, sound artist and improviser Hardi Kurda from Kurdistan-Iraq was invited by curator and filmmaker Rana Ghose to work at the new studio and gallery space 999. For two weeks, Hardi collaborates with a number of local artists to explore themes relating to m...

Every year in our visitors survey right after the festival, we ask you what your favorite performance of the festival. Below are your 17 choices of Le Guess Who? 2017. We're pleased to also share the...

Our residential photographers Juri Hiensch and Melanie Marsman have been exploring Le Guess Who? again in 2022, captured different photo series during the festival. The upcoming time, we'll be sharing these series on this website and our social media. Curated by Animal Collective, by Juri Hiensch For LGW22, Baltimore quartet Animal Co...

Dit jaar nodigde U? het Utrechts-Amsterdamse collectief 45ACIDBABIES uit voor een residentie in VOGELFREI. Tijdens deze residentie werkten ze aan een speciale performance rondom hun nieuwe album, dat een eerbetoon brengt aan en inspiratie haalt uit comic book-cultuur, video games, queerness, ballroom cultuur (vogue), eclectiek, kleur en e...

Le Guess Who? is a Celebration of Sound. From 10-13 November, the festival returns to Utrecht, The Netherlands, for its 15th Anniversary Edition. We now reveals the guest curators and their full curated programs, as well as the first artists for the general program. Curated programs by Animal Collective, clipping., and CURL Inviting gue...

For Le Guess Who? 2023, Stereolab have curated an eclectic program, highlighting their various interests and inspirations. We've asked artists from their curated program to choose their favorite Stereolab track, what the band means to them and/or what it means to be curated by them. Listen to the playlist by artists from the Le Guess Who...

Le Guess Who? exists to promote sounds that are often overlooked, and to platform fresh perspectives on what is possible in music. Artists from all over the world offer an insight into the unprecedented diversity of human creativity.  Le Guess Who? returns 7-10 November 2024 for its 17th edition in Utrecht, The Netherlands. We&rsq...

Behind the Scenes is the new series by COSMOS, Le Guess Who?’s hybrid platform, in which we dive into local stories from across the world together with our global partners. Here, we talk to the people behind the video content that was created for the latest COSMOS installment to learn more about their local cultural scenes; their c...

Our residential photographers Juri Hiensch and Melanie Marsman have been exploring Le Guess Who? again in 2021, captured different photo series during the festival. The upcoming time, we'll be sharing these series on this website and our social media. Portrait series at LGW21, by Melanie Marsman At Le Guess Who? 2021, residential phot...

You can also listen to this story – below or via your favorite podcast app. Words by Julian BrimmersAudio by Cheri PercyCover photo by Gianfranco Bello   For 16 years and counting, Le Guess Who? has strived to create a space for generations of music lovers and makers to come together. A podium, where icons of their trade n...

COSMOS x U? announce their 2024 Embassy in Utrecht, the Netherlands For the first time since its inception, U? – Le Guess Who’s freely accessible city program – enlists five Community Curators from different cities, to bring fresh new perspectives to the Utrecht’s subcultural network. What they all have in common...

Utrecht based photographer Rogier Boogaard captured documentary photo series of artists involved in the festival.De Utrechtse fotograaf Rogier Boogaard heeft artiesten die betrokken waren bij het festival vastgelegd in documentaire fotoseries.

U? is our new initiative: a new, participative and freely accessible day program created for and with the city of Utrecht. U? presents many cultural activities in different neighborhoods throughout the city of Utrecht and will take place during Le Guess Who’s festival weekend, 11 – 14 November. Now, we reveal the full program...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Athens with stegi.radio In 'Behind the Scenes', COSMOS dives into local stories from across the world together with our global partners. The scene in Greece has undergone a renaissance of sorts, with Athens becoming a hotspot for creative minds from around the world. Needless to say, this development hasn't...

COSMOS was born out of Le Guess Who?’s mission to platform adventurous sounds that have the power to enrich lives. It’s a hub for experimentation and inspiration, and an ever-expanding network of creative minds. Through films, interviews, performances, and artist residencies, COSMOS connects international music communities and...

Video Recordings Relive the festival; watch live performances by Mazaher and Suuns. The upcoming time, we'll be sharing more performances on this website and our social media. VISIT VIDEO ARCHIVE

In 2019, the concert series Hidden Musics originated between Le Guess Who?, Chris Eckman of Glitterbeat Records and GRAMMY Award-winning producer and writer Ian Brennan, from the shared belief that it is important to platform underrepresented artists, and magnify music produced far from the mainstream. In 2022, we are proud the present th...

As a hallmark of the festival, each year Le Guess Who? invites trailblazing creatives to curate their own dedicated programs, highlighting fellow like-minded artists and those that have inspired them. For the 2023 edition, Le Guess Who? invited mastering engineer Heba Kadry, who curated a comprehensive program, weaving together an array...

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, returns to Utrecht on 11 and 12 November 2023 for its third edition. This program is created for, but especially with Utrecht, to celebrate the city's creativity in all its diversity. Utrecht has an enormous variety of community cent...

Hard in style, soft in core. For Luna van der Laan (Looney Lunatic) and Carlos Kok (Boot 122), their passion for noisy, fast music stems from a broad artistic (self-)schooling, high levels of passion for music and, above all, an open mind. With a DIY-mentality, a grounded aversion of the establishment and a substance-over-style-approach,...

In 2025, De Voorkamer, a meeting space for newcomers and the local community, presented a program at U? that focused on celebrating creativity, community, and connection. Their program featured a workshop organized by performing artist, cultural practitioner, producer, and artist-in-residence Abdalla Daif. Our residential photographer Ro...

COSMOS x Touching Bass announce their 2024 Embassy in London, UK Touching Bass is a London-based musical movement founded by Errol and Alex Rita, comprised of a community-come-club night, record label, staple NTS Radio show, concert series and curatorial studio.  Since its inception, Touching Bass has steadily established itself as...

COSMOS x Underground Music Academy announce their 2024 Embassy in Detroit, USA A place to learn about the past, present, and future of dance music. With the Underground Music Academy, Detroit’s own Waajeed has created a utopian space for the city's aspiring musicians. Among music fans, few places occupy a similar space in the coll...

COSMOS x Santuri announce first 2024 Embassy Ahead of their first-ever electronic music summit, Kilele, COSMOS sits down with Santuri co-founder and director David Tinning as well as Nairobi staples Nyokabi Kariũki and KMRU.   For a full decade, the Santuri organisation has been supporting, highlighting, and releasing a mix of con...

Interview: Kathryn Mohr Recently, we’ve visited the Eastern region of Iceland for an extensive chat with our 2025 COSMOS Embassy Seyðisfjörður Community Radio. This time, we’re moving a mere 100km further to Stöðvarfjörður, another fisher village in East Iceland that doubles as a hideout for cre...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes with Rắn Cạp Đuôi  In 'Behind the Scenes', COSMOS dives into local stories from across the world together with our global partners. Vietnamese experimental music collective Rắn Cạp Đuôi have been expanding their vast auditory spectrum since forming back in 2015. On their first two albums, Ngủ N...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Mexico City, Mexico We speak to Daniel (Danny) Alvarado Chávez, head of Sonido Confirmación, an independent project made to ‘represent and connect Mexico City through images and music’, while diving into the capital's music scene. Every minute, new acts mushroom across the city&rsquo...

For several years, Paris-based photographer Felipe Vasquez has been working on a series of photo portraits focused on women in the arts, celebrating the impact they make in the art world as...

Photographer Juri Hiensch from Utrecht has been involved in Le Guess Who? since the very start. This year, he has captured a stunning series of artist portraits at the festival again, featuring the likes of a.o. Rodrigo Amarante, Kelsey Lu, Kadri Gopalnath, Circuit des Yeux, Swamp Dogg, JPEGMAFIA, Colin Stetson, Saul Williams & King B...

From 10-13 November, Le Guess Who? returns to Utrecht for its 15th Anniversary Edition. We now proudly reveal the full 2022 line-up, with new additions joining the likes of Abdullah Ibrahim, Low, Lole Montoya, Nia Archives, as well as festival curators Animal Collective, clipping., and CURL. General program Joining Le Guess Who?&rsquo...

Following the announcement of the curated programs and the initial names for the general program of Le Guess Who? 2022 last month, we are now adding four special projects to the program. These include the third edition of Hidden Musics and programs hosted by Coco Maria, GNOD, and Uncloud. Hidden Musics Le Guess Who? proudly presents the...

Le Guess Who?, considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals around the world, returns to Utrecht, the Netherlands, from 9-12 November for its 16th edition. We now reveal the full 2023 line-up, after previously announcing festival curators Heba Kadry, Nala Sinephro, Slauson Malone 1 and Stereolab, as well as performances by...

You can also listen to this story – below or via your favorite podcast app. On the closing day of Le Guess Who? 2023, the festival features the first international performance of Ndox Electrique, whose music is inspired by an ancient ritual of the spirit-world originating from Senegal’s n’döep ceremonies. ...

From Rio to Cairo, Miami to Kampala, Chromesthesia tracks Afro-diasporic rhythms and explores the history that undergirds Afro-descendant electronic music. At Le Guess Who? 2024, British-Egyptian award-winning social and intellectual historian Hannah Elsisi presented the 13-hour durational performance of Chromesthesia. Our residential ph...

Sounds of Places, a residency-based sound gathering that focuses on the sonic aesthetics of place, celebrated its world premiere at Le Guess Who? 2024 with the presentation of Christmas in Mourning and Faster than light, always. The first edition of the residency, initiated by Radio Alhara and commissioned by Wonder Cabinet, took place i...

Based between Amsterdam and Berlin, Insan Larasati is a community organizer, DJ, designer and inclusivity officer. With artist Shasti Andara they founded Nusaqueer Diaspora, an open-structured collective that focuses on community events for the Indonesian and Southeast Asian Archipelagan queer diaspora. Freshly graduated from the Willem...

Visionary contemporary artist Tianzhuo Chen, founder of Asian Dope Boys, is known for his eclectic and multidisciplinary works. As guest curator, Chen brought a immersive narrative to Le Guess Who? 2025, in which ancient traditions are confronted with the realities of colonialism, intertwining music, performance art, choreography and audi...

On Saturday 8 November, U? hosts the multidisciplinary performance lost and found curated by tonya belugina, a researcher and community-oriented curator whose projects exist on the border of poetry, participatory practices, pedagogy and field-research. lost and found explores the world where everything is already existing: nature, histor...

Activism in Music is a series in which we highlight artists who use their work as a means of resistance against oppression while also celebrating oppressed cultures. Here, journalist, writer and editor Brechtje Keulen talks to musician, poet, writer and actor Saul Williams; musician and sound artist Dirar Kalash; composer, vocalist and o...

Le Guess Who? returns 6-9 November to Utrecht, The Netherlands, taking place across different venues in and around the city. We now reveal the guest curators and the initial line-up for the 2025 festival edition. More than ever, the program creates a space where the margins become the center, where the overlooked are elevated and where t...

COSMOS x Honiunhoni announce their 2024 Embassy in Karachi, Pakistan Honiunhoni is an independent production company and record label founded by musician and anthropologist Daniyal Ahmed.  Rooted in the ethos of ethnographic research, Honiunhoni celebrates Pakistan's cultural richness and diversity by curating and highlighting the...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes with POP Montréal In 'Behind the Scenes', COSMOS dives into local stories from across the world together with our global partners.   Ever since Le Guess Who?'s very first edition, there's been a strong bond with POP Montréal’s 20+ year long history of platforming cutting-edge music. Fo...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Khartoum, Sudan We discuss LGW Embassy: Khartoum, Sudan with Hassan Kamil: a talk about portraying another image of the continent, the country, and the city; how music in Khartoum grew to be ‘a form of resistance’; and how it is home to a rich array of meaningful, beautiful, and unique sounds; dif...

Tabideee is a DJ, researcher, and archivist exploring the critical contributions of Black communities across the continent and diaspora to electronic music. Her sound pays tribute to Afro-Arab electronic productions, specifically exploring her Sudanese heritage and neighbouring influences. Through this, she has developed an archival prac...

At Le Guess Who? 2019, residential photographers Melanie Marsman and Juri Hiensch captured a stunning series of artist portraits surrounding their performances at the festival. View the full series here, featuring a.o. La Bruja de Texcoco, Coucou Chloe, James Merry, Oshun, Stella Chiweshe,&nbs...

As a defiant experimentalist ceaselessly exploring sonic extremities, contrasts and frictional collisions, The Bug's obsession with beats, bass, body horror, and dub technology has been mirrored throughout his turbulent, mutating career. Le Guess Who? residential photographer Juri Hiensch spent four days with Kevin Richard Martin aka The...

Knekelhuis is an Amsterdam-based independent record label that heightens the aesthetic similarities between different genres, eras, and scenes, including wave, punk, synth-pop, industrial, ambient, techno, and abstract electronics. This year, Knekelhuis is presenting an international selection of label-related artists and dear friends th...

LGW? 2022 Line-Up Le Guess Who? 2022 featured programs curated by Animal Collective, clipping. and CURL. View the full line-up via the link below. LE GUESS WHO? 2022 LINE-UP

Turkish independent magazine Bant Mag. created a series of Illustrated Stories about artists that are performing at Le Guess Who? 2021, giving an introduction to their life and career and what to expect from their festival performances. Bant Mag. has been bringing together new and exciting tendencies about music, film, arts and culture s...

One of this year's special projects at Le Guess Who? 2019 takes place tonight: the European premiere of Dossier X, an immersive audio-visual collaboration between composer Patrick Higgins, installation artist Matthew Schreiber, and choreographer Monica Mirabile.  Inside of Matthew Schreiber’s laser sculpture, musician, da...

Ahead of his performance at Le Guess Who?, shamanic painter Joe Coleman gives us a glimpse into his immersive work process. “Computers are very odd to me,” Brooklyn-based painter and perf...

On a sinking ship penetrated by patriarchy, what do you “choose” to do?: Future Feminism with Johanna Constantine This year, Le Guess Who? collaborates with Turkey's Bant Mag. The independent magazine, based in Istanbul, has been bringing together new and exciting tendencies about music, film, arts and culture since 2004. Sta...

Each year, Le Guess Who? cooperates with a different illustrator to design the festival's main graphics and images (the layout and typography are done each year by Loudmouth). In 2016, the festival il...

This November, Le Guess Who? will feature a special performance by Cheikha Rabia, a renowned singer with over five decades of experience in reinventing rai music. Her performance will be a collaboration with Esraa Warda, a prolific dancer expert in traditional North African dance forms. Both artists hail from Algeria, but currently, Cheik...

You can also listen to this story – below or via your favorite podcast app. Words & audio by Cheri PercyPhotography by Tengbeh Kamara   Rotterdam based-DJ collective AMPFEMININE scours its diverse database to bring an evening of fresh feminine energy to this year’s Le Guess Who? proving that female and non-b...

This year, Le Guess Who? presents the fourth edition of Hidden Musics, a project that focuses on deeply localized music and features artists embedded in rich, often centuries-old musical traditions that have been developed with little or no outside influences. The first series was initiated in 2019 by Le Guess Who? in collaboration w...

This year, Le Guess Who? presents the fourth edition of Hidden Musics, a project that focuses on deeply localized music and features artists embedded in rich, often centuries-old musical traditions that have been developed with little or no outside influences. The first series was initiated in 2019 by Le Guess Who? in collaboration w...

This year, Le Guess Who? presents the fourth edition of Hidden Musics, a project that focuses on deeply localized music and features artists embedded in rich, often centuries-old musical traditions that have been developed with little or no outside influences. The first series was initiated in 2019 by Le Guess Who? in collaboration w...

This November, Le Guess Who? features a performance by Kamilya Jubran, which was curated by mastering engineer Heba Kadry. Born in Palestine and currently based in Paris, Kamilya Jubran is one of the most revered figures in the experimental and alternative Arabic music scenes.  Through her multi-disciplinary work, Jubran continues t...

Test your sustainable or social innovation at Le Guess Who? 2023Test jouw duurzame of sociale innovatie op Le Guess Who? 2023

Rapper and producer Ashanti Mutinta, aka Backxwash gave a life-affirming performance at TivoliVredenburg's Ronda during Le Guess Who? 2023. Our residential photographer Melanie Marsman was present to capture some of the special moments, on stage as well as backstage. View the full photo series "Stark warnings of viewer discretion mark...

As one of the special projects of Le Guess Who? 2023, the festival celebrated the legacy of spiritual jazz icon Pharoah Sanders and his seminal composition, Harvest Time (1977). During the closing day of the festival, The Harvest Time Project: A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders brought together Irreversible Entanglements, Domenico Lancellotti,...

Ever since 1982, The Wire stands out as one of the best independent, in-depth print and online music magazines. The Wire celebrates and interrogates the most visionary and inspiring, subversive and radical, marginalized and undervalued musicians on the planet, past and present.  Leading up to Le Guess Who? 2024 we're very honored to...

We are excited to present our film & talk program, as well as a special exhibition, new additions to our 2024 line-up and the long-awaited time schedules for Le Guess Who? 2024. Time Schedules Start your scheduling now! The time schedules for Le Guess Who? 2024, as well for U?, our freely accessible city program, are online now. Pl...

United Screens for Palestine is an open and decentralized collective of programmers, cultural workers and venues, responding to the paralysis brought about by the ongoing genocide as well as the increasing policing, censorship and criminalisation of everything Palestinian. As a collective, they aim to make each screening a space for conve...

Each year, Le Guess Who? invites trailblazing creatives to curate their own dedicated programs, highlighting their inspirations, emerging acts and fellow like-minded artists, with an emphasis on discovery and exploration. Touching Bass, a London-based musical movement founded by Errol and Alex Rita, was one of the guest curators for Le Gu...

For 16 years and counting, Le Guess Who? has strived to create a space for generations of music lovers and makers to come together. A podium where icons of their trade not just pass the baton to those that carve out a new path – but where they engage on eye-level. In 2023, Le Guess Who? once again boasted an array of young artists...

Widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals, Le Guess Who? exists to platform fresh perspectives on what is possible in music. Artists from all over the world offer insights into the unprecedented diversity of human creativity. Le Guess Who? returns 7-10 November 2024 for its 17th edition in Utrecht, The Netherland...

A South African drummer, composer, scholar and bandleader based in Cape Town, Asher Gamedze's music is a profound mixture of various musical traditions from Southern Africa, free improvisation, jazz and radical social and political thought, turning his music into a powerful act of freedom, resistance and activism.  After multiple pe...

For U? 2023, Utrecht-based collective ZENITH and independent, Palestinian sound platform Zilzal join forces at the former Pieter Baan Centrum that serves as a powerful channel for 00970, gbw9, RAGASA, and Noise Diva to express their “current mental situation.” Photographer Rogier Boogaard documented a part of the artists ZENIT...

Modulation is Utrecht’s own accessible night of live performances and concerts centered around modular synthesizers and other hardware electronic instruments. A place for newcomers as well as veterans, from ambient to noisemakers, explosive beats, cinematic soundscapes – and everything in between. All performers will be playin...

Naomi Velissariou is a Greek-Belgian stage director, writer, actor and performance artist. She is highly fascinated by the fluidity of identity and the way this is used in contemporary visual culture. Naomi will perform twice during U? 2023; on Saturday, 11 November, she will be a guest at Milan van Keulen's Luisterbar. In this 'bar',...

Having spent many years touring and drawing inspiration from many corners of the world, Jori Collignon has at last found a home in the idyllic Palmela, Portugal. It is here where you can find a home complete with a guesthouse, garden, studio, and a vibrant hub where artists from different parts of the world come together to exchange ideas...

Sydney Lowell is a creative spirit, human, artist and entrepreneur from Amsterdam. She mainly operates as a poet, but recently started incorporating music and movement into her creative practice. Next to that, she’s a teacher, voice actor, host, and co-founder/producer of creative platforms We The People and 2PHRASE. Sydney sees...

U? is Le Guess Who’s participatory and freely accessible day program, made for–and with–the city of Utrecht. With U?, Le Guess Who? extends its mission to enrich people through music and culture even further to the city. From 10 to 13 November 2022, U? returns for its second edition. This year, even more neighborhoods a...

Doğa Sultan is an Istanbul-based designer, who produces visuals in multiple disciplines. Her work sits at the intersection of textile surface research, garment design, street art, and independent publishing. The base of all of her activities is the countercultural frameworks provided by punk and hardcore. In this context, she runs the An...

The third edition of Kilele Summit is about to take place in Nairobi from 23 to 28 February, 2026. A COSMOS Embassy since 2024, Santuri East Africa and Kilele have become a melting pot of adventurous music and culture. Under this year’s theme, "Sound and Solidarity", Kilele returns with a vibrant conference program with showcases, i...

Tania Feghali is an Italian-Lebanese independent filmmaker, radio host and sound curator. Her work encompasses personal documentaries, commissioned films, sound curation, archival research, and visual reportages. Her practice revolves around film portraits, documenting the genesis of artists’ creative worlds and journeys, with a par...

COSMOS is Le Guess Who?’s hybrid platform that highlights independent music scenes from around the world. Here we invite vibrant music communities from every corner of the map to become COSMOS Embassies, and to share their stories–both online and offline–through mixtapes, film, live radio, conversations and performances....

This year, COSMOS once again proudly partners up with acts, institutions, and collectives from around the globe. The 2023 Embassies are located in Vietnam, Australia, Indonesia, Canada, Greece, UAE, Peru and Ghana. In order to introduce the amazing talents behind these collaborations, we're starting a new interview & music series call...

Interview: Ozan Tekin x IDGK “İstanbul’u Dinliyorum Gözlerim Kapalı” is the title of a poem by Turkish poet Orhan Veli Kanık. It beautifully describes a city best experienced with all senses wide open. A sentiment that our 2025 COSMOS Embassy IDGK shares so much, that they’ve borrowed their name acronym from...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes with Liquid Architecture In 'Behind the Scenes', COSMOS dives into local stories from across the world together with our global partners. For over two decades, Liquid Architecture has grown from a student project to Australia’s premier festival for experimental and avant-garde music. In its current form,...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes with Oroko Radio In 'Behind the Scenes', COSMOS dives into local stories from across the world together with our global partners. Within the first two years of their existence, Oroko Radio has come from a beautiful idea to a globally renowned fixture in independent broadcasting, connecting the dots between Accr...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes with Sharjah Art Foundation In 'Behind the Scenes', COSMOS dives into local stories from across the world together with our global partners. Located in Sharjah’s historic Art and Heritage Areas, Sharjah Art Foundation activities and events take place throughout the year and include exhibitions featuring t...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Cairo, Egypt We speak to former LGW artist Yunis and B-62's Khaled Bargona about their highly creative film produced for the latest COSMOS edition. Here, we learn more about Cairo’s post-revolution music scene; how the artists that are featured in the film are creating a space for themselves in Cairo&rs...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Palestine Following their broadcast during Le Guess Who? 2022 as part of COSMOS, we talk to brothers Elias and Youssef Anatas, the people behind Radio Alhara, about creating a new form of public space and bringing people from different parts of the world together. Words by Beatriz Negreiros During the time...

Le Guess Who? returns 5-8 November to Utrecht, The Netherlands, for its 20th anniversary edition. We now reveal the guest curators and the initial line-up for the 2026 festival edition. For the past 20 years, the festival has built one of the most vital platforms for artists from around the world, championing sounds that transcend border...

Le Guess Who? 2019 saw the European premiere of Dossier X: an immersive audio-visual collaboration between composer and festival curator Patrick Higgins, installation artist Matthew Schreiber, and choreographer Monica Mirabile.  Inside of Matthew Schreiber’s lightning sculpture in TivoliVredenburg's Grote Zaal, performers...

The Japanese Minyo Crusaders breathe new life into traditional folk songs called ‘minyo’, by merging them with Latin, African and Caribbean rhythms and flourishes of exotica. On Saturday 9 November, the 10-piece ensemble gave a glorious performance at TivoliVredenburg's Grote Zaal as part of Le Guess Who? 2019. Residentia...

Mexican mystical phenomenon La Bruja de Texcoco (real name: Octavia Mendoza Anario) recalibrates her classical teachings to create an astonishing tapestry of traditional Mexican music, baroque and jazz, playing various string instruments, percussion and harp.  The legend of La Bruja de Texcoco (literal translation: 'T...

Asha Puthli is a true international icon, not to mention one of the first recording artists to successfully merge traditional Indian influences with Western pop. Photographer Melanie Marsman spent a day in Utrecht with the award-winning jazz vocalist / international pop star / space disco icon, leading up to her very rare live perfor...

In collaboration with producer Ian Brennan and Glitterbeat Records founder Chris Eckman, Le Guess Who? presented the first installment of Hidden Musics during the 2019 edition of the festival. Now and in the future, the project aims to present global music traditions that normally don’t reach our shores, often from more remote...

This November, Le Guess Who? will feature a rare performance (their first European show in over 15 years) of Egypt’s Mazaher: a small group of mostly women musicians and singers who play Zar music: chanting songs and playing hypnotic polyrhythms used in a ceremonial event to cleanse the spirits and to clear away illness and discomfo...

With just one week until the 14th edition of Le Guess Who?, the organization shares the timetable and last program additions for this year’s festival. Aside from some cancellations, the Utrecht festival for boundary-crossing music and culture now announces 41 final program additions, featuring live music performances, film screening...

African Head Charge performed live on the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2023 following the release of their new album 'A Trip To Bolgatanga'. You can now relive the performance with the full audio of the show, which is assured to put a smile on anyone's face.  About'A bad attitude is like a flat tire - you can't go anywhere until...

Following our video of Ethiopian funk legend Ayalew Mesfin's triumphant show at Le Guess Who? 2019, we can now release some highlights of his performance as audio stream, recorded by Marc Broer, together with a stunning photo series by Melanie Marsman of Mesfin's first ever European performance, after his music has gone unheard for 40 yea...

Before debuting his immersive multimedia-performance Somnium at this year’s Le Guess Who?, we had an extensive chat with Dutch musician, songwriter, and composer Jacco Gardner. About Dutch explorers, silent film soundtracks, Zambian rock legends, strange peninsula’s and of course, his upcoming LP Somnium. Jacco Gardner, sitti...

A classical singer. A multi-instrumentalist. A transgender artist. An experimental pioneer of electronic music. A children’s show composer and actor. A Buddhist practitioner. A psychotherapy co-...

Besides the artwork and typography done yearly by Loudmouth Utrecht, Le Guess Who? each year invites a different illustrator to design the main festival images, which evolves during multiple line-up a...

Ever the experimentalists, Rotterdam post-punk quintet Rats on Rafts bring their multi-disciplinary spectacle, Visions of Chapter 3, to Le Guess Who? for its first public-facing debut. And, as frontman David Fagan admits, there’s no telling just quite how it will all pan out…

When DJ and artist Coco María moved from Mexico to Europe, she brought the hidden gems of Latin American musical culture with her. Growing up surrounded by music, Coco María not only grew fond of the sounds of her childhood but also developed a love for sharing them with the rest of the world. Born out of this passion of he...

This November, Le Guess Who? will feature a spellbinding solo piano performance by Abdullah Ibrahim, South Africa’s most eminent pianist, anti-apartheid activist and a world-respected master musician. Abdullah Ibrahim's effervescent music is instantly recognizable, taking the audience on a journey through gospel and jive, American j...

Last November, we celebrated the 15th Anniversary Edition of LGW. For this special occasion, we have created a magazine about ‘how one Dutch festival became home to music fans across the globe’. In this magazine, Cheri Percy speaks to the co-founders of Le Guess Who? about its evolution from a two-man team to an award-win...

Utrecht's beloved independent print workshop, Kapitaal, collaborates with Stranded FM and Julian Brimmers to host the official Le Guess Who? 2022 Hangout through all things print and sound. The program includes radio and DJ sets, artist interviews, live sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, and print-making from Friday 11 November -...

Time to get your anticipation fully going: leading up to Le Guess Who? 2022, dublab, a platform for discovery and the cultivation of next-wave music, arts and culture, shares three showcase mixes put together by the festival’s program-team. 

Following the announcement of the initial line-up for Le Guess Who? 2023, including programs curated by Heba Kadry, Nala Sinephro, Slauson Malone 1 and Stereolab, we now add several special projects to this year’s festival edition, featuring COSMOS, Hidden Musics and The Anonymous Project. Rắn Cạp Đuôi Collective COSMOS...

After last year's success of full rooms, beautiful films and interesting conversations, we are bringing the Film & Discourse Program back to Le Guess Who?. We are excited to present our full program and the partners we created it with. Film Program This year, Le Guess Who? once again collaborates with IDFA (International Documentary...

In collaboration with Le Guess Who? and Garage Noord, the celebrated Dominican-American multi-disciplinary artist Kelman Duran presented a residency & club night including Emma dj, Torus, Bamoa Yende, Pebble, Noise Diva and WHYDJ. Kelman Duran went to Amsterdam for a one-week residency, making music with local communities and hosting...

This year, Le Guess Who? presents the fourth edition of Hidden Musics, a project that focuses on deeply localized music and features artists embedded in rich, often centuries-old musical traditions that have been developed with little or no outside influences. The first series was initiated in 2019 by Le Guess Who? in collaboration w...

This year, Le Guess Who? presents the fourth edition of Hidden Musics, a project that focuses on deeply localized music and features artists embedded in rich, often centuries-old musical traditions that have been developed with little or no outside influences. The first series was initiated in 2019 by Le Guess Who? in collaboration with C...

We're thrilled to let you know that the great Kapitaal, Utrecht's independent print workshop, together with online radio station Stranded FM, will once again host official Le Guess Who? 2023 Hangout on Friday, Saturday & Sunday during the festival.  Find Kapitaal at Paardenveld 5B (behind the palmtree!), where they host live per...

Once upon a time, W.I.T.C.H. ruled Zambia. In the seventies, they were the driving force behind the decade's 'zamrock' movement, blending traditional African rhythms with garage rock. In 2023, W.I.T.C.H. performed at Le Guess Who? following the release of their new album Zango, their first in nearly four decades. Our residential photogra...

On Friday, 8 November 2024, Le Guess Who? will witness the magic of legendary Cumbia and Gaita ensemble Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto. To say that we are excited about welcoming them to Utrecht would be a massive understatement. In fact, the influence of this Grammy-winning, generations-spanning band on the trajectory of Latin American musi...

I, the hybrid and the antidote, a project presented by Liliane Chlela, celebrated its world premiere at Le Guess Who? 2024. On stage, Chlela was joined by Utrecht’s string ensemble Flare Quartet, Cairo’s producer/violinist Nancy Mounir, and Montreal-based producer/musician Radwan Ghazi Moumneh. Our residential photographer Ju...

Two years after her stunning Le Guess Who? performance, the Guatemalan-born, Mexico-based vocalist and cellist Mabe Fratti returned in 2024 as a performer as well as festival curator. As part of her curation, Mabe Fratti presented some very special Mexican and South American acts that have influenced her personal development. Our residen...

At Le Guess Who? 2024, residential photographers Melanie Marsman and Juri Hiensch captured a stunning series of artist portraits surrounding their performances at the festival. Part of the series features, among others, Ghanaian-French producer and vocalist PÖ and musician, producer and composer Jowee Omicil, who both performed...

Touching Bass is a London-based musical movement founded by Errol and Alex Rita, comprised of a community-come-club night, record label, staple NTS Radio show, concert series and curatorial studio. Since its inception, Touching Bass has steadily established itself as one of London’s most important musical incubators, gaining cult s...

Japanese psych-rock outfit Bo Ningen is no stranger to Le Guess Who?. After several performances, they returned to the festival in 2024 with their own curation dedicated to 'representing the Bo Ningen community', with many collaborative projects and a strong focus on audiovisual performances. "Bo Ningen, one of this edition’s curat...

Sandy Chamoun is a singer, performer, actor and sound artist based in Beirut. Her work draws from Arabic folk traditions and explores social and political themes. Following her performance with SANAM at Le Guess Who? 2023, she returns to the festival in 2025, presenting two special projects. Ghadrغدر (curated by Amirtha Kidambi) sees Ch...

Having just released their 500th issue, The Wire is considered as one of the best independent, in-depth print and online music magazines. For over 40 years, The Wire celebrates and interrogates the most visionary and inspiring, subversive and radical, marginalized and undervalued musicians on the planet.  Leading up to Le Guess Who?...

Raziyah Heath is an independent curator (a.o at Metro54), programmer, curious cat, hater, organizer, killjoy, lover, DJ and artist. At the moment she mainly delves into sonic realms/dimensions, and uses DJing under the name Chinnamasta as a medium for research and discoveries. Their work aims to uncover the cross pollinations of Afro-dia...

U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, returns to Utrecht this year with an emphasis on community. As a festival that aims to amplify local communities from the fringe, U? understands the importance of free spaces that are available for creation and for communities to thrive. Words by Gloria MaPhotography by Mirel Masic...

At Le Guess Who? 2025, residential photographer Tengbeh Kamara captured a stunning series of artist portraits. The series highlights the clothing of the artists, which is an important part of their art and/or (sub)culture. With this series, we visually highlight the diversity of identities and cultures that form the festival program. I...

Vanity Roxane is a DJ by night and a cultural advisor by day. Her work bridges the gap between heritage, policy, and creating – with a special focus on hip-hop, sound system culture, and gender equality. She is the founder of The FemDem, a collective to empower womxn+, ruling the soundwaves. The FemDem, a collective of Fem+ DJs and...

U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, is dedicated to celebrating local and creative communities based in the Netherlands, with a strong focus on Utrecht. Through public programming, U? aims to connect people and foster personal encounters. U? returns 8 & 9 November to Utrecht for its fifth edition. The festival no...

U? is opening up a monthly reading group, not as a fixed program, but as a shared space to gather, reflect and think alongside one another. Each month, we’ll come together to explore questions that matter to the people in the room: How can we build collaborations that are non-extractive and non-hierarchical between grassroots init...

For U? 2024, Hof van Cartesius presents a diverse program created together with the artists that are located in this unique circular workspace for creative entrepreneurs. Photographer Rogier Boogaard documented two artists who will be part of this year's festival program. Last week we highlighted Sophie Wantia, today we present artist an...

For U? 2024, Hof van Cartesius presents a diverse program created together with the artists that are located in this unique circular workspace for creative entrepreneurs. Photographer Rogier Boogaard documented two artists who will be part of this year's festival program. First up: Sophie Wantia. Sophie Wantia is the founder of Studio...

Lees hier de tekst in het Nederlands. U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, celebrates local and creative communities based in the Netherlands, with a strong focus on Utrecht. From 8-10 November 2024, U? returns for its 4th edition. The 2024 program for U? is now revealed, featuring a festival playground taking place...

U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, returns to Utrecht for its fourth edition. U? celebrates local and creative communities based in the Netherlands, with a strong focus on Utrecht. Our mission: Amplifying local communities from the fringe, U? is Utrecht’s radical playground for experimentation, co-creation and...

The Getdowns are a young hardrock & punkband from Utrecht. Influenced by bands like Pearl Jam and The Beatles, the four boys produce a massive amount of noise characterised by distortion pedals and raw vocals.

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) NAR and 3voor12 Utrecht have wanted to collaborate for a long time, and now, it’s finally happening. The program contains music with influences from different countries and various music styles. The bands and music are both challenging and exciting, aligning with the festival’s...

Khorshid Dadbeh is an Iranian instrumentalist, improviser and composer based in Rotterdam. She presents her music by performing Tanbour, Tar, and Setar. Tanbour music belongs to the category of mystic and Sufi music that has more than five thousand years of history behind it. She learned this music from the masters who formed a bridge bet...

At Le Guess Who? 2025, Brazilian trailblazing Black & queer collective BATEKOO joined forces with the powerhouse dolls from Amsterdam-based collective Los Angles for a club night at De Helling to celebrate queer & trans communities. Our resident photographer, Tengbeh Kamara, was present to capture the club night and the special m...

On Thursday 19 March, U? collaborates with music platform Subbacultcha for Centraal Laat, an event at Utrecht's Centraal Museum. During Centraal Laat, the museum transforms into a vibrant place for meeting, reflection and inspiration—an event that ties in with the exhibition Move You Fool in the museum. Thursday, 19 March | 6 - 10:...

Every year, COSMOS - our hybrid platform highlighting independent music scenes from around the world - links up with new partners, inviting them to grant us a glimpse into their unique musical environments. We’re now rolling out the visual component of these partnerships: short but powerful mini-documentaries, by the scene, for the...

Every year, COSMOS - our hybrid platform highlighting independent music scenes from around the world - links up with new partners, inviting them to grant us a glimpse into their unique musical environments. We’re now rolling out the visual component of these partnerships: short but powerful mini-documentaries, by the scene, for the...

With the ethos of Listening is the Way Forward, Le Guess Who? is widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals around. Le Guess Who? exists to promote sounds that are often overlooked, and to platform fresh perspectives on what is possible in music. Artists from all over the world push the boundaries of expectations...

COSMOS is Le Guess Who?’s globe-spanning initiative that amplifies exciting music scenes from around the world through films, interviews, performances, and artist residencies. We now reveal the full 2023 line-up, after previously announcing the Embassies and COSMOS Live, the first-ever live program, to be presented at Le Guess Who?...

LnHD (Lynn Nandar Htoo) & rEmPiT g0dDe$$ (Victoria Yam) are two of Southeast Asia’s boldest new voices, fusing industrial club sounds, field recordings, fractured vocals and percussive minimalism. As the co-founders of Align.Online, a digital community that connects women and queer artists from all over Southeast Asia, they are...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Slemani, Kurdistan-Iraq Following their broadcast during Le Guess Who? 2022 as part of COSMOS, we talk to Space21's Hardi Kurda about the concept of illegality; the musical cacophony of Slemani; the US-led invasion of Iraq, which happened twenty years ago, and also how it led to surprising musical discoveries...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Goa, India Following different collaborations with Le Guess Who?, including for LGW Embassy: Goa, India which debuted last November, COSMOS talks to Rana Ghose (REProduce) about risk-taking as a focus area; instinct as a curatorial aspect and how Goa differs from the rest of India. As one artist chimes in: "E...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in China We discuss LGW Embassy: China with Ivan Zhang two days before the Chinese New Year: a talk about BIE Music’s COSMOS collaboration and the diversity found in local music scenes across China; how going back to basics can also be a way forward; and how China is not the cloistered cultural island many...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Pernambuco, Brazil Following their broadcast during Le Guess Who? 2022 as part of COSMOS, we talk to Ana Garcia and Benke, the people behind Coquetel Molotov to discuss the local music scene in the city of Caruaru; how their involvement in COSMOS became Coquetel Molotov’s first musical incubator; and di...

Earlier this year, the 14th edition of Le Guess Who? was postponed to 2021. Now, we proudly presents an alternative hybrid event, titled ON/OFF, happening 13-15 November, 2020. ON/OFF is a two-part program for international, as well as local, festival visitors. LGW ON introduces a freely accessible online TV channel with videos, films an...

In a couple of weeks, our satellite event Lombok Festival will return as part of Le Guess Who?, highlighting this vibrantly diverse neighborhood of Utrecht. The event is organized...

DRINKS are set to return to Le Guess Who? with a fresh batch of offbeat psych pop vignettes. We linked up with eternal nomads Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley via FaceTime to talk about living off the grid...

Le Mini Who? returns as part of Le Guess Who? 2018 on Saturday, 10 November. As a spin-off festival of Le Guess Who?, it transforms many of Utrecht’s local bars, restaurants, venues and warehous...

24-HOUR DRONE is an immersive, all-encompassing event featuring an international roster of musicians and sound artists collaborating and working in experimental, classical, non-western/traditional, durational and other genres incorporating drone to create a full 24 hours of unbroken sound. Multidisciplinary arts center Basilica Hudson an...

We recently shared a series of artist portraits by Juri Hiensch, but he wasn't the only photographer present at Le Guess Who? to capture portraits: local artist Melanie Marsman also visited artists performing at the festival backstage to create a stunning set of portraits, including Moor Mother, serpentwithfeet, Vera Sola, Vashti Bunyan,...

Le Guess Who? 2017 celebrated the life & work of Alice Coltrane with the Sai Anantam Ashram Singers performing her ecstatic music live at the festival. Listen to three tracks of the performan...

Canadian singer-songwriter Mary Margaret O'Hara gave a very rare live appearance at Le Guess Who? 2017, curated by Perfume Genius. Together with VPRO / Vrije Geluiden, we were able to record her full...

(artwork by Emma Fischer) At a very young age, Han Bennink started drumming for his grandparents on pans and cookie cans, and with curtain rods as sticks. All over the world, Bennink is celebrat...

(artwork by Grouper's Liz Harris) Liz Harris aka Grouper is one of the most prominent and inspiring musicians exploring the space between sound and song. While mostly ambient based, her compositions...

Ever since they started working together in the mid-eighties, Czech artists Irena & Vojtěch Havlovi have traveled far and wide, crossing continents, cultures and mediums with styles of European classical music ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary. In the process, the duo made fans which include Sufjan Stevens, The National's...

Already at an early age, Lole Montoya decided that she wanted to dedicate her life to singing. But not only did she indeed become a singer, she also redefined the flamenco genre by bringing in new influences, genres and poetry. Her skill has been displayed across a long repertoire, which includes her work as part of the renowned duo Lole...

This November, Le Guess Who? will feature a special performance by Pakistani qawwali singer Faiz Ali Faiz. Having been born to seven consecutive generations of qawwals (those who perform the ancient form of religious Sufi music from Pakistan and Northern India - Punjab - known as qawwali), Faiz Ali Faiz was raised on the practice. After...

Start your scheduling for Le Guess Who? 2023 now! The timetables are online now. Please note: for sustainability reasons, we will only have limited printed timetables available during the festival. A printable PDF version will follow soon, as will our official app. We also have some program updates: we’re thrilled that Antipop C...

Test your sustainable or social innovation at Le Guess Who? 2023Test jouw duurzame of sociale innovatie op Le Guess Who? 2023

Born in Beirut and based in Montreal, Liliane Chlela is a producer, DJ and performer whose progressive sound experiments brought her to the forefront of the electronic and experimental music scene, both in Lebanon and far beyond. At Le Guess Who? 2024, Liliane Chlela will present the live premiere of I, the hybrid and the antidote. &ldqu...

After an unforgettable closing set at Le Guess Who? last year, Paris-based artist and producer/DJ Crystallmess returned to the festival both as a performer and as a curator, presenting her very own program. Crystallmess combines elements of film, music, performance and visual art in her radically interdisciplinary work. In doing so, she...

Three years after her last Le Guess Who? showcase, Brooklyn-based, Pakistani singer and composer, Arooj Aftab returned to the festival in 2024 both as a curator and performer. "Aftab’s voice and her band’s musicianship are breathtaking on their own, but there’s an intimacy, a warmth, an un-self-seriousness that makes th...

Since 2022, Le Guess Who? partners with the Nature and Environment Federation Utrecht to offset CO2 emissions from international air travel by artists and visitors. Thanks to the collaboration in 2024, we're able to support five Repair Cafés in Utrecht. These cafés are places where people can work together with volunteers t...

Montreal-based artist Quinton Barnes releases his new ambitious album Black Noise. Released via Watch That Ends The Night Records, the record takes an assuredly different approach to radically innovate his methods of expression. It presents a bold sonic evolution and showcases the talents and efforts of a diverse collective of Montreal-ba...

Hong Kong producer gyrofield is a rising star whose influences span a.o. drum & bass, ambient, techno, hyperpop, grime and dubstep. After a period in Bristol, they have recently moved to Utrecht, and their curation at Le Guess Who? 2025 features musical heroes and like-minded artists. Together with fellow DJs & producers Ciel, Cal...

Hand-painted sound systems, often adorned with dazzling colours and striking imagery, each with its own name and sonic identity: for decades, the Picó mobile discos have become the heart of neighbourhood bailes on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The sounds of genres like champeta, highlife, soukous, mbaqanga, zouk, soca, and cumb...

An authentic showman, Índio da Cuíca radiates vitality and reveals to the world his expressive performance, original music and the charisma of a genuine Rio de Janeiro malandro. With a career spanning over 50 years, the singer and multi-instrumentalist gives his all with exceptional dance moves while duetting with his cu&iac...

Some music instruments carry a whole world of tradition, faith and culture. It’s the case of the tanbur, a millenia-old lute strongly tied to the city of Kermanshah, western Iran. Its practice is associated with mystical Yarsan religious beliefs and its knowledge is passed down through generations. Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian, a you...

Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. Episode 3 is a four-part series entitled 'For the Record', exploring the role of the archivist from all angles, released in weekly installments. In this new series, host Margaret Munchheimer talks to an independent archival collective in Indonesia; a sound and p...

Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. Episode 3 is a four-part series entitled 'For the Record', exploring the role of the archivist from all angles, released in weekly installments. In this series, host Margaret Munchheimer talks to an independent archival collective in Indonesia; a sound and perfo...

U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, celebrates local and creative communities based in the Netherlands, with a strong focus on Utrecht. The festival aims to strengthen relationships between people and presents a range of multi/interdisciplinary events, such as performances, exhibitions, food events, public discourse,...

The open call has been closed.  *** Following the success of last year’s pilot, U? is excited to continue co-creating the festival program with communities across the Netherlands. We once again invite (aspiring) curators who are deeply connected to a specific community to shape the program together with us. This process is a...

This year, U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, starts a new collaboration with Music Moves to make the dance floor more accessible and inclusive. Music Moves is a training program in which young adults (17 - 27 years) organize their own music event for people who do not naturally have access to music events. "We bel...

Le Guess Who? exists to bring people together through music and art. U?, its freely accessible city program, is dedicated to celebrating creativity in all its diversity. For U? 2024, we are collaborating with five different NL-based community curators who will highlight their communities and creativity at the festival. U? aims to collabo...

Lees hier de tekst in het Nederlands. The open call has been closed.   Le Guess Who? in Utrecht is a festival for groundbreaking music and culture, taking place 7-10 November 2024. It exists to bring people together through music and art. U? is its freely accessible city festival, dedicated to celebrating creativity in...

Phantom Wizard is an artist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist of Surinamese descent who is born and raised in the Dutch capital. He embarks on a deeply personal yet profoundly universal journey, punctuated by experimentation and improvisation. Nature, afrofuturism, jazz, and hip-hop have come together to form his ethereal work. He use...

Nusantara Beat are a psych-groove sextet from Amsterdam. The group has quickly amassed a cult following, largely due to the deep connection to their Indonesian roots and a passion for honoring their cultural heritage. Photography by Juri Hiensch

Le Feast invites you into a living room in Utrecht, to enjoy a feast together with people you don't know (yet). Would you like to join as a home-chef or guest? You can now sign up!Le Feast nodigt je uit in een huiskamer in Utrecht om samen met mensen die je (nog) niet kent te genieten van een feestmaal. Lijkt het je leuk om deel te nemen...

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) U? is the freely accessible day program of Le Guess Who? In 2023, U? takes place on 11 & 12 November. With this open call, we want to give everyone with ideas the opportunity to participate. The program of U? consists a multitude of events and activities which are c...

U? is Le Guess Who’s participatory and freely accessible day program, made for–and with–the city of Utrecht. With U?, Le Guess Who? extends its mission to enrich people through music and culture even further to the city.  From 10-13 November, U? features music performances, exhibitions, brunches, silent disco&rsquo...

Le Feast invites you into a living room in Utrecht, to enjoy a feast together with people you don't know (yet). Would you like to join as a home-chef or guest? You can now sign up!Le Feast nodigt je uit in een huiskamer in Utrecht om samen met mensen die je (nog) niet kent te genieten van een feestmaal. Lijkt het je leuk om deel te nemen...

Le Guess Who? exists to bring people together through art and music. In 2021, the international festival for boundary-crossing music and culture makes a new addition to the upcoming festival edition: U?, a new, participative and freely accessible day program created for and with the city of Utrecht. 

The open call has been closed.  *** U? is excited to continue co-creating the festival program. We once again open up space for individuals or collectives who are closely connected to a community to step into a curatorial role. Rather than prior experience, we are looking for a strong motivation to work with and for a community, an...

February is Kilele time: Nairobi, Kenya’s electronic music summit returns for its third edition. That’s why COSMOS and Santuri East Africa invited two artists performing at this year’s summit, Mina (UK) and R_R_ (Latvia), to showcase what they’re brewing up for the festivities. Tune in via Refuge Worldwide on Mond...

COSMOS jumps back on the Refuge Worldwide signal. This time with an hour devoted to punk from the SWANA region, courtesy of Turkey’s Antipode magazine, and a primer to Sudanese electronic music by Tabideee.  Tune in via Refuge Worldwide on Monday, 9 February, starting at 5PM CET. 

For the first episode of COSMOS on Refuge Worldwide in 2026, we've cued up a special all-originals mix by Seyðisfjörður’s (Iceland) Austin James Christ and a sonic meditation on the aura of Mediterranean gardens by film- and radiomaker Tania Feghali (NTS). 

Every year, COSMOS - our hybrid platform highlighting independent music scenes from around the world - links up with new partners, inviting them to grant us a glimpse into their unique musical environments. In the coming weeks, we’re rolling out the visual component of these partnerships: short but powerful mini-documentaries, by th...

For the September episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we’re headed towards Southeast Asia, for a double-header transmission from Malaysia/Cambodia and Vietnam. 

For the August episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we’re exploring fresh new sounds from Georgia and return to Iceland for another dispatch from Seyðisfjörður.

For the June episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we’re connecting the dots between Panamá and Pakistan, with mixes by River Down Records and Hamnawa Magazine.

For the June episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we’re exploring the sounds of Iceland and Ireland with two of Europe’s finest independent community radios. Brought to us via our 2024 Embassy ICRN, both Seyðisfjörður Community Radio and Dublin Digital Radio present two distinctive hours of music...

For the May episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we're checking the pulse of Istanbul’s creative scene in the midst of crisis, and reconnect with the bustling underground in the MENA region.  Our sonic guides this time are IDGK, an Istanbul-based collective and production company, and our long-time partners fr...

This week, COSMOS and Refuge Worldwide are bringing their ongoing partnership to life during Le Guess Who? 2024. Taking over the Pandora Foyer in TivoliVredenburg, this collaborative 4-day broadcast will be full of in-depth interviews, deep listening and dancefloor-ready DJ sets. Hosted by Refuge Worldwide’s own Richard Akingbehin,...

Every first Monday of the month, COSMOS broadcasts episodes of their radio show on Refuge Worldwide, highlighting their deep-running network of partners from around the world. On Monday, 2 September, from 4-6 PM, COSMOS returns with two new episodes. Buh Records The first hour is curated by Peruvian avant-garde stalwarts Buh Records who...

Every first Monday of the month, COSMOS broadcasts episodes of their radio show on Refuge Worldwide, highlighting their deep-running network of partners from around the world. On Monday, 5 August, from 5-7 PM, COSMOS returns with two new episodes. The first hour is curated by our friends from POP Montreál. The iconic Canadian fest...

Every first Monday of the month, COSMOS broadcasts episodes of their radio show on Refuge Worldwide, highlighting their deep-running network of partners from around the world. On Monday, 7 October, from 2-4 PM, COSMOS returns with two new episodes. LE 18 For the first hour, we tapped our 2024 Embassy partners LE 18 for a guided tour thr...

For the October episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we’re exploring Utrecht’s FLINTA* punk scene, and immerse ourselves in traditional Amazigh music and contemporary electronica from Morocco.

COSMOS returns to the Refuge Worldwide booth. This month we're emerging ourselves in a Moroccan film music special, and a re-run of Tabideee’s primer to Sudanese electronic music.  Tune in via Refuge Worldwide on Monday, 13 April, starting at 5PM CET.

COSMOS returns to the Refuge Worldwide signal. This time with a free-spirited transmission by Amsterdam’s iconic DIY-venue OCCII, and a deep dive into Southeast Asian psych rock by LaMunai Records. 

Did you always wanted to know what was happening backstage during Le Guess Who? Photographer Sara Amroussi-Gilissen was present at the festival last November, and captured artists like Kelly Lee Owens...

Originated in Utrecht as a collaboration between the festival and long-term partners Basilica Hudson, 24-Hour Drone is a roving, international series featuring musicians and sound artists experimentin...

A collaboration between Le Guess Who? and long-term partners Basilica Hudson, 24-Hour Drone is a roving, international series featuring musicians and sound artists experimenting within the spectrum of...

"Tarot," says King Khan, shuffling a deck of cards rhythmically back and forth, "was designed to give power back to the people." - Dazed At Le Guess Who? 2017, King Khan and Game of Thrones...

Enter the dark, mythical world of minimalist composer and acclaimed lute-player Jozef van Wissem. Accompanied by his baroque instrument, Van Wissem creates highly distinctive sonic soundscapes by blen...

The Wire Magazine shares an exclusive collaborative track from Le Guess Who? curator Kevin Richard Martin (The Bug) and Japanese voice artist Hatis Noit, entitled 'After The Storm'. Listen to the track and read a statement about the duo's collaborative project here on The Wire's website. To receive a free download of t...

It is true that making plans for shows and festivals in 2021 is a bit of a gamble. But Le Guess Who? believes that it’s important to have something to look forward to. In the spirit of cautious optimism, we are proud to announce the second round of confirmations for November 11-14 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Le Guess Who?’s...

We’re very excited to let you know that this year, Utrecht’s Mega Record & CD Fair will once again take place during the same weekend as Le Guess Who?. Europe’s biggest record fair is internationally renowned for its incredibly comprehensive collection of vinyl and pop memorabilia. “The sheer volume of records...

Le Guess Who? exists to bring people together through art and music, and despite the uncertainty of the times we have continued to work toward that end. Some things might change, and some things will change, but we have put together a festival for 2021 that we are extremely proud of, and will bring it to you in whatever form possible.&nbs...

For U? 2024, we are looking for new and eager (aspiring) curators to highlight their communities and creativity at the festival.

Unfortunately, Midori Takada won’t be able to make it to Le Guess Who? 2021 due to ongoing Covid restrictions. But she will be with us in Sound & Spirit.  "I really wanted to be here with you. Instead I fly my spirit to you and wrap you up in the warm vibrations of the music" - Midori Takada On Friday and Saturday, we p...

“Performing is a part of my identity”, says the Dutch Surinamese vocalist and producer Pink Oculus. Two years of not being able to do what she loves the most led to a brand new sound, and new music too: her forthcoming album, ‘Before Wisdom’, is expected in 2022. At Le Guess Who?, she will premiere these songs thro...

Photo Archive Step back into Le Guess Who? 2023 and revisit some of its most memorable moments—on stage and behind the scenes. Explore a curated collection of images captured by our dedicated photography team. Our team of photographers documented this edition, creating striking photo series that capture the energy, atmosphere...

LGW’s resident photographer Juri Hiensch has been rediscovering the city of Utrecht lately, capturing the unique character of several neighborhoods outside the city center and offering some inspiration for your next trip to Utrecht. The third photo & video series is dedicated to Transwijk & Kanaleneiland. These neighborhood...

LGW’s resident photographer Juri Hiensch has been rediscovering the city of Utrecht lately, capturing the unique character of several neighborhoods outside the city center and offering some inspiration for your next trip to Utrecht. The third photo & video series is dedicated to Transwijk & Kanaleneiland. These neighborhood...

After more than a decade of silence, we're absolutely thrilled to announce the return of Old Time Relijun, "one of the most distinctive and feral rock groups", in the words of The Stranger. Headed by the idiosyncratic Arrington de Dionyso, the group is celebrated for their raw and life-affirming songwriting. After qui...

Le Guess Who? 2021 will see the festival joining forces with the esteemed Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1945. It's not the first time we're collaborating though: in 2017, the orchestra performed Lili Boulanger's towering 'Du Fond De L'Abîme' at our festival. This year, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra will honor...

The Hague innovative music Ensemble Klang, known for their dynamic approach to contemporary music and sonic adventure, were invited by this year's LGW curator Midori Takada to perform at the festival. They will present 'Thrift Hybrids' by composer and producer Matthew Wright and soprano Claron McFadden, which already exists as a video ins...

In 2018, as part of a program presented by Brooklyn-based independent record label RVNG Intl., Finnish electronic music composer Pekka Airaksinen (known for his work with ultra-radical, proto-noise group The Sperm) and NYC-based multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ka Baird convened in Utrecht to write, rehearse, record and perform live.&n...

LGW’s resident photographer Juri Hiensch has been rediscovering the city of Utrecht lately, capturing the unique character of several neighborhoods outside the city center and offering some inspiration for your next trip to Utrecht. The second neighborhood in this photo & video series is dedicated to Zuilen. It is a a dist...

LGW’s resident photographer Juri Hiensch has been rediscovering the city of Utrecht lately, capturing the unique character of several neighborhoods outside the city center and offering some inspiration for your next trip to Utrecht. The first neighborhood in this photo & video series centers around the Tweededaalsedijk. Well, t...

After the last minute cancellation of Plague Organ's show at LGW OFF last November due to the global pandemic, Le Guess Who? and Roadburn collaborated and facilitated the band's live debut at Roadburn Redux on April 17th 2021.  After a limited availability at the Roadburn Redux website, the show is now available in full through...

Katokye, who has dedicated his life to traditional songs from the Bahima (Western Uganda), performed live at Le Guess Who? 2025 following the release of his first studio album Obuhangwa bwa Banyankore na Bahororo via Nyege Nyege Tapes. Relive the performance with our recording of this international premiere:  "These are absolutely...

Inviting guest curators to build their own programs has become a hallmark of Le Guess Who? over the years. Featuring both their inspirations and fellow like-minded artists, this allows upcoming acts to perform alongside established artists. We are genuinely excited to now reveal the curators for Le Guess Who? 2021, as well as the first pe...

7 & 8 November 2026Utrecht, The Netherlands U? celebrates local and creative communities across the Netherlands, with a strong focus on Utrecht. Through public programs, U? brings people together and creates space for exchange.

As an international festival, Le Guess Who? has always worked with a borderless and boundary-crossing ethos. With COSMOS, we amplify local scenes from around the world to an international audience.

Georgia's Pankisi Ensemble performed live at Le Guess Who? 2023 as part of the Hidden Musics program. Now, you can relive this touching performance with the full audio of the show, recorded at Utrecht's Jacobikerk during the festival. AboutThe Pankisi Ensemble goes against the typical 'ethno-fusion' grain in two ways. First, by not res...

With LGW & Basilica Hudson's in-person 24-HOUR DRONE postponed until April 2021, Basilica will continue with web-based DRONE programming taking place this weekend. In the continued spirit of creating music without borders, local and international partners will join forces to keep the drone dream alight. For this specia...

Lombok Festival, one of Le Guess Who?’s satellite events, returns on Friday 8 November. The freely accessible festival is a celebration of the cultural diversity of this city’s district, initiated in collaboration with various locations, musicians, key figures and residents of Lombok. During Lombok Festival, various performan...

Along with exploring the festival program, visitors of Le Guess Who? 2019 can also immerse themselves in various activities during the day throughout the city of Utrecht, including the ‘Untitled’ program.  Untitled made its debut as part of Le Guess Who? 2018. We're eager to expand the programming to include more daytime...

FACT, one of the long-term collaborators of Le Guess Who?, will host a program across three nights during the festival this year at BASIS: a nightclub located in a wharf cellar in the city center of Utrecht. BASIS has been a part of the festival since last year and is a perfect location to discover some of groundbreaking and forward-think...

Located just around the corner from TivoliVredenburg and on a 3-minute walking distance from Utrecht Central Station, the recently opened BUNK Hotel is a good choice for accommodation during Le Guess Who? 2019. BUNK converted a former church located at the Utrecht main canal into a hotel that opened in June. Visitors of Le Guess Who? 201...

LGW ON Program LGW ON introduces a freely accessible online TV channel with films and documentaries selected by past performers, Reports from Other Continents, previously unseen LGW recordings, and more.  FULL PROGRAM LGW ON

(Nederlandse versie hieronder) For the upcoming festival edition, Le Guess Who? will continue its collaboration with the Dutch Council for Refugees. Just like last year, the festival supports the initiative ‘Grant an Entry’. The initiative gives festival visitors the opportunity to purchase an extra day ticket for refugees re...

We are excited to present you a new satellite event during Le Guess Who? 2018: ‘Untitled’. The program focuses on all disciplines other than music and is an exploration of other artistic e...

As a sci-fi obsessed woman living in near isolation, musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland wrote and self-released 'Keyboard Fantasies' in rural Ontario in 1986. Recorded on an Atari-powered home-studio, th...

Cycle or walk through Utrecht suburb Lombok's main street, and you're immediately welcomed by Turkish and Moroccan grocery stores, bakeries, the smell of kebab, and huge piles of colorful fruits sold...

Mount Eerie has released his new live album '(after)', which was recorded in full at Le Guess Who? 2017. The performance was curated by Perfume Genius for the festival, and took place at the Jaco...

Multidisciplinary arts center Basilica Hudson and Le Guess Who? will host the fifth edition of 24-HOUR DRONE from noon - noon on April 27 and April 28 in Hudson, NY.  The first wave of artists are now announced, including world-renowned Indian classical musician Maestro Khan with a performance of Indian classical/folk music for tabl...

Sudan/UK collective The Scorpios performed on the closing day of Le Guess Who? 2018. Inspired by traditional Sudanese music and 60s and 70s pop, the group create an elated mix of Arabic rhythms, raw Eastern funk and vintage psychedelia. You can now listen to their full festival performance: About Having fled from the fundamentalists i...

On Sunday afternoon, we’ll take a deep dive down into the depths of punk, new-wave and blood pounding rock ‘n roll. Together with long time festival location dB’s and brand new venue WAS., we will set the stage for a raving punk party, leading up to the celebration of 30 years of Mudhoney. Endless Boogie & Bloody Ma...

In 1970, soul artist Jerry Williams, Jr. radically reinvented himself as Swamp Dogg: an anti-hero who smashes the conventions of commercial R&B music, and whose subversive lyrics earned him a spot on Richard Nixon’s infamous enemies list. Consequently, Swamp Dogg became one of the quintessential outsider figures in American musi...

This year, Le Guess Who? will have its very own, official festival hangout, hosted by Kapitaal: a Utrecht-based -open- studio for screen-, etch- and risoprint. A meeting place with a proper program, filled with exhibitions, lectures and music, owners Carlien and Ramon create a social place where craftsmanship, design and pop-culture meet....

Ahead of her performance at Le Guess Who?, we catch up with Tunisian singer, musician & artist Emel Mathlouthi while on her way to a performance in Washington DC. It became a talk about being challenged by collaborators, the Arab Spring and the role of social media, being categorized by singing in Arabic, and the importance of being t...

Every year, Le Feast invites you into a living room in Utrecht, to enjoy a feast together with people you don't know (yet). Many Utrechtian home-chefs will transform their living room into a cozy brunch restaurant, welcoming other visitors of Le Guess Who? to join for a massive brunch feast with lots of poached eggs, Ottolenghi inspired s...

Formed by Kenya-born musician Ajay Saggar in 2013, King Champion Sounds are an impetuous, eight-headed band from The Netherlands and England. Fronted by the inimitable G.W. Sok (former singer of...

(English version below) Voor de komende editie van Le Guess Who? (8 t/m 11 november in de gehele binnenstad van Utrecht, werkt de organisatie samen met VluchtelingenWerk, dat maatschappelijk par...

Hailed as 'The Mother of All Maqam', Farida Mohammed Ali gave an immersive performance at Le Guess Who? 2017 together with the Iraqi Maqam Ensemble. This performance was curated by Jerusalem In My Hea...

Czech Republic's Please The Trees originally hail from the forests of a mountainous region in East Bohemia. Grounded in the psychedelic riffs and motorik beats of krautrock, the band will present...

Want to be among the first to hear about the latest news & Le Guess Who? program updates? You can now also subscribe via WhatsApp to receive festival updates. To do so, add +31 6 8379 7340 to you...

With their cosmic jazz celebration, Sun Ra Arkestra was one of the closing acts of Le Guess Who? 2017. We're pleased to now bring you the full recording of this show, spanning decades of the Sun Ra le...

Moroccan Gnawa master Maâlem Houssam Guinia performed live at Le Guess Who? 2017. This performance was curated by James Holden for the festival: About:Maâlem (or ‘master musician&rsquo...

Accordion maestro Mario Batkovic has performed twice at Le Guess Who?; in 2016, his performance was curated by Savages, and last year, he returned to festival at the invitation of by James Holden. You...

The West African collective of Les Amazones d'Afrique performed live at Le Guess Who? 2017, with Mamani Keita, Rokia Koné, and Kandia Kouyate as lead singers. Now, OkayAfrica pre...

(Nederlandse versie hieronder) Between a partnership of more than 40 Dutch festival, a new initiative emerged, called ‘Geef een Toegift’ (‘Give an Encore’). Festival visitors...

24-Hour Drone 2018 - Experiments in Sound and Music is presented by Basilica Hudson together with Le Guess Who?. It touches down in Hudson, NY, for the fourth time from Saturday, April 28th...

The Sai Anantam Ashram Singers - hailing from the Ashram that Alice Coltrane herself founded in LA - perform Coltrane’s ecstatic music which was recorded in seclusion inside the temple. It is th...

This year's Le Guess Who? features a project which is like nothing we ever brought to you before. Choreographer Nicole Beutler directed '7: Triple Moon': an interdisciplinary project with a combinatio...

Every year, Le Feast invites you into a living room in Utrecht, to enjoy a feast together with people you don't know (yet). On Sunday November 12, many Utrechtian home-chefs will transform their livin...

(Artwork by Raimund Wong) Playing live following ‘The Inheritors’ was a complete new experience for James Holden; improvising with live drums, sax and synths opened a new world for Holden...

Cycle or walk through Utrecht suburb Lombok's main street, and you're immediately welcomed by Turkish and Moroccan grocery stores, bakeries, the smell of kebab, and huge piles of colorful fruits sold...

We’re very happy to announce that we'll have our very own Le Guess Who? Beer for sale at the festival this year. In collaboration with one of Utrecht’s finest microbreweries, De Kromme Har...

Le Mini Who? returns as part of Le Guess Who? 2018 on Saturday, 10 November. As a spin-off festival of Le Guess Who?, it transforms many of Utrecht’s local bars, restaurants, venues and warehous...

With roots in both Venezuela and L.A., Devendra Banhart has been making highly singular music for a long time. Over the decades, he has shown us that he is an eclectic artist capable of both reinventi...

(Nederlandse versie hieronder) With Day Tickets and 4-Day Passes for Le Guess Who? 2022 currently being on sale, we are once again offering the 'Grant an Entry' option in our ticketing system, for which we are continuing our cooperation with the Dutch Council for Refugees and NewBees The 'Grant an Entry' initiative gives festival v...

A nice surprise came our way recently. The sound engineer at De Helling during Le Guess Who? 2021 was able to capture the intense performance of Dutch outfit Plague Organ. Or at least, almost the entire performance: apparently the engineer was so overwhelmed upon the start of the show that he was about half a minute late with starting the...

Chanting songs and playing hypnotic polyrhythms, Egyptian ensemble Mazaher gave a rare performance at Le Guess Who? 2021. It was their first European show in over 15 years. Mazaher is an Egyptian ensemble, a small group of mostly women musicians and singers who play Zãr music: a combination of chanted songs and hypnotic polyrhythm...

Throughout their decades-long musical partnership, Czech artists Irena Havlová and Vojtěch Havel have traveled far and wide, crossing continents, cultures and mediums with styles of European classical music ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary. In the process, the duo made fans and friends which include Sufjan Stevens and T...

From the archives of Idris Ackamoor comes the first ever vinyl release of Ackamoor's debut avant-garde / Afro-jazz recordings from 1971 with The Collective entitled 'Idrissa's Dream.' Released via Strut Records on double 12" LP and digital formats on November 4th 2022, 'Idrissa's Dream' is exactly what the title implies - dreamy and...

During Le Guess Who? 2022, photographer Claudia Gschwend and writer Melanie Biedermann initiated a new project in which they spoke to festival artists about how music relates to mental health, as well as their individual stories and relationships with music. At the same time, they also made a series of portraits about these artists. ...

Leading up to Earth Day this week (April 22), we would like to share our Sustainability Manifesto with you. We’re aware that, as a festival, we will always have an impact on the climate. At the same time, we want to reduce this impact where we can. With this manifesto, we’d like to give an insight into what sustainability me...

We're happy to announce that, after four years, 24-HOUR DRONE returns to Basilica Hudson in 2023 on May 27 & 28, to coincide with Drone Day. 24-HOUR DRONE is presented by Basilica Hudson and Le Guess Who? in collaboration with Sarah Van Buren, happening in-person for the first time since 2019. Tickets are available here. An immersive...

During the 15th Anniversary Edition of Le Guess Who? in 2022, West Coast hip-hop trio clipping. performed live as part of their guest curation at the festival.  We're thrilled to now share the concert film of the performance, with clipping. performing tracks from throughout their discography, including fan favorites such as ‘N...

(Nederlandse versie hieronder) As part of Le Guess Who? 2023, we are once again initiating the 'Grant an Entry' concept. This initiative gives festival visitors the opportunity to purchase an extra day ticket for people who are also interested in visiting the festival, but do not have the financial resources themselves to do so.  V...

"Moin are subtly but brilliantly reinventing rock music", wrote Pitchfork last year in their review of the London three-piece's album Paste. Rest assured, they keep doing exactly that with the release of their new EP Clocked Off, self-described as "Outsider jams that rolled out of the studio. Part experiments, part sketches."  Compr...

Raja Kirik is the Indonesian duo of Yennu Ariendra and J. Mo'ong Santoso Pribadi, two radical artists who draw on Java's rich cultural traditions and its history of struggle against colonial oppression to create music that surprises, challenges and educates in equal measure.  Now, the group shares their new release: The Phantasmagor...

Following the release of our initial line-up for 2023, and our Special Projects, we now announces the world premiere of The Harvest Time Project: A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders, which celebrates the legacy of Pharoah Sanders and his seminal composition, Harvest Time (1977). The Harvest Time Project is an ever-evolving concert which will ha...

As a hallmark of Le Guess Who?, the festival each year invites trailblazing creatives to curate their own dedicated programs, highlighting fellow like-minded artists and those that have inspired them. Heba Kadry, a mastering engineer born in Egypt and currently based in Brooklyn, has curated a program for Le Guess Who? 2023 that she now...

Coming up at the turn of the century, when underground rap was all about dusty loops and intricate battle rhymes, Antipop Consortium mixed an experimental, electronically charged sound palette with lyricism sharpened on the NY poetry scene. While they quickly summoned a cult following stateside, Europe’s alternative music circuit to...

African Head Charge performed live on the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2023 following the release of their new album 'A Trip To Bolgatanga'. You can now relive the performance with the full audio of the show, which is assured to put a smile on anyone's face.  About'A bad attitude is like a flat tire - you can't go anywhere until...

Georgia's Pankisi Ensemble performed live at Le Guess Who? 2023 as part of the Hidden Musics program. Now, you can relive this touching performance with the full audio of the show, recorded at Utrecht's Jacobikerk during the festival. AboutThe Pankisi Ensemble goes against the typical 'ethno-fusion' grain in two ways. First, by not res...

There's lots of Le Guess Who? to hear this week on BBC Radio.  First off, on Friday night (November 22 at 23:00 GMT), BBC Radio 3's Late Junction will premiere audio recordings of Ethiopian funk legend Ayalew Mesfin's first ever European live performance at Le Guess Who? 2019, as well as a section of the live premiere of AEAEA at th...

Lost Girls is the Norwegian duo made up of experimental guitarist Håvard Volden and former LGW curator Jenny Hval. Their latest album, 2023's Selvutsletter, continues the intuitive, late night feel of the group's previous work with topics such as cities after dark, music rituals, band practices of the ‘90s, and the early days...

In 2024, Le Guess Who? starts a pilot with Low Income Day Tickets, specifically for those who otherwise would not be able to attend the festival. This initiative arises from the fact that we hear that the ticket price is one of the biggest barriers for people to visit the festival. We want to give people - who would like to visit the fes...

Fiftieth anniversaries call for spectacular celebrations, and that is what Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble are embarking on this year. To commemorate half a century of continuously shifting gears and tempos in the jazz-blues continuum, the band is embarking on a new world tour. Before they do so, they visited the BBC...

Mixing electronic music, punk and rap, LustSickPuppy's live shows are a perfect mix of experimentation, chaos and rave energy: a must-see for fans of hyper-pop and digital hardcore.  Last April, performer and producer Tommy Hayes released CAROUSEL FROM HELL, their debut album under the moniker LustSickPuppy. The record infiltrates i...

(Nederlandse versie hieronder) As part of Le Guess Who? 2024, we are once again initiating the 'Donate a Ticket' concept. This initiative gives festival visitors the opportunity to purchase an extra day ticket for people who are also interested in visiting the festival, but do not have the financial resources themselves to do so. Visito...

Drummer, composer, and bandleader Asher Gamedze formed a new 10-piece ensemble: The Black Lungs. Together they announce the new album Consitution, to be released on the 30th of August via International Anthem. The expansive double album - recorded in a one-day-session in Cape Town – is an elaboration of the possibilities of autonomo...

Our official Le Guess Who? 2023 app is now available, made in collaboration with TMSQR. With this app, you can explore the line-up, create your personal timetable, find your way through Utrecht with the interactive festival map and listen to the official LGW Playlist. You can also switch easily between Le Guess Who? and U?, our freely acc...

The Growth Eternal release their new EP Songs In The Key Of Growth, "a collection of radically reinterpreted cover songs". In these ethereal four tracks, the multi-instrumentalist re-imagines and mixes songs by Steve Lacy, Tyler, The Creator + Frank Ocean, Stevie Wonder, Dijon & Mk.Gee as well as an avant-garde jazz rendition of Chron...

The village of Cileunyi, located in the mountainous areas surrounding Bandung, West Java, is home to Reak, a spiritual trance ritual that has existed in the region for hundreds of years. Seni Reak Juarta Putra, an original community of the Reak ceremony, offers this year’s Le Guess Who? audience a rare glimpse into the ritual. Th...

With her Quechua pop music, songwriter Luzmila Carpio has been one of the most influential artistic and spiritual ambassadors of Andean communities. Between innovation and ancient tradition, she spreads messages of indigenous struggle, female empowerment and love for the environment around us. Luzmila Carpio is bringing her iconic voice t...

On Friday, 8 November 2024, the compilation album Chromesthesia: the Colour of Sound Vol. 1 is set to be released. Brainchild of British-Egyptian historian Hannah Elsisi (NYU AD, Cambridge), Chromesthesia—aptly named "the colour of sound"— tracks afro-diasporic rhythms from the Whole Mangrove World. Now, the first single from...

On Friday, 8 November 2024, the compilation album Chromesthesia: the Colour of Sound Vol. 1 is set to be released. Brainchild of British-Egyptian historian Hannah Elsisi (NYU AD, Cambridge), Chromesthesia—aptly named "the colour of sound"— tracks afro-diasporic rhythms from the Whole Mangrove World. Following the collaborati...

During the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2024, Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra & multidisciplinary artist Arion de Munck (Ombak-Lab) present Hadra Immersive, an experience in which Water, Harmony and Light play a central role. The climax of Hadra is not just a musical peak; it is a moment of collective transcendence, in which those pr...

On the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2024, attendees will be treated to a performance by Oslo-based improvisation project DNA? AND?. Going strong for over a decade, the collective has traveled the world, played with N.U. Unruh and Hamid Drake, and gathered praise from international outlets such as The Quietus and more. For the upcoming...

ASA-CHANG & Junray performed live at TivoliVredenburg's Pandora during Le Guess Who? 2024. You can now relive the full, spellbinding performance via the recording below - a mesmerizing hour of unprecedented music making.  ASA-CHANG is the founder and original bandmaster of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, who, upon leaving the en...

A transcendental opening ceremony took place at the start of Le Guess Who? 2024, thanks to a special collaboration between the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and visual artist Arion de Munck, who presented the world premiere of Hadra Immersive at the festival.  The Hadra is an ancient northern Moroccan ceremony that leads participan...

Brian Jackson performed live during the closing night of Le Guess Who? 2024, featuring a string of classic tracks such as The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Home Is Where the Hatred Is, and Winter in America. You can now listen to, and relive, the full performance below.  As one-half of power duo Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jac...

The Body & Dis Fig performed live on the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2024. Relive the full, overwhelming - sonically as well as physically - performance below.  A crossover between American duo The Body, who have been tinkering with noise and metal since 1999, and Berlin-based DJ, producer, and vocalist Felicia Chen (AKA Di...

Polish guitarist Raphael Rogiński presented his album Žaltys live at Utrecht’s Pieterskerk during Le Guess Who? 2024, accompanied on stage by Lithuanian singer and kanklės player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and American multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily. You can now listen to the full performance, which was co-curated by Unsound as pa...

As part of her curation at Le Guess Who? 2024, experimental cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti performed live at the festival together with London-based vocal group Shards. Watch the concert film of the performance, featuring the tracks Kravitz, No Se Ve Desde Acá and Desde el Cielo: With her hypnotic pieces, Mabe Fratti comb...

(Nederlandse tekst hieronder) Following the success of last year's pilot, we are continuing to offer Low Income Day Tickets for Le Guess Who? 2025. This initiative is specifically for those who otherwise would not be able to attend the festival. This initiative arises from the fact that we hear that the ticket price is still one of the...

As we’re gearing up for Le Guess Who? 2023, we are proud to present a new collaboration with Choo-Choo to offer visitors an easy and sustainable way to book their international train journeys to and from the festival.  With Choo-Choo you can travel sustainable by train to & from different European cities. These routes are...

TIMES (The Independent Movement for Electronic Scenes) is a cooperative project that brings together different European festivals to create original performances that combine music and visual arts. As well as shared programming of artists and the project's original creations, TIMES aims to support, promote, and improve diversity and susta...

As guest curator at Le Guess Who? 2024, Touching Bass' Errol and Sammseed presented 'INNA', an in-the-round dance floor of inclusion, celebrating the Jamaican roots of sound system culture. During this night, we created the short film INNA – an ode to the spiritual & emotional importance of sound system culture, featuring Touc...

Le Guess Who? presents a three day residency of Pakistani legends Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali during the 2025 edition of the festival. The vocalist duo, nephews of qawwali master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, together with their ensemble will present three different performances at different locations during the festival.  Rizwan and Muazzam Mu...

With the performances Moyang 先祖 & Seaman 漁師, director and visual artist Tianzhuo Chen crafts a minimal yet strikingly powerful setting, centering the dancer & choreographer Siko Setyanto as the protagonist in two episodes, based on their work Ocean Cage. Chen and Setyanto explore the intersection of ancient traditions with t...

Kenyan artist and producer KABEAUSHÉ brought a powerful performance to the closing night of Le Guess Who? 2024, following the release of HOLD ON TO DEER LIFE, THERE’S A BLCAK BOY BEHIND YOU!. You can now relive this special moment – a night of bold sound, raw emotion, and unforgettable presence – with our concert...

Le Guess Who? is excited to announce the continuation of the collaboration with Centraal Museum. This year, we will present two special audiovisual installations during the festival weekend, 6-9 November. Both are free to attend for festival visitors on presentation of your festival wristband (Day Passes and 4-Day Passes). Wael Shawky -...

Driven by an appetite for boundless experimentation, producer and composer Ziúr has always been subverting expectations, corkscrewing through hardcore, metal and punk before veering towards electronic music's turbulent fringes. Today, the Le Guess Who? 2025 guest curator releases her new album Home via Kuboraum Editions. On t...

Le Guess Who? 2025 guest-curator Valentina Magaletti is a trailblazing percussionist and composer. Her versatile technique can incorporate anything from vibes and marimba to contact microphones and found objects, resulting in a style that is forever evolving. In November, she will perform on multiple occasions: with her project V/Z, with...

Known for her relentless appetite for boundless experimentation, producer and musician Ziúr has always been subverting expectations, corkscrewing through hardcore, metal and punk before veering towards electronic music’s turbulent fringes. As a guest curator for Le Guess Who? 2025, her program spotlights bold, inspiring artis...

Invited to perform at Le Guess Who? 2025 by guest curator Asher Gamedze, DEAD SYMBOLS are a critical sound collective committed to dangerous thinking and sonic vandalism. They situate their practice at the intersection of sound and theory: it is an inquiry, or study, into the sonic properties of theory, or sound as a theoretical intervent...

Le Guess Who? has grown into a leading international festival, known for presenting groundbreaking music in inspiring ways. The festival promotes sounds that are often overlooked and platforms fresh perspectives on what is possible in music. As part of the 2025 festival edition, Le Guess Who? now announces the first edition of Sound &...

Multi-disciplinary artist Yara Asmar shares her new album everyone I love is sleeping and I love them so so much, released as a special deluxe boxed vinyl version made in collaboration with Time Released Sound. everyone I love is sleeping and I love them so so much by Yara Asmar The new album presents 11 pieces recorded over the pa...

Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. For the occasion of Le Guess Who’s 15th Edition, we pay tribute to DJ Fitz- the man, the legend, the only artist to have been on every single lineup.  In this two part series we dig first into Fitz’s illustrious past in NYC as a DIY show or...

Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. Episode 3 is a four-part series entitled 'For the Record', exploring the role of the archivist from all angles, released in weekly installments. In this new series, host Margaret Munchheimer talks to an independent archival collective in Indonesia; a sound and p...

Le Guess Who? presents 'The Big Playback', a podcast about all things music. Episode 3 is a four-part series entitled 'For the Record', exploring the role of the archivist from all angles, released in weekly installments. In this new series, host Margaret Munchheimer talks to an independent archival collective in Indonesia; a sound and p...

With the motto of Listening is the Way Forward, Le Guess Who? is widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals around, celebrated for presenting groundbreaking music in inspiring ways. Here, artists from all over the world offer new perspectives on what is possible in music and, collectively, provide insight into the...

Our official Le Guess Who? 2024 app is now available, made in collaboration with TMSQR. With this app, you can explore the line-up, create your personal timetable, find your way through Utrecht with the interactive festival map and listen to the official LGW24 playlist. You can also switch easily between Le Guess Who? and U?, our freely a...

Le Feast invites you into a living room in Utrecht, to enjoy a feast together with people you don't know (yet). Would you like to join as a home-chef or guest? You can now sign up! “Le Feast is such a great way to bring people together in an atmosphere of generosity and celebrate what unites us.” - Guest Home-Chef We are lo...

Since 2022, Le Guess Who? partners with the Nature and Environment Federation Utrecht to offset CO2 emissions from international air travel by artists and visitors. Thanks to collaboration in 2023, a sustainable roof at Utrecht’s Hof van Cartesius, a unique circular workspace for creative entrepreneurs, has now been realized. Hof va...

Have you ever heard of Roy and Silo, the famous male chinstrap penguins, who formed a pair at New York's Central Park Zoo? What about the red flour beetles who engage in same-sex relationships simply to practice mating? Did you know that clownfish can change their sex if needed? Or that among bonobos (who share almost 99% of their DNA wit...

For the opening performance of Le Guess Who? 2025, Palestinian singer, composer and flutist Nai Barghouti collaborated with the 23-piece Amsterdam Sinfonietta, blending Arabic music traditions with classical music, jazz and other influences. You can now relive the full performance.  Starting her musical adventure at just 14 years...

WDR COSMO, a German, public radio station focusing on global pop and voices from around the world, broadcasts 14 hours of Le Guess Who? 2025 recordings during several festival specials on 24 & 26 December and 1 January. You can listen to recordings of a.o. Hania Rani presents Chilling Bambino, Lonnie Holley & Friends, Lido Pimie...

Born in Beirut and based in Montreal, Liliane Chlela is a producer, DJ and performer whose progressive sound experiments brought her to the forefront of the electronic and experimental music scene, both in Lebanon and far beyond.  At Le Guess Who? 2024, Chlela presented her new project I, the hybrid and the antidote together with a...

Through saxophone, cello, piano and flutes, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio offers the chance to engage with songs intended for healing. The group performed twice at Le Guess Who? 2025, curated by Lonnie Holley. You can now relive the performance during the closing night of the festival: tune in below.  At its heart, The Cosmic Ton...

Vietnamese-French DJ, producer & label boss Anh Phi, who was involved in the creation of COSMOS' Vietnam Embassy Film in 2023, connects the dots between Ho Chi Minh City, Paris, and Berlin. To celebrate his debut EP, Bu​ô​ng, we proudly present this exclusive mix for COSMOS, dedicated to the buzzing Southeast and East Asian unde...

This month, Ksenia Kwiecińska’ll host the fourth reading group: a shared space to gather, reflect and think alongside one another. Over the past several years, we've been actively reflecting (both internally and in dialogue with various collaborators) on how the relationships between (cultural) institutions and grassroots orga...

This week, we’ll host our third reading group: a shared space to gather, reflect and think alongside one another. Over the past several years, we've been actively reflecting (both internally and in dialogue with various collaborators) on how the relationships between (cultural) institutions and grassroots organizations, collectives...

Last month, we hosted our very first reading group: a shared space to gather, reflect and think alongside one another. Over the past several years, we've been actively reflecting (both internally and in dialogue with various collaborators) on how the relationships between (cultural) institutions and grassroots organizations, collectives...

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) On Saturday 14 September, U? presents a program at HE:LEEN Festival in the Le Guess Who? office. This year, HE:LEEN Festival returns to Rotsoord for a new edition full of talented musicians, artists and performers. The festival highlights the creative and energetic appearance of the area....

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) On Saturday 9 September, U? presents a program at HE:LEEN Festival in the Le Guess Who? office. This year, HE:LEEN Festival returns to Rotsoord for a new edition full of talented musicians, artists and performers. The festival highlights the creative and energetic appearance of the area. I...

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) Pain Against Fear is the final part of the controversial music theater trilogy PERMANENT DESTRUCTION, produced by theater creator and performer Naomi Velissariou in co-production with Theater Utrecht. In this performance, Velissariou introduces herself as a popular singer of ‘PERMANEN...

U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, returns to Utrecht on 11 and 12 November 2023 for its third edition. This program is created for, but especially with Utrecht, to celebrate the city's creativity in all its diversity.The festival aims to let as many Utrecht residents as possible come in contact with the sounds, pers...

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, returns in 2023 for its third edition. The program of U? is created for, but especially with the city of Utrecht, to celebrate the city’s creativity in all its diversity. With U? we aim to let Utrecht residents come in contact...

Buddy to Buddy matches newcomers to citizens based on equality, shared interests and a lot of ‘gezelligheid’. It helps newcomers get out of social isolation and it involves fellow citizens with the integration of their new neighbors. In this short documentary, our resident photo- & videographer Juri Hiensch visited buddy's...

Uncloud is a non profit contemporary and innovative art & music organization based in Utrecht. In this short documentary, our resident photo- & videographer Juri Hiensch visited Uncloud at their home base and during their first club night at WAS. Watch the mini documentary below + view the photo/video series on our Instagram. D...

Free Tekno parties were on the forefront of electronics since the birth of acid-house. In this short documentary, our resident photo- & videographer Juri Hiensch explored the past and present of this fascinating subculture, with a big & close community present in Utrecht. Watch the mini documentary below + view the photo/video ser...

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) U? is the participatory & freely accessible day program of Le Guess Who?, which returns 10-13 November to Utrecht. It hosts a multitude of events and activities which are created for and with local citizens, initiatives, entrepreneurs, social institutions and community centers. U? featu...

Peruvian legends Los Wembler’s de Iquitos performed live during the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2025. You can now listen to and relive the full performance via the recording below. Creators of the Amazonian cumbia, Los Wembler’s de Iquitos have been among the pioneers of psychedelic cumbia in the ’60s - when shoema...

Snakeskin, the Lebanese duo comprised of producer Fadi Tabbal and singer-songwriter Julia Sabra, performed live at Le Guess Who? 2025 following the release of their latest album 'We live in sand'. You can listen to, and relive, the full performance via the recording below.  Moody, luminous and quietly feral, Snakeskin’s musi...

DIEMAJIN, the duo of Berlin-based producer DJ DIE SOON (Daisuke Imamura) and Tokyo-based vocalist MA, present 陰陽 (Yin and Yang) at Le Guess Who? 2025 as part of Tianzhuo Chen's curation at the festival. Listen to the full performance: Imagine a spectral, sinister version of Tokusatsu - the Japanese live-action films or television pro...

Since 2022, Le Guess Who? collaborates with the Nature and Environment Federation Utrecht to offset CO2 emissions from international air travel by artists and visitors. In 2025, festival visitors again had the option to compensate the CO2 emission of their trip to Utrecht when buying a ticket. Additionally, LGW compensates CO2 emission f...

Katokye, who has dedicated his life to traditional songs from the Bahima (Western Uganda), performed live at Le Guess Who? 2025 following the release of his first studio album Obuhangwa bwa Banyankore na Bahororo via Nyege Nyege Tapes. Relive the performance with our recording of this international premiere:  "These are absolutely...

Belgian improvisation collective ZAÄAR perform live at Le Guess Who? 2025, curated by Tianzhuo Chen. Relive the full performance with our festival recording: Welcome to the jungle of psychedelic free-jazz soaked in tribal-surrealist soundscapes, where we reconquest our wild side. With their multi-layered improvisation, the collect...

Welsh trio Mclusky performed live at Le Guess Who? 2025 following the release of their new album the world is still here and so are we, marking a return after two decades. Relive the full performance:  Hitting the stage with the same ragged urgency that first defined them, Mclusky funnel a noise-rock/post-hardcore assault through...

In the summer of 2025, BHAJAN BHOY (Ajay Saggar) released Summer In St. Mary's, an album of beautiful and highly meditative and minimalist compositions with repetitive motifs, recorded on a 19th century church organ in the 15th century church of St. Mary’s in the small village of South Cowton in North Yorkshire (UK). During Le Gue...

-db kicked off as a residency in Amsterdam, initiated by Le Guess Who? in collaboration with Garage Noord, with celebrated multi-disciplinary artist Kelman Duran at the helm. Working for five straight days holed up in a DIY studio ("no frills, just pure creation", in the words of the artists themselves), the project blossomed into a colla...

From 5-8 November 2026, Le Guess Who? celebrates its 20th Anniversary Edition in Utrecht, The Netherlands. As part of this landmark edition, we present several special programs, including 24 HOUR DUB: a 24-hour session of continuous dub sounds from 4PM on Saturday 7, November, through 4PM on Sunday 8, November, at KABUL à GoGo. Th...

Multifaceted artist Tomoki Sanders performed live during the closing night of Le Guess Who? 2025. Relive the show with our concert film, featuring the songs The Third Eye, Virtual Warrior and Unconditional Love.  At the age of 10, Tomoki Sanders was gifted a saxophone by their father Pharoah. Now, with tenor sax as primary instrum...

Every year, COSMOS - our hybrid platform highlighting independent music scenes from around the world - links up with new partners, inviting them to grant us a glimpse into their unique musical environments. In the coming weeks, we’re rolling out the visual component of these partnerships: short but powerful mini-documentaries, by th...

During Le Guess Who? 2025, COSMOS - our hybrid platform highlighting independent music scenes from around the world - joined forces again with Berlin-based community Refuge Worldwide. Collaboratively, they broadcasted live from TivoliVredenburg during all festival days. You can now listen back to all shows: over 20 hours with in-depth in...

COSMOS, our hybrid platform highlighting independent music scenes from around the world, is launching its very own bulletin on Substack. Every month we will share in-depth stories, artist conversations, radio shows, recordings, films and more. The first edition will be sent on Sunday, 18 May. Kicking things off, we’re heading to Is...

COSMOS, our global music community, is a hybrid platform designed to be experienced digitally and IRL. As such, we’ll offer multiple ways of getting involved online and onsite during Le Guess Who? 2024. Here’s how:

Le Guess Who? and COSMOS, our worldwide music community, are excited to announce a new partnership with Berlin-based community radio Refuge Worldwide. Beaming out of Oona Bar in Berlin’s Weserstraße Kiez since 2021, Refuge Worldwide has grown into an important community radio and cultural hub, spreading cutting-edge music wit...

COSMOS is Le Guess Who?’s globe-spanning initiative that amplifies exciting music scenes from around the world. Through films, interviews, performances, and artist residencies, COSMOS connects international music communities and shares their stories. Now, COSMOS reveals the 2023 Embassies, together with its first-ever live program,...

Le Guess Who? needs your support For almost 20 years, Le Guess Who? has been a sanctuary for adventurous music from all over the world, bringing people together through the power of sound. Now, we face one of our biggest challenges yet—and we need your support to ensure the next 20 years. The current financial challenges we’...

Raja Kirik is the Indonesian duo of Yennu Ariendra and J. Mo'ong Santoso Pribadi, two radical artists who draw on Java's rich cultural traditions and its history of struggle against colonial oppression to create music that surprises, challenges and educates in equal measure.  Now, the group shares their new release: The Phantasmagor...

COSMOS is Le Guess Who?’s hybrid platform with both live and on-demand exclusive content. Beyond music, beyond film, and beyond borders, COSMOS translates the festival’s mission to the online environment. From 10-15 May, 2022, the 2nd edition of COSMOS will be freely available for worldwide streaming via cosmos.leguesswho.com....

As an international festival, Le Guess Who? has always worked with a borderless and boundary-crossing ethos. Now, we further enhance this focus with the launch of COSMOS: a new, hybrid platform that connects the local, physical festival environment with exclusive content that is available for worldwide, online streaming, via cosmos.legues...

(Nederlandse tekst hieronder) In 2026, Le Guess Who? continues to offer Low Income Day Tickets. This initiative is specifically for those who otherwise would not be able to attend the festival. This initiative arises from the fact that we hear that the ticket price is still one of the biggest barriers for people to visit the festival. W...

On November 9, 2019, the Greek polyphonic vocal ensemble Isokratisses gave a rare performance at the Jacobikerk during Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Founded by Anna Katsi, the group dedicates itself to the polyphonic singing of Poliçan, an ethnic Greek village in southern Albania. All the members are...

Mount Eerie has released his new live album '(after)', which was recorded in full at Le Guess Who? 2017. The performance was curated by Perfume Genius for the festival, and took place at the Jacobikerk, a magnificent gothic church that dates back to the 13th century, in front of a reverent crowd. '(after)' features songs from Mount...

Chanting songs and playing hypnotic polyrhythms, Egyptian ensemble Mazaher gave a rare performance at Le Guess Who? 2021. It was their first European show in over 15 years. Mazaher is an Egyptian ensemble, a small group of mostly women musicians and singers who play Zãr music: a combination of chanted songs and hypnotic polyrhythm...

As part of her curation at Le Guess Who? 2018, Philly-based noise artist, activist and wordsmith Moor Mother invited flutist, composer, poet and educator Nicole Mitchell for a performance at the festival. It ended up not being a solo performance though, but an exclusive and improvised collaboration between herself and Moor Mother. No...

Sudan/UK collective The Scorpios performed on the closing day of Le Guess Who? 2018. Inspired by traditional Sudanese music and 60s and 70s pop, the group create an elated mix of Arabic rhythms, raw Eastern funk and vintage psychedelia. You can now listen to their full festival performance: About Having fled from the fundamentalists i...

With their cosmic jazz celebration, Sun Ra Arkestra was one of the closing acts of Le Guess Who? 2017. We're pleased to now bring you the full recording of this show, spanning decades of the Sun Ra legacy. The song 'Discipline 27-II' features a special guest appearance by King Khan. Read on below for the astonishing story 'Sun Ra Ar...

During Le Guess Who? 2017 in Utrecht, The Netherlands, Canadian singer-songwriter Mary Margaret O’Hara gave a very rare live appearance, curated by Perfume Genius for the festival. We are extremely proud to share the video and audio recordings of the performance, with the video premiered by The Wire. Declared a ‘cult hero&r...

Moroccan Gnawa master Maâlem Houssam Guinia performed live at Le Guess Who? 2017. This performance was curated by James Holden for the festival: About:Maâlem (or ‘master musician’) Houssam Guinia is the son and successor of the late Mahmoud Guinia, an emblematic figure in the practice of West-African Gnawa music. Gna...

One of the standout shows at last year's Le Guess Who? in Utrecht came courtesy of Faust who played an 80-minute set. The set came one week after the terror attacks on Paris with the band dedicating the first track of the show to the victims. The show had no real setlist and marked the start of the festival. - The Quietus Recorded...

Lost Girls is the Norwegian duo made up of experimental guitarist Håvard Volden and former LGW curator Jenny Hval. Their latest album, 2023's Selvutsletter, continues the intuitive, late night feel of the group's previous work with topics such as cities after dark, music rituals, band practices of the ‘90s, and the early days...

A transcendental opening ceremony took place at the start of Le Guess Who? 2024, thanks to a special collaboration between the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and visual artist Arion de Munck, who presented the world premiere of Hadra Immersive at the festival.  The Hadra is an ancient northern Moroccan ceremony that leads participan...

The Body & Dis Fig performed live on the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2024. Relive the full, overwhelming - sonically as well as physically - performance below.  A crossover between American duo The Body, who have been tinkering with noise and metal since 1999, and Berlin-based DJ, producer, and vocalist Felicia Chen (AKA Di...

Brian Jackson performed live during the closing night of Le Guess Who? 2024, featuring a string of classic tracks such as The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Home Is Where the Hatred Is, and Winter in America. You can now listen to, and relive, the full performance below.  As one-half of power duo Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jac...

ASA-CHANG & Junray performed live at TivoliVredenburg's Pandora during Le Guess Who? 2024. You can now relive the full, spellbinding performance via the recording below - a mesmerizing hour of unprecedented music making.  ASA-CHANG is the founder and original bandmaster of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, who, upon leaving the en...

The Sai Anantam Ashram Singers performed The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda live at Le Guess Who? 2017, featuring a special guest appearance by saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings. About the project:Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda’s devotion to spirituality defined the final decades of her life. In 1983, she esta...

Polish guitarist Raphael Rogiński presented his album Žaltys live at Utrecht’s Pieterskerk during Le Guess Who? 2024, accompanied on stage by Lithuanian singer and kanklės player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and American multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily. You can now listen to the full performance, which was co-curated by Unsound as pa...

As part of her curation at Le Guess Who? 2024, experimental cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti performed live at the festival together with London-based vocal group Shards. Watch the concert film of the performance, featuring the tracks Kravitz, No Se Ve Desde Acá and Desde el Cielo: With her hypnotic pieces, Mabe Fratti comb...

Kenyan artist and producer KABEAUSHÉ brought a powerful performance to the closing night of Le Guess Who? 2024, following the release of HOLD ON TO DEER LIFE, THERE’S A BLCAK BOY BEHIND YOU!. You can now relive this special moment – a night of bold sound, raw emotion, and unforgettable presence – with our concert...

For the opening performance of Le Guess Who? 2025, Palestinian singer, composer and flutist Nai Barghouti collaborated with the 23-piece Amsterdam Sinfonietta, blending Arabic music traditions with classical music, jazz and other influences. Now can now relive the full performance.  Starting her musical adventure at just 14 years...

Through saxophone, cello, piano and flutes, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio offers the chance to engage with songs intended for healing. The group performed twice at Le Guess Who? 2025, curated by Lonnie Holley. You can now relive the performance during the closing night of the festival: tune in below.  At its heart, The Cosmic Ton...

Peruvian legends Los Wembler’s de Iquitos performed live during the opening night of Le Guess Who? 2025. You can now listen to and relive the full performance via the recording below. Creators of the Amazonian cumbia, Los Wembler’s de Iquitos have been among the pioneers of psychedelic cumbia in the ’60s - when shoema...

Snakeskin, the Lebanese duo comprised of producer Fadi Tabbal and singer-songwriter Julia Sabra, performed live at Le Guess Who? 2025 following the release of their latest album 'We live in sand'. You can listen to, and relive, the full performance via the recording below.  Moody, luminous and quietly feral, Snakeskin’s musi...

DIEMAJIN, the duo of Berlin-based producer DJ DIE SOON (Daisuke Imamura) and Tokyo-based vocalist MA, present 陰陽 (Yin and Yang) at Le Guess Who? 2025 as part of Tianzhuo Chen's curation at the festival. Listen to the full performance: Imagine a spectral, sinister version of Tokusatsu - the Japanese live-action films or television pro...

Belgian improvisation collective ZAÄAR perform live at Le Guess Who? 2025, curated by Tianzhuo Chen. Relive the full performance with our festival recording: Welcome to the jungle of psychedelic free-jazz soaked in tribal-surrealist soundscapes, where we reconquest our wild side. With their multi-layered improvisation, the collect...

Multifaceted artist Tomoki Sanders performed live during the closing night of Le Guess Who? 2025. Relive the show with our concert film, featuring the songs The Third Eye, Virtual Warrior and Unconditional Love.  At the age of 10, Tomoki Sanders was gifted a saxophone by their father Pharoah. Now, with tenor sax as primary instrum...

Welsh trio Mclusky performed live at Le Guess Who? 2025 following the release of their new album the world is still here and so are we, marking a return after two decades. Relive the full performance:  Hitting the stage with the same ragged urgency that first defined them, Mclusky funnel a noise-rock/post-hardcore assault through...

Le Guess Who? aims to present a festival that is accessible for everyone, but unfortunately not all festival venues are equally accessible. Please have a look below or at the specific venue pages for more information. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us via accessibility@leguesswho.com. Website accessibili...

Learn more about who are helping us realize the festival.

The Netherlands 3FM: "3voor12 is op Le Guess Who?, waar basketballen tegen aan het plafond geschroefde gitaren worden gegooid"3voor12: "Eerste 67 namen voor Le Guess Who? 2017"           3voor12: "Kelly Lee Owens, dagdromer met kennishonger"           3voor12: "Le Guess Who? str...

“With the able steer of festival curators Jenny Hval, Moon Duo, Fatoumata Diawara, and Iris Van Herpen, this year’s boundary-crossing festival Le Guess Who?? welcomed visitors from over 60 countries and proved that even in times of political divide, music and art can bring us together into a more hopeful future.” - The...

The Netherlands 3FM: Eva Koreman nieuwe presentator 3voor12 radio 3FM: Le Guess Who? 2018: Ralph-Herman snapt niet wat Colin Stetson doet3FM: Timo op Le Guess Who: van gevoelige liedjes in een kerk tot stoned rappers3voor12: Kijk terug: James Holden & The Animal Spirits op Le Guess Who? 3voor12: Festivals willen dat je een kaart...

"Overcoming lockdown obstacles, Le Guess Who? united a global cast of adventurous artists." - Crack Magazine The Netherlands 3voor12: Le Guess Who? strooit alvast met eerste namen en curatoren voor festivaleditie 20213voor12: Dit zijn onze 14 tips voor Le Guess Who? 20213voor12: Playlist Le Guess Who? 20213voor12: LGW21: De gestolde j...

The city of Utrecht and its independent businesses are an essential part of the Le Guess Who? experience. Visiting record shops, discovering cafés, eating in restaurants, and drinking local beers in the cosiest bars is a huge part of what makes the festival special for our audience. Our Treasure Guide is your key to discovering th...

Le Guess Who? 2015   

Op deze pagina is de selectie van de vier portretten van Melanie te vinden, behorende bij de Centercom Subsidiefonds-pitch van Le Guess Who?, evenals een schets van de opzet voor twee van de posters (nog geen definitieve ontwerpen).

Le Guess Who? takes pace across 20 locations in the city center of Utrecht; ranging from churches and galleries to theaters and pop venues. Most are within walking distance from each other. Here are a couple highlighted.

Le Guess Who? takes pace across 20 locations in the city center of Utrecht; ranging from churches and galleries to theaters and pop venues. Most are within walking distance from each other. Here are a couple highlighted.

Le Guess Who? takes pace across 20 locations in the city center of Utrecht; ranging from churches and galleries to theaters and pop venues. Most are within walking distance from each other. Here are a couple highlighted.

Le Guess Who? takes pace across 20 locations in the city center of Utrecht; ranging from churches and galleries to theaters and pop venues. Most are within walking distance from each other. Here are a couple highlighted.

About Le Guess Who? With the motto of Listening is the Way Forward, Le Guess Who? is widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals around, celebrated for presenting groundbreaking music in inspiring ways. Here, artists from all over the world offer new perspectives on what is possible in music and, collectively,...

Dive into our 2016 program guide, with info on artists, side programs during the festival, like Le Mini Who?, Le Bazarre, Juri Hiensch's Photo Exhibition on 10 Years of Le Guess Who?, and Le Gig Poster.

The First 5 Years Dive into our Five Years publication with pictures, reports and all the details about the first five editions of the festival.

The First 5 Years Dive into our Five Years publication with pictures, reports and all the details about the first five editions of the festival.

Le Guess Who? 2014 Audio Recordings There are lots of recordings available in our audio archive, including Selda Bağcan, Baba Zula and many more from other editions of the festival. 

The Netherlands 3voor12: Dit zijn de vijftig belangrijkste festivals van Nederland3voor12: Le Guess Who? slaat 2020 over3voor12: Beverly Glenn-Copeland blijft onverstoorbaar hoopvol3voor12: Le Guess Who? organiseert fysiek en online evenement3voor12: Le Guess Who? maakt volledige line-up LGW OFF bekend3voor12: Alternatie...

Le Guess Who? 2018 Line-up Le Guess Who? 2018 featured programs curated by Devendra Banhart, Moor Mother and Shabaka Hutchings. View the full line-up via the link below.  LE GUESS WHO? 2018 LINE-UP Audio Recordings There are lots of recordings available in our audio archive, including BCUC, Neneh Cherry, Kadri Gopalnath, The Scor...

Le Guess Who? 2011

Le Guess Who? 2012

Le Guess Who? 2013 Live videos from LGW13 VPRO 3VOOR12 captured live performances from different locations in Utrecht. Watch below:

Program & Other Guides Dive into our 2016 Program Guide with artists biographies; info on Satellite Events like Le Mini Who?, Le Gig Poster and Le Bazarre; and Juri Hiensch's Photo Exhibition on 10 Years of Le Guess Who?. You can also read our 2016 Treasure Guide: our festival newspaper with background stories on arti...

LGW19 Line-up Le Guess Who? 2019 featured programs curated by Fatoumata Diawara, Jenny Hval, Moon Duo, Patrick Higgins, Iris van Herpen & Salvador Breed and The Bug. View the full line-up via the link below.  LE GUESS WHO? 2019 LINE-UP

U?, het gratis toegankelijke stadsprogramma van Le Guess Who?, keert terug naar Utrecht voor de vierde editie. U? viert lokale en creatieve communities gevestigd in Nederland, met een sterke focus op Utrecht. Onze missie: Amplifying local communities from the fringe, U? is Utrecht’s radical playground for experimentation, co-creati...

U?, het gratis toegankelijke stadsprogramma van Le Guess Who?, viert lokale en creatieve communities, met een sterke focus op Utrecht. U? keert van 8-10 november 2024 terug voor de vierde editie. U? onthult nu het volledige programma voor 2024, met op zaterdag 9 november een festival-playground in het Cartesiusgebied, en daarnaast veel a...

Each year, Le Guess Who? invites guest curators to create their own dedicated programs, highlighting their inspirations, emerging acts and fellow like-minded artists, with an emphasis on discovery and exploration. The guest curators of Le Guess Who? 2026 are surrelist blues poet aja monet, sound artist KMRU, Los Thuthanaka, founded by si...

LGW ON TV Guide For the broadcasting times of all programs, have a look at the TV Guide or download and print your own PDF version. BROWSE THROUGH THE TV GUIDE

LGW17 Photo Archive Our photo team captured a lot of special moments during Le Guess Who? 2017. Take a scroll through our 2017 photo archive:  VISIT PHOTO ARCHIVE

LGW? 2021 Line-Up Le Guess Who? 2021 featured programs curated by John Dwyer, Lucrecia Dalt, Matana Roberts, Phil Elverum and Midori Takada. View the full line-up via the link below. LE GUESS WHO? 2021 LINE-UP

Le Guess Who? x Front As part of our new, hybrid platform COSMOS, we once again collaborated with Dutch music platform Front to bring you live sessions with rising Dutch artists. Watch and listen to the live sessions + interviews with Dutch post-punk outfit Private Bankingand and Anna van Rij. LE GUESS WHO? X FRONT

Voor U? 2024 zijn we op zoek naar nieuwe en enthousiaste curatoren om hun communities en creativiteit op het festival te presenteren.

Le Guess Who? 2024

U? celebrates local and creative communities across the Netherlands, with a strong focus on Utrecht. Through public programs, U? brings people together and creates space for exchange.

With the motto of Listening is the Way Forward, Le Guess Who? is widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals around. 

Le Guess Who? 2016

Le Guess Who? 2017

Le Guess Who? 2018

Facts & Figures Browse through our Facts & Figures magazine, in which we offer you an insight into the impact and results of LGW ON/OFF, with data from both events, photos, and quotes from media.   Press Archive Our archive includes press previews, reports and interviews for ON/OFF. Have a look at all published articles...

Le Guess Who? presents ON/OFF

Photo Archive Our photo team captured a lot of special moments during Le Guess Who? 2014. Take a scroll through our 2014 photo archive:  VISIT PHOTO ARCHIVE

Photo Gallery Our photo team captured a lot of special moments during Le Guess Who? 2012. Take a scroll through our 2012 photo archive:  VISIT PHOTO GALLERY

Representing the Underrepresented During LGW18, Canal180 shot a documentary of our festival. “Who is a headliner? Everyone has his personal headliner and I think that’s what music should be”. And that makes us reflect on what role a music festival should play nowadays. It should be a place for discovery where viewe...

Le Guess Who? 2019

Relive performances from LGW19 We captured some performances  by Aldous Harding, Ayalew Mesfin & Debo Band, Efterklang, Girl Band, Makaya McCraven and Minyo Crusaders on video. Watch below: WATCH THE VIDEOS Press Archive Our archive includes news, reports and interviews for LGW19. Relive the edition with...

Audio Recordings Listen to performances of the Microphones, Mazaher, FLOHIO, Slumberland feat. Sainkho Namtchylak, Zwangere Guy, Suuns, Ice Balloons and Plague Organ. VISIT AUDIO ARCHIVE

Press Archive Our archive includes press previews, reports and interviews for LGW21. Have a look at all published articles at the link below. VISIT PRESS ARCHIVE

Thank you for your donation! With your support, we're able to continue to showcase underrepresented sounds that otherwise would not be heard. Photo: Loop at Le Guess Who?, by Erik Luyten.

"Spiralling outwards from the cobbled, canal-studded streets of the old town, Utrecht is an architecturally beautiful city in the centre of the Netherlands." - Crack Magazine

"Spiralling outwards from the cobbled, canal-studded streets of the old town, Utrecht is an architecturally beautiful city in the centre of the Netherlands." - Crack Magazine

(Nederlandse versie hieronder) Every year we give visitors the opportunity to 'Donate a Ticket'. This initiative gives festival visitors the opportunity to purchase an extra day ticket for people who are also interested in visiting the festival, but do not have the financial resources themselves to do so. Visitors can donate a ticket vi...

Le Guess Who? 2021

Le Guess Who? 2022

Press Archive Our press archive includes press previews, reports and interviews for LGW22.

Photo Archive Relive many unforgettable performances from Le Guess Who? 2022 and take a peek behind the scenes. Browse through a selection of images captured by our talented photography team. Festival photographers Juri Hiensch and Melanie Marsman once again use their lenses at Le Guess Who?, creating unique photo series that reflect th...

Le Guess Who? 2023

LGW? 2024 Line-up Le Guess Who? 2024 featured programs curated by Bo Ningen, Crystallmess, DARKSIDE. View the full line-up via the link below. LE GUESS WHO? 2024 LINE-UP

Le Guess Who? 2023 featured programs curated by AMPFEMININE, Stereolab, and Heba Kadry. View the full line-up via the link below. LE GUESS WHO? 2023 LINE-UP

Photo Archive Step back into Le Guess Who? 2024 and revisit some of its most memorable moments—on stage and behind the scenes. Explore a curated collection of images captured by our dedicated photography team. Our team of photographers documented this edition, creating striking photo series that capture the energy, atmosphere, and...

Press Archive Our press archive includes press previews, reports and interviews for LGW23.

Press Archive Our press archive includes press previews, reports and interviews for LGW24.

Le Guess Who? 2024 featured programs curated by Bo Ningen, Crystallmess, DARKSIDE. View the full line-up via the link below. LE GUESS WHO? 2024 LINE-UP

Le Feast invites you to enjoy a feast together with people you don't know (yet). Would you like to join the potluck, invite people to your home in Utrecht as a home-chef or want to be a guest? You can now sign up! “Le Feast is such a great way to bring people together in an atmosphere of generosity and celebrate what unites us.&rdq...

(Nederlandse tekst hieronder) In 2026, Le Guess Who? continues to offer Low Income Day Tickets. This initiative arises from the fact that we hear that the ticket price is one of the biggest barriers for people to visit the festival. We want to give people – who would like to visit the festival but don’t have the financial res...

Founded by the international music festival Le Guess Who?, COSMOS invites vibrant music communities from every corner of the map to share their stories - both online and offline.

From 5-8 November 2026, Le Guess Who? celebrates its 20th Anniversary Edition in Utrecht, The Netherlands. As part of this landmark edition, we present several special programs, including 24 HOUR DUB: a 24-hour session of continuous dub sounds from 4PM on Saturday 7, November, through 4PM on Sunday 8, November, at KABUL à GoGo. Th...